ETHAN’S CAULIFLOWER
THE ASK:
Ethan’s Cauliflower is a NY food brand: a flat bread made from cauliflower. The founders had started with a home made product, selling their flat breads at local fairs and by word of mouth but they wanted to expand into grocery stores and distribute nationally. The product needed rebranding and a new packaging design to get them to that next stage.
THE PROCESS:
To start off, the logo was developed. The company founders wished to incorporate their son’s image into the branding. His gluten free diet had been the inspiration for their flatbread. Two directions were followed: A retro design in the vain of Mr. Peanut and the Morton’s salt girl and the other with a modern health-food esthetic more in the vain of Starbucks or Califia Farms. Chana illustrated Ethan’s portraits as logo elements to bring a personal touch. The retro direction pointed to their Italian background using red and green brand colors. The modern/health food direction used purple and green as the main colors, cauliflower colors, and a more abstracted facial portrait of their son. In the end the second option was chosen as they wanted to appeal to their largest market - health focussed mothers who have a more wholistic and modern approach to diet.
THE PROCESS CONT.:
The logo was created using a grid system. The clients wanted the logo to incorporate the mathematical design principle of “The Golden Mean”. Chana’s mathematic’s degree came in handy here, as she was able not only to create the grid but also understand how to use it in design. Adhering to its most important elements - that of the rate of curvature, Chana applied those spiral curvatures to the curves of the leaves, cauliflower, and to Ethan’s body. Also the linear spacial proportions of the golden mean were applied all over the logo, as is demonstrated by the grid above in red lines. There were certainly cheats because strict adherence to the proportion is not really possible (there is always a margin of error). So the approach is more important than exactitude, and understanding why one would use it in the first place - to create harmony, and to create a constant visual flow for the viewer’s eye to be drawn in by the infinite mathematical curvature created by the proportion itself.
STICKER PACKAGING DESIGN. ORIGINAL COPY BY CHANA.
POLY VACUME PACKAGING DESIGN. ORIGINAL COPY BY CHANA.
SOME BRANDING ELEMENTS AND GUIDELINES
THE OUTCOME:
After the logo was created the rest of the project went rapidly. Chana created 2 packaging designs as the budget was not finalized. Elements were created for the website and other collateral materials. The vacuum sealed poly packaging was finally created and the product was ultimately packaged and distributed. Ethan’s Cauliflower flatbread is now available for purchase at various NY supermarkets and small natural food stores.
