Project Overview
I was tasked with designing and producing three bottle labels under one product line that each enhance a flavour while integrating one element from pop-culture. I created an Indigenous-inspired soda company called Gwaii Life. “Gwaii,” meaning “island” in the Haida language, was chosen as a reference to Haida Gwaii, the archipelago off the coast of British Columbia traditionally inhabited by the Haida people.
Design Process
Before beginning this project, I took inspiration from the American soda brand Poppi, which produces clean, minimalist style soda cans that combine simple illustration with eye-catching colour harmonies. I applied a similar approach by using striking, high-contrast colours through highly saturated analogous colour schemes.
I illustrated three animals for each flavour: an eagle, a killer whale, and a bear. I browsed through many artworks representing Haida art and recreated my own style of it while following their formline system.
