Energy-Focused (Functional Fuel):
Spotlight 25g natural protein and real-food fuel to satisfy hunger and bridge skipped meals between classes.
Product and Branding Design
Go-Bananas!
Energizing Campus Life Naturally
Project Overview
Go-Bananas! is a wholesome, ready-to-drink meal-bridge designed to keep busy college students naturally energized throughout demanding academic schedules. Developed as a vibrant alternative to artificial energy drinks and sterile gym supplements, this project delivers an end-to-end brand identity and packaging system centered on clean, whole-food nutrition and 25g of natural protein. The resulting visual language combines playful, appetite-driven warmth with high-impact shelf presence, offering students a convenient, guilt-free fuel source that fits effortlessly into their daily campus routines.
Problem Statement
Campus convenience store coolers are crowded with artificial energy cans and clinical gym shakes, leaving busy students with no approachable, real-food fuel. Because current packaging is either hyper-aggressive or sterile, students lack a convenient meal-bridge that instantly signals clean nutrition and appetite appeal on the shelf.
Target Audience
- The On-the-Go Student: Undergrads and commuters rushing between early classes and study sessions who skip breakfast and need a fast, filling meal-bridge.
- The Health-Conscious Consumer: Students looking for functional energy and protein without synthetic chemicals, bitter artificial sweeteners, or heavy fitness-supplement branding.
The Solution
- High-Impact Shelf Presence: A vibrant, appetite-driven yellow and warm amber palette designed to stand out against dark campus convenience store coolers.
- Clear Front-of-Pack Hierarchy: A custom-lettered "GO BANANAS!" lockup paired with an angled "25g Protein" badge for quick readability from a distance.
- Student-Focused Touchpoints: A tactile matte shrink sleeve for a comfortable, condensation-resistant grip, supported by branded die-cut stickers for casual campus brand visibility.
Design Thinking Process
A four-stage design sprint translating student snacking habits into an approachable visual identity, ergonomic bottle label, and brand touchpoints.
Empathize
- Campus cooler audit
- Student snacking habits
- Drink alternative review
Define
- Grab-and-go market gap
- 25g protein claim criteria
- Approachable snack feel
Ideate
- Design Objectives
- Product sketches
- Layout iterations
Design
- Final identity
- Color Palette
- Mockups
Empathize Phase
Campus Snack Landscape
Packaging Analysis
How Might We
How might we combine the playful, high-energy shelf appeal of popular snacks with the nutritional credibility of 25g natural protein to give busy students a guilt-free meal bridge?
Define Phase
Core Finding & Design Criteria
Emotional Impact (Approachable + Fun):
Ditch sterile, aggressive gym aesthetics for warm, mood-boosting colors and playful typography that make nutrition inviting.
Nutritional Clarity (Honest Transparency):
Prioritize bold front-of-pack metrics legible from 6 feet away, eliminating guesswork in crowded campus coolers.
Ideate Phase
Design Objectives
Balance Shelf Pop & Satiety
Explore bold typography lockups and vibrant color palettes that capture immediate attention without sacrificing healthy food credibility.
Optimize for Curved Surfaces
Test and iterate label wraps across cylindrical bottle contours so primary branding and key claims remain legible from every angle.
Establish Hierarchy on the Shelf
Experiment with label contrast, background treatments (light vs. dark shrink sleeves), and nutritional callout placement to cut through crowded retail coolers.
Sketches
Iterations
Design Phase
Environmental product staging generated via Adobe Firefly.
Go Bananas with Energy! — 16s Brand Promo (Created in Adobe Express)