Matchacha

Challenge

Create an alcoholic beverage and brand identity for a small local business. The requirements were to design two flavors for a beverage and supporting products. 

With this project I had freedom to choose what type of drink I wanted and it was obvious for me that matcha was the right choice. Spiked matcha is something I don’t hear often and don’t typically see on the market. Creating this concept that will be sold in a can tapped into a new market and stands out from other spiked beverages. 

Exploration

In my sketches I started exploring with the letter “M” and a leaf for the logo. I wanted to go for a more urban, modern look with high contrast in colors. Through my sketching, I also explored text placements for the full name and packaging designs. 

Digital Drafts

This is when I settled on my typeface and brand icon. I picked this san serif font because of its boldness and rounded corners, which portrayed the modern look while not being too sharp and unwelcoming. 

I did have a hard time narrowing down my options of the packaging so I digitalized all of the sketches. This gave me a clear vision of what was working the best which helped eliminate the weakest option. One felt too playful and another limited me with spacing. The best concept I wanted needed to have a more mature look and utilize all of the space on the can to it’s advantage. 

 Solution

The final concept design was the best pick, however, there were many revisions and additional elements to be added. From the drafts I changed the text “Spiked Organic Matcha” from being in one line to being stacked. This saved me a lot of space while having the perfect amount of white space. I also decreased the size of the main text content, giving high contrast from the name and copy. Incorporating key benefits and coordinating icons of the drink was important to me because it gives reasons why you should purchase this drink. Lastly for the cans, the colored overlaying circles were placed strategically and were slightly blurred for a softer look that doesn’t disrupt legibility. The colors also correlates to the flavors and the overlapping represent them blending. 

Spiked alcoholic beverages taste better when cold, so designing a koozie seemed appropriate. In addition, having a branded coaster also leaves an impression and further spreads the brand.

Lastly, including the Matchacha truck finishes off the feel I have for this concept. This is exactly what a small local business owner could start with. Being able to transport anywhere like to events and festivals advertising the drinks alongside the branded accessories.

 Reflection

Finishing this project, I learned to effectively design a brand combining two contrasting beverages such as alcohol and matcha. Most probably wouldn’t think to purchase alcoholic matcha but I think with eye catching colors and designs, many would reach out to give it a try.