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Isohel
DESCRIPTION:
Isohel was created to be an organic herbal & floral tea brand for the purpose of this design project. It focuses on elevating wellbeing and mental health through relaxation, and the creation of ethically sourced, organic, local New Zealand teas. The brand’s marketing is angled towards women, around the general younger age bracket of 18-40. There will also be an emphasis placed on people who are more sustainably conscious and want their purchases to reflect that. The name ‘Isohel’ means ‘a line drawn on a map connecting places with an equal duration of sunshine’, and it was chosen to connect ideas of plant growth and warmth with an overall emphasis on calm, natural and inviting imagery. The colour palette reflects this, consisting of a complementary scheme of soft and muted natural greens, complemented by pastel pinks, soft beiges and a splash of purple, contributing to a relaxing atmosphere for the brand. I chose a combination of serif and handwritten typefaces, including Bookmania, Kakuro and White Angelica, as these held a certain feminine appeal, while the more bold typography of Bookmania added a more eye-catching and starkly legible element. I experimented with many different processes of image generation: I created acrylic paintings, then scanned and edited them digitally. I made ballpoint pen drawings of various botanical imagery. I experimented with texture and washes, such as watered down acrylic marbling, watercolour and crinkled paper. Pressed flowers and leaves feature prominently, which I collected from my garden and around my local area before scanning and using in my digital designs. I began experimenting with both physical printmaking and digital printmaking using clipping masks in Photoshop. Photography was also brought in. These various different approaches elevated the ‘organic’ aesthetic I wanted to create, through the presence of a clear handmade aesthetic and small imperfections, and accumulated in a project that focuses on both layering and simplicity. Negative space was key in allowing a lot of breathing room in my designs, all for the purpose of enhancing a ‘stress-free’ environment. I designed posters, logos, magazine spreads, infographics, packaging and websites.
