A company in New York called R.BIRD has produced a series of reports on Patterns in package design (especially as it relates to specific industries like coffee, energy drinks, juice, etc.).

The one about coffee is very good. I highly recommend it. It shows how certain colors used in coffee packaging communicate certain things, the imagery and overall graphic style. Go here and grab the PDF.

Interesting tidbits:

  • Premium coffees come in bags
  • Value coffees come in cans, vacuum packed bricks
  • Darker colors on packaging means darker the roast
  • Decaf is green
  • Premium coffees are more likely to have rich graphics, fancy illustrations
  • Value (inexpensive) coffees are more likely to have simple graphics, solid (flat) colors
  • Visual depictions of the grower (think of the Columbia guy) or the location the beans are grown in
Arizona Coffee

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3 comments

  1. valves show care and commitment to quality

    “roast on dates” show love of the craft

  2. Pingback: Arizona Coffee » Best of 2005

  3. Pingback: Arizona Coffee » Coffee shop logos… why are they so dull?