Volcán Process Manual - Elsa Lu by Elsa Lu

PROCESS BOOK By Elsa Lu 1

TABLE OF CONTENTS I. INTRODUCTION Design Analysis Creative Brief Mission Statement

II. RESEARCH

IV. GRAPHIC STANDARDS

5 7 8

Type/ Color

Logo Use

Business System

Marketing

Glyphs & Ethnography

Current Market/ Use

Biomimicry

Material

III. LOGO

Sketches

Variations

Final Logo

V. PACKAGING

Sketches

Prototype

Digital Layouts

Final Packaging

Product Experience

INTRODUCTION

DESIGN ANALYSIS

GOALS:

PROBLEM STATEMENT:

NEEDS/ OBJECTIVES:

The goal is to create an intuitive and convenient package design made of ecologically responsible material that facilitates chopping and single-serving uses.

Cocoa Production contributes to deforestation and climate change, reducing biodiversity of rainforests. About 90% of the cocoa pod is wasted in production, finding a use for the waste is intrinsic to Volcanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mission.

There is a need to find a use for the waste in cocoa production and to find ways to compensate for deforestion due to cocoa production. Creating the packaging from the cocoa mulch could be a part of a solution.

BACKGROUND:

Additionally, at a functional level, the current round shape of Mexican Hot chocolate makes it difficult to cut single servings.

The Objective is to create an intuitive and convenient package design that facilitates chopping and single-serving uses. It should also be space-efficient for shelves and shipping. The material of the packaging would be created from the cocoa pods and the remaining mulch would be part of a program to replant trees and create a more sustainable cycle. Cocoa mulch has a lot of nutrients that can be used in planting.

A problematic part of Cocoa production is the disposal of cocoa husks. About 90% of cocoa pod is wasted, so there a few ways the husks are being used today. They are turned into animal feed, pod gum, mulch and potash for soap making. Finding a way for the mulch to be turned into paper or a cardstock material would help use more parts of the cocoa bean.

Cocoa is full of antioxidants and there is research that claims that cocoa in moderation can help regulate blood pressure and cholesterol, and even prevent cognitive decline. If single servings are facilitated, Mexican Hot Chocolate could be a delicious way that people interested in the health benefits could take their cocoa.

DESIGN ANALYSIS

PROJECT SUMMARY:

METHODOLOGY: Year 1: Volcan will begin as a small brand working with small sustainably-run farms being sold in local coffee shops. There would be development of the cycle to utilize the cocoa pods in packaging as well as in the planting of non-cocoa plants on the farmersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; land to introduce agroforestry systems. Research says that cocoa trees grow better in shade. The outside packaging will seem familiar to the regular buyer of Mexican Hot Chocolate, but the interior packaging will be a new experience for consumers.

Year 2: There will be analysis of the cocoa plants by UCD researchers to see if there is significant improvement in fruit production and whether soil samples see an improvement in nutrient retention from the addition of cocoa pod mulch. Volcan will become a brand known for its promise to sustainable practices, expanding to small local health food markets.

As a partial solution to the problem of deforestation, Volcan will partner with cocoa farmers to produce a product that attempts to use cocoa pods as mulch and fertilizer for surrounding shade plants on its cocoa farms and on nutrient-drained land that requires reintroduction of other plants. It will also use in its packaging a cardstock that is made of 10% cocoa husk and 90% cellulose.

Year 3: Volcan will continue to analyze the cocoa plants and extend its practices to more small farms. The brand will continue trying to build a presence a loyalty with fans of a less sweet hot chocolate that promotes sustainable growing practices.

The shape of the product will also be more user-friendly for those who want to make single servings of the cocoa and save the rest of the product for later. It will appeal to the health nuts and people who casually enjoy a cup at home.

