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Binh Coffee Revels In Holograms and Unforgettable Sunrises

by Casha Doemland on 11/14/2018 | 3 Minute Read

Binh Coffee is in the business of dreams, that magical Taster’s Choice-like moment that strikes as soon as you take that first sip.

Of course, you don’t want that first taste of coffee to be just any old sip. You want to construct an unforgettable experience, and that goes beyond just the drink itself, something that hits as soon as you spot the packaging on the shelf.

We caught up with award-winning designer Ian Wallace to unwrap his design process and discover the inspiration behind each detail.

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What’s the inspiration behind the design/packaging of the product?

Ian Wallace: Living in the moment each morning during my trip to Vietnam, I felt a special connection when drinking coffee – experiencing the essence of the mountains' chromatic sunrises to the presence of local elephants heading down through humid rocks and abundant vegetation. At the end of the day, with the sun setting between lakes, the sunsets in Vietnam gave warm moments and deep sun reflections in the water, where the local men sailing their canoes helped create a memorable atmosphere. Every day is a new beginning, a new experience, new colors, textures and smells. How to capture and reflect all these daily changes in a pack of coffee? I'm unable to choose only one color for the packaging because everybody would see the same every day.

What was one of the biggest goals you set out to achieve with the packaging and how did you accomplish it?

Ian Wallace: One of the biggest goals was to create a powerful concept that had never been seen before in coffee packaging. To have people see the sky in the packable while being able to enjoy a great cup of coffee in the morning or afternoon, accompanied by nature that gives you hundreds of colors a second.

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Were the designs on the labels done digitally, or did you start with a pencil and paper and then scan the designs in?

Ian Wallace: I made all the illustrations by hand based on and inspired by photographs and illustrations of the objects on the label – elephant and man in the canoe. This process took me to the digital world where I retouched every detail to reach perfection. In addition, I simulated the packaging digitally using several graphic elements to get the result I wanted and impress the client.

Why did you opt for pearlescent styled bags? What was the appeal, and what is the material of the bag?

Ian Wallace: The concept I made for Binh Coffee was, "how do you bring down the sky to hold it in your hands?" This is the reason I immersed myself into holography and developed creative packaging that changes its color palette all the time, just as the sunrise and sunset do in nature. The material used is metalized holographic paper while the labels were made on rice paper, a characteristic of Vietnam.

What was it like working with Binh Coffee?

Ian Wallace: Never in my life have I learned so much as I did while with Bình, a very wise and emotional man. I learned how to appreciate nature and turn it into a magnificent moment accompanied by a great coffee.

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