A Tea with No Name

The Project:

Design the structural packaging and surface graphics for a new range of tea bags that includes three types of tea. Choose the varieties or names for the new range and develop a descriptive strapline for each variety to explain the character, quality, flavor, and properties of each. Surface graphics must include the product name, tagline, quantities, ingredients, and any other statutory requirements as well as enticing imagery

Target Market:

Health-conscious, predominantly female consumer, ages 25+, who usually drinks tea and fruit or herbal infusions. This range should also entice new consumers who are looking for a healthy alternative to coffee and other hot beverages.

 

It all starts with a name…

My very first impulse was to design labels based on stylized yoga poses.  So my first great idea  for a name was namas-tea. Cute, right? I preened a little about my cleverness until I googled it and realized that there were far more clever people in the world than I am, Gunga-din. Then I considered  using Chi, meaning life force – yup – taken. Then I researched words in  Hindi and Sanskrit and  I settled on Svathya (which I certainly hope is Hindi for “health”). I liked the sound of it, and I thought it would appeal to my target market. Then I was struck by the name idea: Tea of Tranquility and I thought it would be cool to do a line of teas based on lunar geography. The Chinese Goddess of the moon is named Chang’e – perfect play on words for my target market. Plus the moon has a lot of feminine qualities and I was excited about the idea of creating an Asian design. Other ideas that sprung to mind based on brainstorming, discussion, and sketching include: Vie! (French for life); East of the Moon; Moon; Artemis (that moon idea is getting a lot of play). Sanshi (sanskrit for peace); Breeze; T Breeze;  Seven Sisters (all that moon brainstorming led me to the stars); and Tempest (as in tempest in a teapot).

Now I need a picture…

I posed the following question to friends and family: “So what images come to mind when you think of tea? I’m looking for something unusual – no dragons or pandas or tea leaves or teapots. But something that still says tea”.

Boy, did they come through for me!  Monte suggested the sacred geometry of plants – which is such a cool idea – I may have to redo this assignment and use it. He also suggested a “putamayoish” approach inspired by the cover style of world music cds. Ok – so I’ll now be designing at least three tea lines. Sally suggested using an elephant in my designs. Chris recommended word association. I got everything from sunsets to sleeping babies.

Then my friend Kristi  gave me a great overview on Ayurvedic medicine:

“Ayurveda, known as the “science of life” in ancient Sanskrit, has been a key part of a comprehensive natural system of living in India and Sri Lanka for over 2000 years. The basic tenet of Ayurveda is that your health should be treated with holistic, natural therapies tailored to the needs of each individual. In addition to supplementing the physical body with Ayurvedic herbs, Ayurveda focuses on balancing the mind and spirit to achieve inner harmony.

Ayurveda teaches that each person is a blend of three doshas, or vital energies within the body – Vata, Pitta and Kapha. Each person is born with an optimal balance and a unique harmony among the three doshas. Later in life, negative health may arise from an imbalance in the three doshas – and the science of Ayurveda is used to bring back this essential harmony.”

http://www.ayurvedicherbsdirect.com/history.php

Ok – that is soooo totally my demographic.

Time to sketch…