CREATIVE BRIEF

PROJECT STRATEGY:

BACKGROUND:

AUDIENCE:

The project will be a graphic standard for the company that reflects the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dedication to sustainability. Additionally, there will be a physical model that uses space more efficiently than the traditional 18.6 oz boxes for Mexican Hot Chocolate.The finished product will show how the choclate is notched for easy serving.

The current market has mostly sweeter hot chocolates. The main brands being Ibarra, and Abuelita. The main competition for more high end hot chocolate is TAZA, which makes fair trade, high quality chocolate with different flavors like vanilla and chile. Volcan can be distinct in with its sustainable and human-centered packaging.

1. Young professionals (35-45) interested in Fair Trade and Sustainable products

Currently, all these brands share pretty similar packaging. They are in circular discs, with notches for perforation, wrapped in wax paper and a hexagonal box. To use a single servingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s worth, one must cut through the bar several times with a sharp heavy duty knife. The chocolate is then ground, chopped up or grated and whisked into hot milk for hot chocolate or used in mole sauce. For Ibarra or Abuelita, chili has to be added for spice.

3. University Students (18-25) who want a drink for studying that is cozy but stimulates brain function with spice.

2. Mothers and Fathers (45-55) who want to serve hot chocolate on Dia de Los Muertos or other holidays. Looking for something authentic and traditional.

4. Foodies (35-45) interested in delicious antoxidant-rich foods. Those interested in Chocolate for health would also find smaller single serving portions more convenient because cocoa would be taken once daily. Possibly more appealing to females, but maybe spice adds to more masculine perception.

MISSION STATEMENT

Although it was reserved for kings, historically, Mexican hot chocolate was considered a drink of the gods. Volcanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s goal is to create an authentic hot chocolate that reflects the Mayaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rich history and respect for nature. To do this Volcan will explore more ecologicallyresponsible production methods. In order to compensate for the deforestation and waste created in cocoa production, Volcan will use the cocoa shell waste in packaging and the remainder of the mulch will be part of a program to replant trees to create a more earth-friendly cycle.

II. RESEARCH

GLYPHS & ETHNOGRAPHY

Research was conducted on the Maya culture. Of particular note was their attitude towards nature as something powerful and to which humans owe respect. This rings poignantly since the issues of deforestation and waste are important to Volcanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s business plan. Maya glyphs were also a huge inspiration for the formal qualities of the business system. Especially the square logo and the business cards with glyphs as indicators of rank within the company.

REFERENCES: The Art of the Maya Scribe Michael D. Coe & Justin Kerr; 1997 The Modern Maya Macduff Everton; 2012

CURRENT MARKET/ USE

BACKGROUND: The current market has mostly sweeter hot chocolates. The main brands being Ibarra, and Abuelita. The main competition for more high end hot chocolate is TAZA, which makes fair trade, high quality chocolate with different flavors like vanilla and chile.

CURRENT PACKAGING PRACTICES: Currently, all these brands share pretty similar packaging. They are in circular discs, with notches for perforation, wrapped in wax paper and a hexagonal box. This is in the form of the traditional Mexican table chocolate. To use a single servingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s worth, one must cut through the bar several times with a sharp heavy duty knife. The chocolate is then ground, chopped up or grated and whisked into hot milk for hot chocolate or used in mole sauce. For Ibarra or Abuelita, chili has to be added for spice.

WHAT VOLCAN BRINGS: Volcan will be a spicier and heartier Hot Choclate than the current brands. It can also be distinct in its sustainable and human-centered packaging which allows for easier cutting, especially for single servings.

BIOMIMICRY: Garlic

PROPERTIES:

USES:

USES for VOLCAN:

Garlic cloves are protected from excess moisture and baterial growth by layers of papery skin. The skin also helps prevent the garlic from drying out.

In packaging, covering a food item in paper mimicks this effect. It prevents the food from getting exposed to the air and moisture.

Chocolate is usually stored in foil or wax paper, the way it the garlic skin wraps around the clove could possibly be mimicked.

