When the original plans for a design ultimately don’t work out, it can feel frustrating. But when faced with this issue while designing The Kombucha Shop, Studio MPLS took it as an opportunity to set it aside and create something new—something that ended up fitting the client even better. We spoke with Studio MPLS about the vision they set out to create for The Kombucha Shop, creating something accessible to all consumers, how restraint played a part in the design, and more.
Studio MPLS: We had several meetings and conversations with Kate Field, founder of The Kombucha Shop, to learn more about her vision for the project and specific goals with the packaging redesign. With kombucha’s increasing popularity and multiple home-brew kits on the market, The Kombucha Shop wanted a design that would set them apart, and distinguish them as an approachable and premium option. We spent some time immersing ourselves in the the world of kombucha home brewing, and collecting images of local and national competitors—both brewing kits and kombucha brands in general.
With the competitive set in mind, we began collecting found imagery that we would sort into three image boards, representing general conceptual directions that the client would choose from. Collecting and categorizing found imagery to share with our clients allows us to learn about their visual preferences before we start designing. A general direction was selected by the client, and we revised the chosen mood board into a final document that served as a visual brief to guide us in the design phase.
