Working with NC Hemp Shoppe as an In-House Designer, I was tasked with a variety of design tasks to help create a brand identity and build the blueprint for developing an online presence. Working in an industry like hemp, finding a balance between clarity and marketability across multiple platforms while maintaining a distinct, recognizable brand has been a unique challenge that I have enjoyed tackling. Throughout the journey, I've learned a lot about effectively targeting audiences, creating and following brand guidelines, and utilizing several forms of content to create value.
Social Media Marketing
One of my main jobs while working with NC Hemp Shoppe has been producing marketing material and social media content. Promoting a hemp shop can be a puzzling task considering the promotion and advertisement of most products are not supported by majority of platforms. So how do you utilize these platforms? Bookmarking the policy pages is a good start, but outside of that some clever design is necessary to make sure customers can easily understand your message while staying in the confines of what's allowed.
I aim to create eye catching images and colorful, vibrant aesthetics to capture audience's attention, and provide just the necessary amount of information to entice curiosity and interest, leading them into the next steps of the marketing funnel.
The other side of content that I have chosen to lean into has been educational and informative media. This may appeal to a slightly different crowd, but allows for more transparent communication and provides tangible value. These posts are small summaries of blog posts that I would write for our site, with the goal of educating returning and potential customers alike, as well as improving our SEO.
Packaging Design
For the first 5 years, NC Hemp Shoppe used generic packaging and labels for their products. Cost-effective and simple for a small business. Reasonable and cost-effective for a small business, but as the operation has scaled, so has the importance for consistency and brand recognition.
Bags
While creating the new bags, it was important to keep a few challenges in mind. We wanted each bag to be easily distinguishable while still feeling cohesive. Also, because of the products being sold in some of the bags, there are a considerable amount of warnings and disclaimers that are necessary to make space for. Furthermore, there needed to be enough room to fit a label on the bag without covering any details.
I concluded that a clean, minimal design would be best for this project. Personally, I think of packaging as a user interface. The primary objective is to communicate information as effectively as possible. I used color to make each bag stand out from the others, while keeping them within my determined color palette so that the designs remained cohesive to each other and the brand they represent.
The bags contain mostly the same design, using color to distinguish between different sizes. A subtle gradient is used to give a shiny feel to the bags even though they're matte. A frosted window covers much of the lower third, allowing customers to see inside while still protecting the product.
The back of the bag is left mostly blank to allow space for labeling and barcodes. The bags utilize the same colors as the Moonlit Farms logo, creating a cohesive feel while still being easily distinguishable.
Customers have been very vocal about their love for the new bags, and they even serve a practical purpose as the QR codes make accessing the online site and lab report documents easier than ever. A small change, but this could go a long way in improving our customers quality of life and making word of mouth references more effective.
Stationery
Recently, I redesigned the NC Hemp Shoppe and Moonlit Farm business cards, another necessary improvement to consider as the business has grown. Just like the bags, business cards prioritize user experience and usability. Making them easy to use at a glance while still being a pleasant design requires intelligent and intentional design decisions.
