Intro
I was tasked by the client to design packaging for their product "SipSip"- a high quality boba tea beverage. A main goal for this project was for the design to be cute and fun but also clean and interesting. I had to make the design work across three flavors: banana, taro, and melon while making sure they were all consistent yet still unique. The designated bottles were made of clear glass and that gave me the opportunity to do something exciting with this project.
Creative Process
Design Concepting
The bright colors of the produce used for flavoring really worked to my advantage as it made it much more easy to make this design fun and bubbly. Continuing that train of thought, I decided to incorporate a simple yet cute cat to be the main focal point and frame for all the other elements. I chose a cat because they are internationally known for their cuteness and since they are so recognizable they can be oversimplified which is what I did in this instance. The typeface I used (for the name of the product and the flavor featured on the top tab and bottom) really goes well with the "bubbly/squishy" vibe of the product itself. It's a simple blocky, round, and friendly typeface perfect for the job.
My favorite part of this piece is the cup-shaped die-cut in the front which displays the beverage's most unique feature: the tapioca pearls sitting at the bottom. To incorporate the die-cut more in the design, I added a straw coming from the cat's mouth and some pearls coming up the straw to make it look as if the cat were drinking the beverage. The clear, uncolored, glass makes it so that the colors of the liquid itself are displayed, as well as the pearls on the bottom. There are also three small die-cuts on the back of the packaging just to draw attention to the facts that are featured inside of each one.
Another thing I had fun with was making each cat different for each flavor by giving them a different pattern and of course a different color. Changing just those two factors makes it so that the packaging stays consistent but there is now some visually interesting variability existing. On the back of the packaging I also included a full body version of each cat for a fun little surprise.
To conclude, I created an elegant design that shows the products high quality ingredients while maintaining a fun bubbly feel that is attractive to all age groups. I also was able to showcase the tapioca pearls using the glass to my advantage with creative die cuts. This project perfectly reflects the nature of boba tea itself and how the client wanted it to be represented.
Note- School project not commercial work
