Passionflower
I was excited to start working with local start-up, Passionflower. They just celebrated their grand-opening as a part of the brand new Alchemy space in St Paul, Minnesota.
Passionflower offers functional beverages and superfoods. Their menu is filled with amazing, handcrafted drinks to make you feel good—things like tonics, elixirs, smoothies, etc. Many nutrient-based and flavorful concoctions. I was very connected to the owners concept, drive and commitment to creating a space for community gathering surrounded by healthy and exciting drinks. Read here to find out more about their vision and offerings. passionflowermn.com
Danny came to me with a few design elements—a script created by John King, and an illustrated pattern of botanicals by Lindsey Nohl. The elements were beautiful but he was in need of a cohesive brand image with more elements that expressed the Passionflower persona.
Also, the timeline was quick! We wanted to have some great elements ready for their grand opening in September. But also create something that could grow and expand well into other locations. My first step was getting a feel for the business, the name and the values. I quickly put together three visual moodboards that all used the pieces that were provided—script and pattern—but started using them in different ways, and with different elements surrounding.
I realized the brand needed a few things right upfront—an icon, a primary logo (using the script as a secondary) and a few typefaces to mix in.
Concept one is light, simple and modern. There are small hints of scientific and apothecary graphic influences and inspirations. The icon would be something very simple, abstract and delicate—a little nonrepresentational of what you might expect. It becomes more of a graphic element which can be really simple and powerful in an identity.
Concept two is graphic, bold and abstract. I loved the idea of creating a powerful, abstract icon that is semi-representational of a flourish, bloom or literal passionflower. The mark becomes unique, ownable and recognizable. This identity had harder edges, bolder shapes, line and pattern pieces that contrast nicely with the delicate illustrations.
Concept three is more classic and handmade. Bringing in a classic serif typeface is a beautiful balance of thins to thicks and balances the light illustrations. To feel a little more artisanal and handcrafted, I brought in additional patterns that are handmade and hand painted. The patterns are loose and a fun way to mix and match. The icon had a similar vibe—a unique, handmade floral-shaped scribble.
It was clear that concept one needed to be the new direction. It is simple, clean and feels science-informed which is what their brand represents—concoctions mixed up that alter your mood or body, which feels very apothecary. The minimal and modern approach was the perfect appeal to be relevant and cutting edge in the industry—and in the neighborhood. Concept two had some good things happening with the idea of the abstract floral mark being explored—being sure it doesn't get too strong or overpowering.
I started to work with simple typefaces to represent the primary logo—exploring options for the tagline too.
Simultaneously I was working on marks to become the brand icon—from simple and delicate to detailed and more specific.
Presenting this, it was very clear the direction Passionflower should go in.
More to come as we continue to work on brand elements!