MISSION
This brand has created a patch to provide a solution for hangover, combining CBD with additional functional ingredients. The product will be available in both dispensaries and pharmacies. Logo and packaging design are required.
CASE STUDY
The product needs to feature a logo and packaging suitable for wide distribution, highlighting its purpose, primary ingredient quality, and visual appeal. Since the brand’s name includes an umlaut over the letter “U,” they requested a design that incorporates this into a smiley face.
The challenge for this design is to create packaging and a logo that appeal to a diverse target audience, ranging from 21 to 65+ years old, with no significant differences in gender, education, or income. However, a significant portion of consumers may be female due to slower alcohol metabolism, making them primary users of this product (sources: 2021 US CBD Consumer Report and American Addiction Centre). The brand currently has no social media presence, so my research in identifying and understanding the target audience is based on a meeting with the owner and relevant medical studies.
MY WORK
Starting with the client’s sketch, I focused first on the logo design, using the “Ü” to form a face. I aimed for a design that avoided excessive cartoonish-ness to preserve the product’s credibility. Initially, I considered using a free-hand font with a similar smile-like letter, but I ultimately modified one to style the emoticon while blending it seamlessly with the other letters.
To achieve this result, I selected a sans-serif font for editing. I began by experimenting with colours and contrasts to highlight the text and surrounding elements. However, I eventually arranged the words vertically for greater visual impact. The final design impressed the client immediately, offering strong shelf presence and readability from a distance.
The result is a clean, tidy typeface with balanced spacing between letters, featuring serifs at the ends, and added curves and edges for character. The font conveys lightness, reliability, and clarity, while the smiley face is well integrated.
For the logo design, I researched similar products in the market to understand how the packaging would be placed alongside other items.
After designing the font, I added a caption in Century Gothic to allow for easy future modifications.
I experimented with enclosing the elements, inspired by the client’s sketch. Ultimately, I decided to add a green cross with edges shaped similarly to the font, aligning the design with typical medical product imagery.
Next, I experimented with colours and overlays, presenting three options for client feedback and potential adjustments.
Once the logo was approved, I began working on the packaging, which will be approximately a 10×9 cm bag.
When the client sent me the sketch of the desired final result, he emphasized the importance of highlighting the active ingredients. I developed three different approaches based on the consumer demographic and the client’s ideas.
Since dispensaries are not available in my country, I researched similar CBD products online, observing the common communication and design styles among competitors. The client’s primary objective is to create a product that stands out, is easily identifiable in a crowded market, and appeals to a broad demographic with diverse backgrounds.
I chose easy-to-read icons and a clean, streamlined packaging design that conveys both pharmaceutical and organic herbal qualities. I also selected less conventional colours to avoid alienating more conservative customers.
Impact
The client really liked the three designs and chose option C, recognizing the effective use of colours and layout, and he is also positive it will stand out among similar products.
