Project Overview
Steeped is a premium loose-leaf tea brand designed for tea enthusiasts and collectors. This project explores a comprehensive packaging system that blends function, storytelling, and aesthetics to enhance the experience of buying and displaying tea.
The Challenge
Most tea packaging lacks key elements that tea lovers value—detailed product information, airtight storage, and a visually appealing display. I aimed to create a packaging system that not only solves these issues but also highlights the cultural significance of tea.
Design System
Logo: A minimalist Gaiwan silhouette, a teapot commonly used in Gong Fu Tea, combined with premium tea leaves to reflect quality.
Typography: High Tower Text – a serif font that adds an elegant, aged feel.
Color Palette: Each tea type has a distinct color based on type of tea
The Concept
The visual identity is inspired by traditional Asian tea culture, honoring the origins of premium teas. Each tea type is paired with an animal symbol drawn from cultural symbolism, reinforcing the brand’s storytelling.
White tea is often linked to purity, refinement and elegance as it is one of the least processed tea types. On the same note, the pheasant is considered the ancestor to the phoenix and was used by the royals to represent many things along with refinement.
White Tea
Green Tea
Oolong tea gets the black dragon as it literally translates to black dragon in Chinese (Wu-Lung).
Oolong Tea
Black Tea
Pu’erh Tea
Green tea symbolizes peace, calm, harmony, and respect. I chose to add the crane as they are said to be bringers of longevity and peace.
Black tea usually represents strength, boldness and protection. There are a LOT of animals that could have been used in this design, but I chose the tiger because while in Asia it symbolizes strength and power, it also has the western connotation of being the “King of the Jungle”
Pu’erh tea is an aged tea, so it often symbolizes wisdom, heritage, longevity, and quality. In Asia, turtles are said to be connected to the wisdom of the earth and are generators of stability and longevity.
