Labels

Packaging & Merchandising Design - Project 1

18/10/25 -  4/11/2025 (Week 5 - Week 7)
Anggia Tsani Rachmadiyanti, (0368487)
Packaging & Merchandising Design / MER60104 / Bachelor in Design (Hons) in Creative Media / Taylor's University
Project 1 - Uncle Jeff Kombucha Label Redesign


 Content List: 

  • Instructions & Brief
  • Lecture notes
  • Project 1 - Uncle Jeff Kombucha Label Redesign
  • Feedback
  • Reflection

 Module Brief: 


 Project 1 Brief / Instructions: 


Create a label that is shelf-ready, distinctive, and clearly communicates the product's local authenticity, artisanal quality, and unique flavouring to the intended consumer. We have to do the labels for both large and small bottle, but only choose 1 flavour to work on.

Label size:
Large bottle: height 9.5cm × width 18cm
Small bottle: height 6cm x width 14.5 cm

(Fig. 1.1) - Week 6,  Kombucha Label Brief PDF

 Lecture Notes: 

Week 6:
  • None, Just practical illustrator tutorial in class
Week 7:
  • None, Just practical illustrator tutorial in class

 Label Design Progress: 

Research on Bandung Flavour:
  • I decided to choose to work on the "Bandung" flavoured Kombucha. I researched on what the drink is all about and it's basically based on Sirap Bandung, which is a rose cordial syrup drink which is pink in colour, famous in Malaysia and Singapore.
  • It is known for its bright pink hue and a taste that is sweet, creamy, and has a hint of rose. 
  • Cultural significance: Sirap bandung is one of the most famous drink in stalls in Malaysia, so the design of the label should have some traditional malaysian feeling to it.
  • I took notes on the colour scheme idea of the label which will be a pink to red colour palette tone as well as having placing a rose element in the label.

(Fig. 1.2) - Week 6,  Research reference image of sirap bandung

Current Label design:
  • The Kombucha bottle's current label design lacks clear callout texts, graphics over powers the main important text and the texts such as the flavour name and "sparkling tea" is too small so customers might not be able to see it from a distance. 
  • They also lack consistency on colour scheme and seems too childish and playful, when it is suppose to look more calm like a healthy feel.
  • Since they are locally crafted drinks, some local malay design or elements should be put on the labels as well.



(Fig. 1.3) - Week 6,  Reference of current label design of Uncle Jeff

Inspiration & Moodboard (week 5)
  • I decided to go to a more elegant, rustic traditional vintage style for the bottle label, but also includes some Malaysian local elements such as maybe Hibiscus flowers, wau kites, and some Batik elements/flower patterns to accompany the label, since Uncle Jeff is a local brand and they are local and artisanal.
  • The current design doesn't really give that feeling of a "healthy" drink, and looks more to playful which can mislead the target audiences.

(Fig. 1.4) - Week 6,  Moodboard & References

(Fig. 1.5) - Week 6,  Pinkish colour pallate

(Fig. 1.6) - Week 6,  Idea notes & sketch

Digital Sketches and draft ideations: (week 5)

(Fig. 2.1) - Week 6,  sketch #1

(Fig. 2.2) - Week 6,  sketch #2

(Fig. 2.3) - Week 6,  sketch #3

(Fig. 2.4) - Week 6,  sketch #4

(Fig. 2.5) - Week 6,  sketch #5

(Fig. 2.6) - Week 6,  sketch #6

(Fig. 2.7) - Week 6,  sketch #7

(Fig. 2.8) - Week 6,  sketch #8

(Fig. 2.9) - Week 6,  sketch #9

Process in Illustrator (week 6):

I chose my final direction to be rustic, vintage and in pink/reddish colour scheme to match the Bandung Rose flavour. I first started searching for elegant styles font for the "Kombucha" title and testing which one suits most, since it is the main title text and needs to be catchy..

After creating the texts, I begin doing the illustrations using pen tool. However, the graphic for the rose picture was a digital sketch I did on my ipad. The rest of all the illustrations were done using the Pen tool on Adobe Illustrator.