Additionally, each of the cloves are nestled next to one another in the most efficient shape possible and are all attached at one base point.

The way in which the cloves are all stuck together at one base point is similar to the way that chocolate oranges are attached. In garlic, this allows for the cloves to stay together until it more is needed. In chocolate oranges, the segments are attached in the middle and once it is smacked against a hard surface, the pieces come apart.

For Hot Chocolate tablets, this method of having the pieces attached at a base point could be efficient and space-saving. It could also keep servings together until the user is ready.

BIOMIMICRY: Paper Wasp Nest

PROPERTIES:

USES:

USES for VOLCAN:

Paper wasp nests are hexagonal shaped and made of pieces of plant fiber mixed with the saliva of wasps.

Hexagonal packaging could help give structural strength to containers that need to be quite long.

The long hexagonal tubes are quite strong when stacked parallel to one another. They also fit perfectly into one another.

Additionally, the paper machĂŠ material is very strong when dried. Processing paper in this way could make it an even more durable material for packaging.

A hexagonal container could be used to store discs of hot chocolate. The outside structure is modular as well as the interior structure. A hexagon is composed of 6 equilateral triangles, so this could potentially be a way to split up servings. The outside would allow for easy storage in shelves or in boxes.

MATERIALS

BOX MATERIAL: The material of the box will be a cardstock-like paper made out of 10% Cocoa Husk and 90% unblleached Cellulose Fiber. The paper is naturally colored by cocoa. Currently this paper is available through Barry Callebaut, a UK packaging supplier. WRAPPER: To mimick the protective powers of the garlic skin, waxed paper would be used to wrap the chocolate.

III. LOGO

LOGO: SKETCHES/ VARIATIONS

WHY “VOLCAN”? The name “Volcán” was chosen because in addition to it referring to he heat of spice in the drink itself, it also evokes the feeling of something elemental and powerful. It is the Spanish word for “volcano.” Its symbolism is appropriate because it has the power to take away, but also from the ashes of a volcano come new growth. This parallels the company’s goal to use responsible harvesting practices, like agroforestry. LOGO SKETCHES: Several ideas were explored before the final logo was chosen. Some of the ideas included imagery of the volcano itself, a cocoa pod, half a cocoa pod manipulated so it looked like a volcano, a geometric version of a volcano and a wordmark with the “A” as the form of a volcano. The most powerful of the sketches seemed to be the ones of faces, either the head based on a Maya drawing, or skull seen traditionally on Dia de los Muertos, the Mexican holiday during which hot chocolate is consumed.

LOGO: VARIATIONS

The first digital drafts of the logo were made based off of the original drawing. Different forms of the smoke or liquid were experimented with. It was also put on a rounded square to reference the glyphs and to make a stronger graphic image.

FINAL LOGO

The final logo has the liquid coming out of the figures mouth. The lines are on the thicker side to match the thickness of the letters and the headdress. The type was created based on the line weight and the forms found in Ancient Maya glyphs. It is also a rich reddish brown.

IV. GRAPHIC STANDARDS

TYPE/ COLOR PALETTE

The main logo will be monochromatic, either Volcan Red and white or black and white. Volcan Red is a dark red that veers on the edge of brown. This is to evoke the warmth of spice and the richness of cocoa.

LOGO COLOR PALETTE

Gill Sans is the main typeface for the Business System. Wanted the legibility and to combine a the traditional with a more modern typeface. The curved tails of the a’s also are a bit reminiscent of the glyphs that inspired the logo.

#600FO4 C: 29% R: 96 M: 95% G:15 Y: 100% B: 4 K: 58%

#646565 C: 45% R: 100 M: 35% G:101 Y: 35% B: 101 K: 40%

#000000 C: 100% R: 68 M: 100% G: 67 Y: 100% B: 90 K: 100%

#7D7677 C: 40% R: 125 M: 38% G: 118 Y: 35% B: 119 K: 27%

#FFFFFF C: 0% M: 0% Y: 0% K: 0%

LOGO TYPE PALETTE

R: 255 G: 255 B: 255

The official logo colors are the Volcan Red, Black and White. The greys are used throughout the business system.

