Kanna—a recreational cannabis brand

Design: Yi Mao
Photographer: Charlie Sin
Illustrator: Adobe Stock (@natality)
Stylist: Charlie Sin & Yi Mao
Project Type: Student Project
School: ArtCenter College of Design
Course: Package Design 1
Tutor: Dan Hoy
Location: Pasadena, USA
Packaging Contents: Preroll, edible(chocolate), tea, candle, relaxation oil
Packaging Substrate / Materials: Glass bottle, paper, illustration board
Printing Process: Digital printing & chromatech

Kanna is a hypothetical line of products targeted for recreational cannabis markets. It intentionally aims to offer California customers a luxurious and unique cannabis brand experience.

The first challenge in designing this product line, is how to successfully create a premium and aesthetic appearance to audience through visuals under the strict laws of California cannabis packaging. Another main challenge is how to reveal a sense of joy through packaging and label to formally demonstrate the education of cannabis use. The solution is to apply minimal design approaches with appropriate illustrations and vivid colors. Using black & white to simultaneously create a sense of clean, premium quality, and rigor.

Colors are intentionally used to reveal the strength of the product.

• Alce (preroll, red): strength—level 8–9 (max.10)
• Toco (cannabis-infused chocolate, orange): strength level 7–8 (max.10)
• Hope (cannabis-infused green tea, green): strength level 3–4 (max.10)
• Gouldin (cannabis-smell candle, blue): strength level 0 (max.10)
• Lori (cannabis-infused relaxation oil purple): strength level 1–2 (max.10)

What’s Unique?
The diagonal line and shape on all Kanna products are actually inspired by the leg (the diagonal stroke) of letter “K”. After a series of competitors research and brand positioning, the overall minimal design approach intentionally tries to help the brand stand out among all the other recreational cannabis brands in the market.