Nans’ Hot Sauce
Have you envisioned your own personalized merchandise? Being passionate about spicy flavors, I found that crafting a custom hot sauce was my ideal choice. Watching numerous Hot Ones videos equipped me with a keen eye for what sets apart a truly exceptional bottle of hot sauce, compelling me to bring my own creation to life.
Role
Visual & Branding Designer
Team
Solo Designer
Timeline
May 2023 - August 2023
Tools
Adobe Photoshop
Adobe Illustrator
Procreate
Figma
Skills
Visual Research
Branding
Copywriting
Visual Research
This endeavor commenced by thoroughly analyzing five distinct hot sauces and chili oils available in the market. Each company delivers enticingly spicy offerings, yet each does so distinctively, aligning their visual branding with their objectives. For instance, Fly By Jing embraces playful and eclectic East-Asian-inspired flavors. Heartbeat Hot Sauce presents robust and harmonious tastes, aiming to offer a versatile hot sauce suitable for any dish.
Through studying these companies and their array of hot sauce products, I developed three distinct hot sauces characterized by diverse flavor profiles and varying levels of spiciness tailored to complement different culinary styles. Additionally, drawing abundant visual inspiration, I embarked on crafting my logo.
Brand Identity
I crafted various logo designs using Procreate. My aim was to infuse them with an organic, hand-drawn feel that could encapsulate the natural essence of the hot sauce, all while reflecting its spirited character. Eventually, I opted for a hand-drawn "Nans' Hot Sauce" logo in a neutral brown hue, deliberately chosen to balance the vibrant color scheme inspired by my extensive visual research.
Start
Using temporary names for the hot sauce flavor (the OG), I initiated my logo exploration by creating the hand-drawn 'Nans' Hot Sauce' text accompanied by sketches of garlic and chili. These elements were chosen deliberately, as I intended for them to represent the primary flavors of my flagship hot sauce.
I integrated abstract shapes behind the illustrations of chili and garlic to emulate the fluidity and dynamic nature of the hot sauce.
Opting for an endearing vibe, I chose to solely feature the garlic sketch, enhancing it with a cartoon face to infuse a lively and animated touch.
Drawing inspiration from Chinese red envelopes, I subtly incorporated a pattern along the border, aiming for a design that didn't overpower the overall look.
Since I aimed for the label to reflect my personality while maintaining a cartoonish essence, I sketched my interpretation of how I appear after indulging in spicy cuisine.
Maintaining a neutral and simplified approach akin to my second version, I introduced a gradient splash to accentuate the illustration and attract attention.
Finish
I completed the branding process for my hot sauce collection. I opted to maintain the self-illustration and carefully crafted three distinct flavor profiles for my sauces. These encompass an everyday-use sauce, "The Hottie Sauce," a chili oil named "Spicy Garlic Chili Crisp," and a wing sauce labeled "Mango Habanero Sauce." My objective was to concoct unique flavors that intertwine elements from diverse culinary traditions. For the universal hot sauce, I aimed for a playful, Gen-Z allure, hence my choice of the name "The Hottie Sauce."
Principle Display Panel
Front
Side
Nutrition Facts
Ingredient List
Net Quantity of Contents
Identity (name of food)
Business Name & Address
Stickers
I found inspiration in Glossier, a beloved brand of mine, and created seasonal stickers for my own brand. These exclusive stickers, tailored to each season, serve as an added surprise in orders made on the website, aiming to delight customers. The core design stands as the consistent original sticker, complemented by multiple variations around it. These stickers are limited editions, introduced with the change of each season throughout the year.
Landing Page
I created a detailed mockup of Nans' Hot Sauce landing page in Figma, incorporating static web design elements to experiment and further elevate the branding experience.
Key Takeaways & Next Steps
Key Takeaway: The experience was a fun journey exploring brand conceptualization, enabling me to delve into various facets of shaping a brand identity. Through visual research, logo creation, product development, and website design, I not only honed my Adobe Creative Suite skills but also gained a comprehensive understanding of the branding process.
The immediate next phase involves actualizing these hot sauces. Should this brand materialize, I intend to expand the product line, introducing additional hot sauces, bundles, and merchandise such as hoodies, totes, and water bottles. Furthermore I would to elaborate on and further develop the remaining website pages.
You can also see this project featured on The Best Jar Label Designs by DesignRush.