Epoch Retail

Design: Jason DeCruz
Project Type: Student Project
School: Academy of Art University
Course: Packaging 4
Tutor: Thomas McNulty
Location: San Francisco
Packaging Contents: Cleanser, Cream, Toner, Serum, Fresh Produce, Sauces, Juices, Wine, Kitchen Ware, Home Decor, Tableware
Packaging Substrate / Materials: Paper, Cardboard, Glass Bottles, Wood
Printing Process: Inkjet Printing

As a team, we were asked to create a new retail store brand with an extensive product line. We began with the core mission of sustainability. We wanted to develop Earth-friendly packaging that was beautiful rather than packaging that overly relied on the color green and icons of leaves or trees. Packaging has dirty hands when it comes to the health of our climate, and we wanted to clean up its unfortunate practices with this line of products. The name Epoch seemed to fit quite well since it means, “A pivotal moment in time,” which this is regarding the health of our planet. Oslo, Norway is known as the most Eco-conscious location on the planet today, so it only made sense that Epoch’s headquarters be there.

Epoch’s primary goal is to bring their Scandinavian lifestyle into the lives of its customers. It achieves this by having packaging that is simple and straight-forward with no large, attention-grabbing images. Instead, it uses a softer and more contemporary feeling of typography, color, and imagery. It is a high-end brand, but not pretentious. The entire line is inspirational, sustainable, honest, and functional without unnecessary elements. Under the retail brand Epoch, there are three subbrands — Gather Food, Bloom Skincare, and Loft Home Decor. This was a group project with designers Silvia Abruzzese, Jonathan Biehl, Lucy Tsai, Maria Elena Wong Chang and Tiffany Byrd.