Iris Chocolate is a well-known European craft chocolate company that recently returned to its roots in South Haven, Michigan. Iris produces premium craft chocolate that is single-sourced from locations around the world. For their first 3 chocolate in the series, Iris introduced craft chocolates that are sourcing cacao beans from Saint Lucia, Peru, and Gabon. The goal for this project is to make a distinguishable brand and packaging design for this company that clearly communicates its identity, quality, and craftsmanship. 

The brand name “Iris” is derived from Iris of Greek mythology, the goddess that connects sky and ocean.

Iris is a metaphor for the mission of the craft chocolate company, which is to deliver ethically sourced craft chocolate from around the globe, and foster the connection between regions.

Receiving the chocolate would be parallel to that of receiving a letter from a distant country. The focus on exchange and connections through parcel is carried throughout the design for Iris. The “R” and “S” in its wordmark is personified to mimick the act of deliverin the chocolate from sender to receiver (the customer). The logomark consists of the silhouette of Iris the goddess, with wavy hair that symbolizes ocean waves and coastlines.

Finally, the brand packging gained inspiration from parcel packages and postal services, thus the craftpaper material for the outter package, and the postage stamps to signify detination and origin. The bands that wrap around each package are unique identifiers of the origins. The colored stripes are samplings of country of origin’s flags and coat of arms.