The type used for “VOLCAN” was specifically designed for the brand. It is based off the geometric forms found in Ancient Maya glyphs. It is only used in the logo. Gill Sans is the typeface used for the official brand business system.

GILL SANS - Regular ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz1234567890 GILL SANS - Light ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz1234567890

LOGO USE

SIZE & PROPORTION EXAMPLE

4 in

0.35 in

0.25 in

MINIMUM SIZE:

1 1/3 x

4 in 1 in

0.35 in

2/3 in

1/2 in 2/3 in

1 in

0.5 in

15 May 2015

HOME OUR MISSION THE VOLCAN CYCLE BLOG PRODUCTS

0.25 in

0.5 in

VOLCAN BLOG

There should be space around the logo that is at least one and third the length of x, the distance between the bottom of the logo and the baseline of â&#x20AC;&#x153;Volcan.â&#x20AC;?

1 1/3 x

x 1 1/3 x

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0.5 in

It was important to make sure that the logo was only used correctly in any context. It would need to be spaced at least the x height away from surrounding objects to look correct.

BUSINESS SYSTEM: Business Cards

BUSINESS CARD

BUSINESS CARD: SYMBOLS

The business cards are inspired by Maya glyphs. They are also categorized by the cardholderâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s branch of the company. Each level has a corresponding glyph as the background. This could be more incentive to exchange them.

Each branch of the company has a differnt style business card based on the glyphs of the following meaning: KING - CEO SAGE - MANAGEMENT SCRIBE - COMMUNICATIONS/ MARKETING SCULPTOR - PRODUCTION

KING

1 in 1/6 in 1/2 in

Title: 9 Point Font 11 Point Leading

CEO (510)123-4567 elu@ volcan.com www.volcan.com 342 Esperanza Way, Davis, CA 95616

FRONT

Elsa Lu

12 Point Font

Elsa Lu

BACK

1/2 in

SAGE CEO (510)123-4567 elu@ volcan.com

2 in x 2 in

www.volcan.com

342 Esperanza Way, Davis, CA 95616

Elsa Lu

1/6 in

SCRIBE

Marketing Director (510)123-4567 elu@ volcan.com www.volcan.com 342 Esperanza Way, Davis, CA 95616

Manager (510)123-4567 elu@ volcan.com

1/6 in

Website: 9 Point Font Address: 8 Point Font

Elsa Lu

Production (510)123-4567 elu@ volcan.com www.volcan.com 342 Esperanza Way, Davis, CA 95616

SCULPTOR

BUSINESS SYSTEM: Letterhead

LETTERHEAD BODY TEXT: 12 pt; 14 pt leading

ADDRESS: 10 pt; 11.5 pt leading 8.5 in

1.75 in

2 in 0.9 in

1.1 in

5 April 2015

Dear Ms. Flanders,

Curabitur venenatis dapibus dui nec hendrerit. Aliquam eget mollis libero. In vestibulum bibendum nibh vel blandit. Duis erat tortor, suscipit ac sapien eu, feugiat vestibulum mi. Vestibulum tellus felis, interdum sed dapibus a, interdum sed lacus. Nam consequat efficitur pulvinar. Fusce id iaculis erat, ac convallis eros.

11 in

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Sincerely, Elsa Lu

2 in Elsa Lu 342 Esperanza Way Davis, CA 95616

Elsa Lu 342 Esperanza Way Davis, CA 95616

1.5 in

The letterhead extends the language of the business cards onto a bigger surface. The corners of the page are rounded, mimicking the rounded corners of the logo and the business cards. The bar on the left side has a patern created from the same motif on the business cards and contains the senderâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s infromation at a glance.

