Designing coffee with an eye to UX
The unfolding java art revolution
I have measured out my life with coffee spoons. — T.S. Eliot
We all know the ubiquitously franchised coffee shops. Their names are etched into our memory banks. But no need to mention them here.
However, independent and entrepreneurial coffee producers have strengthened their market position throughout the pandemic years, and they are here to stay. In addition to producing exceptional coffee, and striving for sustainability and cultural celebration, they all share one particular market insight.
Each morning, the first thing that greets 42% of all coffee drinkers is the coffee’s packaging itself, even before the coffee is brewed
The National Coffee Association reports that 42% of all coffee-imbibing Americans prefer to buy their coffee in a pre-packaged bag. These coffee drinkers are looking at their coffee packaging first every morning before actually brewing the precious beverage.
This is a whole lot of free ad space, not to mention the eye-catching display a coffee package in itself makes on a shelf. Independent coffee entrepreneurs are taking note and pushing their packaging expertise to the next level.[1]
Meet 3 independent coffee entrepreneurs who are re-defining the coffee experience by turning their packaging into collectibles
Note: I have no affiliation with these coffee entrepreneurs. Their products are featured as exploratory examples.
The joy of drinking coffee is now part of a whole sensory experience, from delivering odes to the flavors, to praising the origins of the beans and taking pride in the artistic product designs.
This experience is celebrated as a unique moment in one’s day, resplendent with odes to the flavors and artistic interpretations of the fantastical moods coffee can invoke. Poetic copy lines challenge our assumptions about product naming and description, pulling on our literary life like strings on a Stradivarius.
The artists engaged in creating stunning art works bring joy and happiness back into our life on deadlines, through this coffee experience.
1. Creative Coffee District: The outer space experience
Creative Coffee District (CCD), available at brandywinecoffeeroasters, gives special attention to art and its power to ignite change. CCD offers a space that celebrates self-expression, having established an art program inviting artists to step into our coffee world and shake it up with their point of view.
Gesha, one of their most expensive bean, celebrates this philosophy. Aromatic notes of grape, mango, milk chocolate, and cherry are described. Grown at Finca Don Ruben by Ruben Viera, catalogued as Lot 16, it indeed promises us an otherworldly experience.
Creative Coffee District is a group of creatives set to spark collaboration in the industry and beyond by weaving coffee together with the worlds of art and coffee, creating a colorful experience from innovative growing techniques to ecological endorsement.[2]
The CCD art and design approach tells the coffee story as a fantastical experience. It evokes reaching beyond of what is known.
2. Onyx Coffee Lab: Sophistication beyond the ordinary
At Onyx Coffee Lab, discovering the perfect coffee blend is a pilgrimage seeking quality, truth and accountability in coffee. Their journey is set to find the finest and most unique coffees in the world.
Onyx Coffee Lab approaches coffee as the ultimate life-pal in one’s home. Genteel, sophisticated, sensitive, and faithful, these are just a few qualities that come to mind when experiencing the Onyx coffees.
The Onyx packaging delivers. For instance, Southern Weather is presented in a rich black square box with embossed floral art and serif type. A perfectly worded label describes the flavors captured therein, milk chocolate, plum, candied walnuts, juicy, and hints of citrus oil. How can one resist?[3]
The Onyx roastery is carbon neutral, running off solar panels on the roof of their HQ building. This has taken the entire roastery and production area off the grid.
Onyx Coffee Lab is seeking quality, truth and accountability in coffee. And their designs prove it.
3. Joshua Tree Coffee: A journey into the pink sunsets of the Californian desert landscape
Joshua Tree’s coffee experience is born out of two simple truths: the profound positive impact of organic farming and the awe-inspiring power of Mother Nature.
Sourcing only the most exceptional organic beans and roasting them in the extremes of the Mojave Desert, their small-batch roasts embody the unique, invigorating energy of the stunning Joshua Tree desert environment.[4]
Who would have partnered a soft pink brand color with the aromas of coffee? Joshua Tree Coffee did it, and their brand stands out as a truly memorable dedication to the luxurious feeling of drinking coffee.
This Joshua Tree Coffee Espresso organic roast has low acidity and full body, making it perfect for pulling beautiful, flavorful shots. Originally developed for use in an espresso machine, it can be enjoyed using any brewing method! How’s that for coffee!
Designing coffee is an adventure into fantasy. Joshua Tree Coffee has perfectly captured any coffee lover’s delight in journeying into the wide open space where artistry meets sustainability and the passion for the perfect brew.
In summary
Independent coffee roasters supporting independent coffee growers are redefining the coffee philosophy.
Coffee packaging provides a unique opportunity to bring the visions of these independent coffee producers directly to the consumers.
Sustainability, ecology, flavors, and poetic dedication should all be perfectly captured in the design.
Look for these new coffee brews at your local independent coffee shop.
To me, the smell of freshly-made coffee is one of the greatest inventions. –Hugh Jackman
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References:
[1] Coffee packaging preferences in the United States, stats supplied by the National Coffee Association, infographic #36. https://www.perfectbrew.com/blog/coffee-statistics-infographic/
[2] Gesha coffee featured by Creative Coffee District. https://www.brandywinecoffeeroasters.com/collections/the-heady-collection/products/panama-ccd-ruben-viera-lot-16-intrinsic-cherry-gesha-6oz; https://creativacoffeedistrict.com/en/home-2020/
[3] Onyx Coffee Lab: https://onyxcoffeelab.com
[4] Joshua Tree Coffee: https://jtcoffee.com
