The basis of the design solution comes from the desire to provide consumers with an alcoholic beverage that is free from top common food allergens, and that also fits into the most popular diets today. Hard Kombucha is emerging in popularity as an alternative alcoholic beverage that boasts health claims that most alcoholic beverages cannot. Our brand will reach a larger audience if the product adheres to a variety of trending diets, such as paleo, low-sugar, organic, vegan, gluten-free, keto, and sulfite-free diets. Many people are confined by these dietary restrictions and often by the recommendation of a medical professional, but shouldn’t be limited in their social lives due to said restrictions.
Coalesce Kombucha Company's mission is to create a healthier alcoholic drink that re-establishes social inclusivity for people who often have less alcoholic options when going out. Additionally, to further instill our social unity initiative, the brewing company will serve as a taproom and event venue.
I began by surveying the public to collect data about the interest and acceptance that people have for kombucha. Kombucha is emerging in popularity in the United States and has been gaining recognition among American people. Today the global kombucha market is worth $1356.2 million and is projected to increase to $8153.4 million by the end of 2026, suggesting a 28.9% increase in market value from 2021 to 2026.
When creating the survey, I acknowledged the importance of identifying people's awareness and interest in kombucha, the exposure that it truly has, and what the target market is likely to look like before beginning the design process. A total of 88 surveys were collected and 74% claimed to know what kombucha is. People who haven’t tried kombucha are interested, especially when identifying the health benefits commonly associated with kombucha. When being asked the question, “Would you be interested in drinking a sulfite-free, gluten-free, low sugar, low carb, and low-calorie alcoholic beverage?” Approximately 70% of surveyed individuals claimed to be interested in an option that fits common dietary restrictions.
The survey that I conducted included a variety of demographic questions and over 72% of surveyed individuals were 21-30 years old. However, the most focused demographic represented 61% of individuals to be 21-25 years old, and over 76% were women. College seeking individuals were also essential to the core demographic with 85% receiving either their master's, bachelor's, associate, or doctorate degrees.
Market Insights Reports, www.marketinsightsreports.com/. “Global Kombucha Market Research Report 2020.” Global Kombucha Market Research Report 2020 | Market Insights Reports
Born and raised in Austin, TX, Valerie is a 24-year-old Hispanic woman, she is receiving her Master's degree in psychology at the University of Texas at Austin. Outside of being a full-time student, Valerie dedicates her free-time reconnecting with friends for a casual drink to decompress. Valerie buys local and organic foods and believes in investing in personal health, making Coalesce a brand that shares her values. Valerie uses common social-media platforms such as Instagram and Facebook. While being a student with a limited income from a part-time job, she intends to save money as often as possible. Valerie visits Coalesce Kombucha Company with friends and colleagues for discounted happy hours.
Donte is a 25-year-old African-American man from Minnesota, he and his wife moved to Austin in 2019 to pursue his career as a software engineer. After transitioning from his college city of Minneapolis, Donte is looking for casual gathering spaces that he can suggest to coworkers that are likely to accommodate the dietary restrictions of each individual. Donte's income is nearly double the American median household income, and as a married man, he and his wife enjoy spending time together partaking in outdoor activities, local concerts, trying new restaurants and bars, and unwinding in the evenings with streaming services including Netflix, HBO Go, Hulu, and Amazon Prime. Donte accesses social-media platforms daily, including Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Linkedin. Donte is a self-proclaimed proponent of kombucha because of the associated health benefits of probiotics, low-sugar, and the versatility of being free from top allergens.
26-year-old, Sarah, moved from Dallas to Austin in May 2019. Sarah is a certified dietician and works at the Austin Regional Clinic. Sarah was diagnosed with celiac disease at an early age, this early discovery initiated her passion for nutrition. Often, Sarah is looking for businesses that accommodate with gluten-free options. Sarah found Coalesce Kombucha Company and recognized that the brand's values align with her own in sustainability and health standards. Sarah and her close circle of friends hold similar values and enjoy the social atmosphere of Coalesce Kombucha Company. Sarah spends little time on social-media platforms.
The objective of this project was to create an identity system for a fictitious hard kombucha company that visually communicates the physical properties of kombucha, as being unique, effervescent, and natural. In conclusion, this project helped hone and develop my knowledge as a designer, particularly in understanding a demographic and building a brand to reflect found research. The project also helped improve my technical skills in web design and motion graphics.
Coalesce Kombucha Company is a hard kombucha brewery and taproom, that serves as a physical location and as a packaging distributor located in Austin, TX. Acknowledging that a business producing hard kombucha fits into a niche market, it was essential to identify the core demographic of potential customers before designing the system. Research and survey results suggested that the core demographic was comprised of mostly female adults, 21-30 years-old, either receiving a degree in higher education or having finished a degree or program of study.
The visual design suggests an organic nature that acknowledges the fermentation process of kombucha, which is produced in small batches by hand, using raw ingredients through a natural process. Kombucha is a living drink, consisting of billions of probiotics, also known as colonies of bacteria. Bats, like kombucha, exist in large colonies and are an incredibly social animal, and a powerful icon to Austin, TX. Using bats as a symbol to unify the idea of living kombucha colonies with bat colonies further instills Coalesce’s investment in social infrastructure. The color palette implements color psychology to further improve brand perception. The primary colors of Coalesce are peach and dark teal, peach is known to evoke feelings of sociability and teal is suggested to emit sensations of calm.
The implementation of the design system includes components for a physical location and packaging. Each fabricated design piece was produced to communicate to the audience what Coalesce Kombucha Company is and the brand's message. It is important to identify this project was originally designed for a physical gallery exhibition, but over halfway through project production, COVID-19 altered the project trajectory. As a student, this presented a great challenge transitioning to an online case study approach. However, I adapted the components of the project to better suit a web format, with more elements of animation and contextual images of the venue to best convey the company vision. All challenges aside, the goal of creating a unique visual identity system for a fictitious hard kombucha company was attained.
