Bonafide Garden Tools (Student Project)

Derrick Lin

Global

Designer: Evan Tolleson
Project Type: Student Project
School: Academy of Art University
Course: Package Design 3
Location: San Francisco, California
Packaging Contents: Garden Tools
Packaging Materials: Paper, Concrete, Wood

Story:
Farmers and tradesmen do not leave their homes without first donning their Carhartt. It is a symbol of work ethic, durability, and knowledge of craft. In the past fifteen years, the landscape has changed and the definition of American work-life has expanded to include a variety of people and professions. This new diversity is a call for change.

As an integral part of the American work-life, Carhartt falls short in women’s categories. By introducing Bonafide, a female garden tool line, Carhartt welcomes a new audience with a warm, natural and honest voice. Bonafide is a garden tool line that is ergonomically designed and weighted for women. The design retains the all-terrain look and feel of its parent brand, Carhartt, while introducing the appropriate amount of femininity. The interplay of color, photography, and graphic elements depict the environment in which the tools are used and the change of seasons.

Identity:
How do you brand a product for women that is made by a dominantly male brand? The solution is for Bonafide to identify with two key traits—rugged and natural. The Bonafide wordmark and symbol each represent one trait. Natural curves, rounded corners, and a friendly x-height characterize the wordmark. While the symbol takes on a geometric, calculated, and rugged feeling.

What’s Unique?
Bonafide allows both the product and PDP design to be seen equally. The garden tools are ergonomically designed for women and the package purposefully shows off this feature. The package structure is unique in that it is meant for a peg board and the back panel houses a small brochure. The brochure describes the company, the product, and lists other available tools.

A promotional planter box was made out of concrete with a wood top. The concrete box was handmade and has the symbol debossed into it. The identity was also laser cut into the wood top. The mix of wood and concrete is a nice call back to the qualities that Bonafide and its parent brand, Carhartt, are trying to bridge together.