Miel² is a conceptual range of organic honeys infused with acacia, rosemary and chestnut.
Created, branded and packaged by French independent designer Nora Renaud, the design solution draws together the themes of craft, the elemental nature of honey and the science of infusions through a canvas bag, stitched detail, bold typography and a bright colour palette.
Based around a canvas bag with stitched detail and tear-away strip, the exterior packaging is a neat resolution of organic, uncoated and tactile features that work really well to communicate handcraft, individuality, and regional quality. These have been given a bold and distinctive twist through a contemporary typographical combination of large, uppercase and geometric san serif letter-forms and superscript that sets a scientific tone that captures the careful compounding of flavours and presents these as elemental cooking ingredients to be creative with.
Inside, a jar with a more conventional adhesive label treatment reflects the graphic design cues of the canvas bag while the additional detail, layout and fills continue to build on the a clinical sensibility. The colours are bright and complimentary, work well with the tones of the honey and although perhaps a little synthetic for a natural product, resonate well with the scientific and experimental nature expressed through the typography. These colours also offer a neat contrast to the earthy brown tone and fibre of the bag.
The creativity of this project largely lies with the homemade quality of the canvas bag and the rich tactile contrast achieved by setting this against a clinical typographic approach and conventional structural design. Ultimately it is a very simple but unique juxtaposition of science and craft that delivers a smart, relevant and unusual duality that confidently (albeit conceptually) avoids category cliches while remaining communicative.
Opinion by Richard Baird
