Designed to grow.
Sugimoto is uniquely Japanese tea, we started there, with a sense of place. Soon we realized this was more about community and a commitment to traditions than a geography or a process. Sugimoto's mission is to preserve tea making culture; the product is simply the way in which they do it.
“Rupert helped us visualize ideas that were difficult to put into words and clearly express our brand voice through design. We truly appreciated their thoughtful approach and patience throughout the process. This was our first time undertaking such a large project and they never pressured us and always matched our pace.”
Kyohei Sugimoto
President, Sugimoto Tea Company
Did we get it right?
A handful of focus groups can tell us a lot. So we put our designs in front of tea lovers and quickly realized what we got right, and what needed work. It’s a great reminder that subtlety in packaging is great for designers, but tough for consumers. It turns out that distinguishing loose leaf from sachets needed an icon, the text, and a color change.
"I worked closely with Rupert throughout our project and had frequent back-and-forth with their team. They were collaborative, easy to work with, and very clear in how they explained their ideas and recommendations. It felt like we were working as one team."
Julia Hurley
Marketing Coordinator, Sugimoto Tea Company