BUSINESS SYSTEM: Envelope

The Envelope carries on the rounded edges with the rounded flap. It is meant to echo the rounded shapes of the headdress. The lining of the envelope is made of the same pattern on the letterhead.

ENVELOPES OPEN BACK

OPEN FRONT

12 pt; 15 pt leading 1 in 2.2 in 1 in

Elsa Lu 342 Esperanza Way Davis, CA 95616

Judy Flanders 5601 Main Street Davis, CA 95616

0.4 in

0.25 in Elsa Lu 342 Esperanza Way Davis, CA 95616

2 in

6.325 in

CLOSED BACK

4.125 in

CLOSED FRONT

Elsa Lu 342 Esperanza Way Davis, CA 95616

4.25 in

Judy Flanders 5601 Main Street Davis, CA 95616

9.25 in

MARKETING

The Applications show how the logo might be used on the promotional items found in coffee shops. The mugs and the t-shirts could be used to express loyalty to the brand. Promotion using the side of the truck used to ship the product and bus stops where people are waiting are ideal spots to catch people’s attention because they are not doing anything else.

MARKETING APPLICATIONS

APPLICATIONS

ADVERTISEMENT ON BUS SHELTER The logo can be used on promotional items, such as coasters, mugs, and T-shirts. The same spacing and sizing rules apply to the logo in these objects.

MUGS - 1.5 in x 1.5 in logo on 4 in mug

The logo can also be placed on bus shelters and on transport vans as advertisement for the brand.

COASTERS - 4 in x 4 in

SHIRTS - 6 in x 6 in logo on Man’s M Size

ADVERTISEMENT ON TRUCK

MEXICAN HOT CHOCOLATE

Spice up your life.

Drink like the gods. Learn more at volcan.com MEXICAN HOT CHOCOLATE

V. PACKAGING

SKETCHES

Some Packaging ideas explored were designs inspired by the cocoa pod itself, other modular hexagonal structures, seed pod-like openings and disks of hot chocolate with a release similar to chocolate oranges. Ultimately, the modularity of the hexagon and its ability to stack well within itself, made it the prime candidate for further exploration.

PROTOTYPES Prototyping the form helped clarify how exactly the pieces would fit within one another and how to account for the the size difference created by the thickness of the paper. Seeing the actual fake chocolate also inspired how it would be wrapped.

Mock-ups of the wrapping, meant to look like a tiny volcano.

DIGITAL LAYOUTS The box is rather simple, the bottom folds in on itself. the top hexagon has sides slightly shorter than 2 inches, in order for it to fit in. The overall size is slightly bigger than the traditional boxes of Hot Chocolate, but it also holds 36 servings compared to 24.

MEXICAN HOT CHOCOLATE

2 in

5.5 in MEXICAN HOT CHOCOLATE

S PICY

WRAPPER - Actual Size

WRAPPER - End 1.9 in 5.4 in

1.65 in

CHOCOLATE: Side view 0.1 in

1.9 in MEXICAN HOT CHOCOLATE

1.65 in

MEXICAN HOT CHOCOLATE

0.8 in 6.7 in

WRAPPER: Folded Side view 5.4 in

MEXICAN HOT CHOCOLATE

1.9 in

MEXICAN HOT CHOCOLATE

FINAL PRESENTATION

The final product achieved by cutting with an exacto knife, and creasing with a bone folder. The light brown represents the bare cocoa husk material. If produced, the interior would be that material as well. The top reseals and the the individual sticks would be easily resealed if only a portion of the chocolate were used.

PRODUCT EXPERIENCE

The experience of opening Volcan should be easy and enjoyable. Once the top of the box is open, the user is greeted by 6 tiny volcanos. By simply peeling back the top flap of any of them, the chocolate can be pulled out quite easily. The ends of the chocolate are decorated like a geometric volcano. With each flap lifted, another color is unveiled in the same form. The ends of the chocolate have the letters molded into the side, so the brand is always evident.