PURE BEAN

COFFEE PACKAGING DESIGN

Company:Pure Bean
Location:USA, NY
Service:Packaging design
Category:Food & Drink
5.0 100+ Reviews

Challenge

Pure Bean brought Stan Agency a unique coffee packaging custom order. The company distributes coffee beans from around the world. It needed branded coffee package designs for the lines and picked Stan Agency to help. We eagerly accepted.

Challenge Components

Niche market
Differentiating regions
Consumer environmental concerns

Industry Research

Our first step was examining the coffee industry. We looked at trends and markets for artisanal coffee beans. This led us to several interesting ideas that the industry used elsewhere. We decided we could incorporate the information into our coffee package designs. For example, we chose to focus on the artisanal difference.

Audience Research

We then investigated who buys artisanal coffee. An amazing variety of people buy this product regularly. Pure Bean targets younger professionals, but the company wanted a more universal audience appeal. We were able to select middle ground elements for the coffee package designs.

Packaging Research as a Custom Coffee Package Design Firm

Then we pulled several direct USA competitors’ coffee package designs. We noticed a trend towards bright colors. We also saw some coffee package design focused on an entirely natural packaging look. This meant we needed to avoid following those trends completely.

Bonus Challenge

The significant challenge for this coffee package design project involved the regions. Pure Bean wanted the coffee growing regions to be easily distinguishable. That meant we needed to figure out a way to maintain the branding while still incorporating that desire into the coffee packaging designs.

Brand Symbology

Pure Bean believes in letting the coffee speak for itself. Therefore, it uses a simple and almost minimalist brand identity. We mimicked the principle for the coffee package designs. We also wanted to show what mattered to the brand, its ethical mission to improve the regions the coffee grows.

Design Inspiration

The primary coffee packaging design source was modern principles. We wanted coffee packaging designs that was both beautiful and practical. From there, we also examined the Pure Bean brand and the relevant details. Ultimately, functional, modern coffee package designs emerged.

Element Decisions

The coffee package design labels required the most consideration. We decided flags and names would best help people locate the source of their coffee. We also agreed that a map element would make the coffee package designs look exotic. The team incorporated these decisions but was otherwise allowed to make their own design decisions.

Narrowing Down the Final Options

The design team returned several coffee package design concepts. Each was checked against branding. Then we examined which ideas conveyed the modern ideas Pure Bean embodies. The coffee package designs then went through a focus group.

Result

Pure Bean’s team admired the coffee package designs during our final meeting. The company put the coffee package designs into production quickly, and within a few weeks, the beans hit the market. Pure Bean did let Stan Agency know that sales are exceeding its projections slightly.

The Deliverable

The Final Package:

Complete custom coffee package designs
Separate package design elements for reuse

The completed coffee package designs featured an interchangeable label design, so we incorporated flags and maps in each coffee package design label. We used illustrations and simple explanations for the rest of the packaging. We look forward to our next order from Pure Bean.