Cocoa Bear
Roles
Branding & Identity
PROJECT DELIVERABLES
Brand Identity & Guidelines | Packaging & Apparel Design
OVERVIEW
Developed a full brand identity for Cocoa Bear, an artisanal raw chocolate company selling small-batch flavors at specialty shops and farmers markets. The client requested clean, geometric design elements to convey a premium, modern aesthetic. A key constraint was creating packaging that could be produced entirely in-house—without specialized equipment—while still delivering a refined, high-end look. The final solution included a flexible brand system, cost-effective packaging, and scalable guidelines to support merchandising, marketing, and future product expansion.
Brand
After exploring multiple directions, I created a geometric bear mark incorporating a diamond motif that nods to both the brand name and the Front Range mountains of Colorado, where the company is based. Paired with a clean, modern wordmark, this two-part system offers versatility across applications—including third-party marketing. The bear icon also functions as an effective debossing mark on the chocolate itself, and simplified versions were designed for small-scale use, such as favicons.
The brand’s color palette is intentionally minimal: white, a near-black charcoal, and light grey, applied consistently across the website, marketing materials, and product seals. Chocolate bars are wrapped in butcher paper with metallic stamped ink—gold for dark chocolate, silver for milk chocolate—creating a clear, elegant product distinction while maintaining a refined, artisanal aesthetic.
Guidelines
I developed a comprehensive brand guide to ensure consistency as Cocoa Bear grows and collaborates with vendors and creative partners. This essential document provides precise standards for logo usage, including placement specifications for all variations of the geometric bear mark and wordmark. It outlines a clear typography hierarchy with designated primary and secondary font families, along with sizing and spacing guidelines. The guide also details the brand’s minimal color palette with exact values for print and digital applications, packaging templates with step-by-step production instructions for consistent execution, standards for apparel and merchandise applications, and photography style direction with product staging and presentation requirements. Together, these elements form a practical, scalable system that protects brand integrity while supporting creative flexibility and future product expansion.
Packaging
The packaging system was designed to meet several key constraints: low production costs, no reliance on specialized equipment, and materials that wouldn’t adhere to the chocolate. After exploring several options, I recommended butcher paper as the primary packaging material—offering a clean, natural look while meeting functional needs.
The front of each package features the bear logo and flavor name (e.g., Dark Chocolate Espresso Bean) applied using metallic ink stamps—gold for dark chocolate, silver for milk chocolate. This approach enables the client to use custom rubber stamps for consistent, low-cost production without the need for commercial printing.
For the back, I created a templated sticker system that the client can print in-house using standard office equipment. These labels double as package seals and include space for all required product details: ingredients, nutrition facts, lot numbers, and expiration dates.
The final packaging solution delivers an artisanal, upscale look while remaining low-cost, easy to update, and fully manageable by the client in small-batch production, successfully balancing the brand’s aesthetic goals with practical manufacturing constraints.
Apparel
To support the client’s merchandising efforts, I delivered a set of “ready-to-print” vector files and detailed mockups featuring the brand’s logo, optimized for apparel applications. These assets included suggested Pantone specifications tailored for white, off-white, black, and dark grey fabrics—ensuring consistent color reproduction across various materials.
The brand guidelines also include parameters for extending the identity beyond the core logo and wordmark, such as creating enamel pins or future promotional items. This system equips the client with the tools and guidance needed to develop new branded merchandise independently as their business grows and new merchandising ideas emerge. With clear standards and built-in creative flexibility, they can confidently expand their product offerings while maintaining visual consistency.