Ippodo Tea Co. (Student Project)

Designer: Jessica Redmond
Project Type: Student Project
School: Academy of Art University
Course: Package Design 2
Tutor: Thomas McNulty
Location: San Fransisco, California
Packaging Contents: Green Tea
Packaging Materials: Cardstock, Gold foil

This was a project where I was required to redesign a line of existing tea products. I had to choose a brand that I could update, rejuvenate, or contemporize. I ended up choosing to redesign a Japanese Green Tea company called Ippodo Tea Co. that is very popular and well known in Kyoto, Japan but also has a recently-opened boutique store in New York City. I did not have much knowledge on the brand or Japanese green teas at all, but thought it would be extremely exciting to step away from my comfort zone and explore something I had little knowledge on.

I wanted to create a new package that still stuck to the current brand and it’s message but was now more clean, modern, and sleek, while still maintaining its strong, cultural Japanese roots. I wanted the box to be something innovative and different from typical cylindrical loose powder tea packages seen on store shelves, so I knew I had to create something that would stand out but still look amazing on shelves or in the boutique shop. I created a box with a removable sliding top and individual loose powder tea packets that contain enough powder for one sumptuous, delectable, rich, and soothing cup of authentic green tea. I helped to rejuvenate the logo and create it with a brush-like feel to match the Japanese brush strokes used in traditional Japanese calligraphy, and I gold foiled and embossed the logo on each lid to give it a more elegant, high-class feel and to communicate a really authentic, high-quality product that is worth spending the money on purchasing.

What’s Unique?
The packages are innovative and different from typical cylindrical loose powder tea packages seen on store shelves, and can stand out but still look amazing on shelves or in the boutique shop. The boxes all have a removable sliding top and individual loose powder tea packets inside that contain enough powder for one sumptuous, delectable, rich, and soothing cup of authentic green tea.

I helped to rejuvenate the logo and create it with a brush-like feel to match the Japanese brush strokes used in traditional Japanese calligraphy, and I gold foiled and embossed the logo on each lid to give it a more elegant, high-class feel and to communicate a really authentic, high-quality product that is worth spending the money on purchasing.