Chocolab – The Science of Chocolate (Student Project)

Designer: Elena Chatzichristou
Project Type: Student Project
School: AKTO
Course: Graphic Design
Tutor: Giorgos Theodorou
Location: Athens, Greece
Packaging Contents: Chocolate, Cocoa
Packaging Materials: Black Matte Aluminium Bag, Black Matte Paper

Chocolab is my thesis project, the final one of my bachelor studies. The main goal in this kind of projects is to develop a clever idea into a design solution. There were no limitations on what we could do so, I thought about getting involved into something I really love. Chocolate.

Inspiration hit me on one of those nights when you feel your creativity drowned somewhere in the sea last summer and depression is just footsteps away. In such conditions I usually (meaning always) crave for something sweet. More particularly for chocolate. So, after having a bite of it, I felt like I just took my medicine. Instantly I started thinking about all those purposes that chocolate seems more than necessary. After a brief research I did, I discovered that the tribe of Aztecs used chocolate as a medicine. Nowadays, things are way different, but chocolates somehow remains a medicine, but it’s more like a medicine for the soul. No matter what – break ups or birthdays – chocolate seems like the sole solution.
The idea was simple. I would design the identity of the more-than-necessary chocolate for several purposes. Off course it would be nearly impossible to design something for every single purpose since they probably are way too many. Instead I focused on 6 of them including both emotions and situations. Thus I created 2 taglines for the brand, the corporate “The Science of Chocolate”, and the “All Purpose Chocolates”.

Design-wise I wanted to create something original and innovative for this kind of product. The identity should apply to both packaging and corporate identity applications as well, making the brand distinct with a clear but strong visual identity. Having as a base the laboratory concept of the shop, I wanted to embody this on the entire identity. So, my idea was to rely on the atoms, and their movements and formations within a grid, in order to illustrate each purpose. Each product would also have its own Pantone color in order to be distinguished easily from the others.

The fact that these products (flavored cocoa power & chocolate bars) would not be sold in super markets, but only from the shop allowed a more experimental and designer friendly approach.

What’s Unique?
What’s unique with this project is probably the design approach to the whole matter of depicting the purpose each product stands for.