(Fig. 3.1) - Week 6, Testing fonts on illustrator

(Fig. 3.2) - Week 6, Process on illustrator

(Fig. 3.3) - Week 6, Process on illustrator

In Week 7, Mr Shamsul just told me to replace the zigzag edge for the right panel background because it looks odd and told me to use a smooth curve for the edge. He also told me to remove the black horizontal lines on the top and bottom of the front middle label design since it looks too much.

Final Label Design:


(Fig. 4.1) - Week 7, Final Label for Large Bottle, PNG

(Fig. 4.2) - Week 7, Final Label for Small Bottle, PNG

(Fig. 4.3) - Week 7, Final Labels compiled, with Bleed borders, PDF

Final Label Design Rationale:

(Fig. 4.4) - Week 7, Final Design Rationale, PDF

Final Mockups of Bottle Label:

(Fig. 5.1) - Week 7, Final Mockup (front view

(Fig. 5.2) - Week 7, Final Mockup (front standing view)

(Fig. 5.3) - Week 7, Final Mockup (front view laying down)

(Fig. 5.4) - Week 7, Final Mockup (right panel view)

(Fig. 5.5) - Week 7, Final Mockup (left panel view)

(Fig. 5.6) - Week 7, Final Mockup 2 bottles (front view)

(Fig. 5.7) - Week 7, Final Mockup (left and right info panels view)

(Fig. 5.8) - Week 7, Final Mockup (pink bground front view)


Final Screen Record of 3d Mockup:

(Fig. 6.1) - Week 7, Final 3D Pacdora video Mockup
(*Have watermarks as it is from Pacdora^)

Final Mockups compiled in PDF:

(Fig. 6.2) - Week 7, Final Mockup Compiled PDF

Feedbacks:

Week 6
General Feedback - Mr Shamsul briefed us about the measurements and how to start the template of the label on illustrator, while showing us how to type the nutrition facts table as well as explaining the bleed setup in illustrator. Sir also said that the packaging should have a good visual hierarchy and not cluttered everywhere. 
Specific Feedback - Mr. Shamsul liked all the sketches I've done, he said I could proceed with what I have and make roses as main illustrations since im doing Bandung (rose) flavour. He said to just change the position of some important CTA's by text hieararchy. Sir also said it's better not to do batik but just traditional vintage rustic as doing batik might be a little sensitive to indonesians. :)

Week 7
General Feedback - Mr Shamsul briefed us of our new Project 2 brief with group members. He told us how to use "appearance" on Illustrator and told us that our black should me 0% for CMYK. He also told us to start doing the final label on a free psd file mockup for our submission.
Specific Feedback - Mr. Shamsul said mine was good. But he just tole me to edit a few things: sir just told me to replace the zigzag edge for the right panel background because it looks odd and told me to use a smooth curve for the edge. He also told me to remove the black horizontal lines on the top and bottom of the front middle label design since it looks too much.

Reflections:

Experience:
  • Throughout this project 1 of packaging & merchandising, I worked on redesigning the Uncle Jeff Kombucha bottle label using Adobe Illustrator. This project allowed me to explore the process of creating packaging that not only looks visually appealing but also communicates important product information effectively. I learned how to balance aesthetics with function by applying principles of layout, typography, and hierarchy. It was also a valuable hands-on experience in understanding how design choices can influence consumer perception, especially for a health-related beverage like kombucha. It was quite fun making it.
Observations:
  • While analyzing the original Uncle Jeff Kombucha label, I noticed that it lacked a clear text hierarchy, the brand name, flavour, and product information all competed for attention. The design did not guide the viewer’s eye naturally, making it harder to understand key product details at a glance. Additionally, important health-related icons and call-to-actions (CTAs) were either missing or not emphasized enough, which weakened its ability to attract health-conscious consumers. These issues highlighted the importance of organizing visual elements strategically to enhance readability and shelf impact.
Findings:
  • From this project, I learned the significance of visual hierarchy, iconography, and clear CTAs in packaging design. Each design decision, from font size and placement to color contrast affects how effectively information is communicated. By redesigning the label, I understood how crucial it is to highlight essential details such as flavour, probiotic benefits, and brand identity in a cohesive way. This project strengthened my ability to think critically about packaging not just as decoration, but as a communication tool that connects the brand with its target audience.

SEM:

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