Introduction
Our journey with Ark Beverages began with a visionary entrepreneur, Pranali Choubal, the founder of a beverage startup. Pranali's aspiration was to create non-alcoholic cocktails inspired by traditional Indian beverages. As a dedicated vendor at the Issaquah Farmers Market, she sought to partner with like-minded individuals to establish a brand identity, create a compelling online storefront, and leverage the power of compelling and thoughtful design.
- Services provided.
- Branding.
- Website Development.
- Packaging.
Project Overview
Ark Beverages entrusted us with a multifaceted project encompassing two crucial segments:
Brand Design: A comprehensive exercise that culminated in clear brand guidelines, packaging, and a versatile design system.
Website: The development of a Shopify eCommerce website designed to reach a broader audience and support the business's growth.
Brand Goals
• Speak for and Represent the Brand when “you” can’t: The brand had to embody and convey Ark's essence, even in the absence of words.
• Forge a Deep Connection with non-Indian consumers: Ark sought to transcend cultural boundaries, resonating with a diverse audience.
• Create a scalable brand: Ark Beverages envisioned a brand that could grow, evolve, and remain relevant to its target audience.
Website Goals
• The website goals for Ark Beverages were equally ambitious:
• Ability to scale with the business: The website had to adapt seamlessly as the business expanded.
• Educate consumers: The website needed to serve as an informative resource, educating visitors about Ark's unique products.
• Easy to use and maintain: Ensuring user-friendliness and easy maintenance was a top priority.
Branding Exercise
Our journey with Ark Beverages began with an immersive discovery phase. This involved a meticulous analysis of competitors, both local and global, as well as analogous industries. In tandem, stakeholder meetings played a pivotal role in crafting initial mood boards, swiftly guiding our creative direction for the brand.
The mood boards acted as a guiding path for the Ark brand, with the logo emerging as its beacon. Following logo development, we extended our efforts to encompass various branding elements such as business cards, social media graphics, sales flyers, and more. These elements formed the bedrock of the brand, exerting a significant influence on the packaging.
The culmination of this holistic approach resulted in the creation of comprehensive brand guidelines. These guidelines define essential aspects like colors, typography, and patterns, offering tangible examples of various elements. They serve as a valuable reference for any future vendors collaborating with Ark Beverages, particularly regarding the logo’s print and physical applications. This comprehensive approach reshaped Ark Beverages’ identity, setting the stage for its brand journey.
Pitch #1
Feminine; Pastel; Minimalistic(Rejected)
Pitch #2
Bold; Stylish; Colorful(Accepted)
Pitch #3
Heavy; Earthy; Traditional(Rejected)
Winning logo
Packaging & Patterns
Website Exercise
Our venture into crafting Ark Beverages’ website was initiated with a stakeholder meeting, injecting energy into its creation. This collaborative session sparked brainstorming, resulting in well-defined customer journeys, visitor experiences, and routine website tasks. This efficient discovery phase outlined the website’s necessities, structured the sitemap, and ensured the inclusion of all vital pages.
Transitioning to the website design phase, we commenced with wireframes to bring the sitemap and user journeys to life visually. These wireframes expedited the process without dwelling on minute details, such as button colors. Through two collaborative reviews, we ensured alignment with your vision. Subsequently, the website design phase breathed life into the wireframes, incorporating brand elements, custom components, graphs, forms, and other essential features. The fully interactive prototype underwent two rounds of reviews, accessible via InVision, guaranteeing a clear and cohesive direction.
As we moved into the development phase, streamlined email communication kept us on the same page. This phase predominantly focused on hosting and domain tasks, upheld by a weekly check-in practice. The outcome was a functional website that adhered to the approved design, without deviations.
As the website neared completion, coordination for the website launch was synchronized, with a steadfast focus on content to ensure a timely launch.
Bringing this exercise to a close, we established staff accounts, shared logins, and conducted comprehensive training, empowering the Ark Beverages team to manage the website. Our commitment extends to 12 months of website support, encompassing standard WordPress maintenance and malware protection, along with one hour of developer time, all provided at no additional cost. This comprehensive approach ensured a seamless website development process for Ark Beverages.
Sitemap and UI Semantics
Textures and Patterns
Looking Ahead
The Ark Beverages journey is a testament to collaboration and innovation, resulting in a brand that embodies versatility, professionalism, and approachability, transcending cultural boundaries. The website stands as an expertly crafted resource, emphasizing user-friendliness for Ark's diverse audience.
As Ark Beverages continues its upward trajectory, we remain steadfast in our commitment to support the brand's evolution. Our shared vision is to position Ark as the ultimate destination for unique beverages, blending tradition with a contemporary twist.
Heartfelt thanks to Pranali and Kunal Choubal for trusting us with the opportunity to shape Ark Beverages' brand and digital presence. We eagerly look forward to contributing to their ongoing success. This comprehensive case study provides insights into the services rendered, project phases, and the impactful outcomes achieved for Ark Beverages.