Brief:  To create corporate design, including, logo, web design, letterhead and business cards, plus packaging, for Nookie chocolate snack bars.

Response:  When I started this project, Nookie already had a website and a logo which had been commissioned when they first set up the business, but the Rowe brothers were keen to see where I could take the packaging design and as part of the process I revisited the company’s corporate identity. Nookie were keen to keep the identity light-hearted, and wanted to give the brand a sense of humour. They also wanted to emphasise the importance of the natural ingredients used in the bars. I needed to come up with designs which would communicate these points, could be applied to different flavours, and which would appeal to both men and women – and in fact Nookie particularly wanted to corner the male market.

Before starting to design, I researched Nookie’s competition, as well as looking at a huge range of packaging, especially that of snack food and in particular healthy snack food in all its different guises. I designed for Nookie as a snack bar that someone might buy as part of a lifestyle choice – an alternative to conventional confectionery – rather than a serious protein bar for the gym bunny.  I used movement in the letters of the logo to create a light-hearted feel to the branding. I started to use colour to express different ingredients within different bars, plus a naughty cocoa bean motif to emphasise the all important handmade chocolate and to add humour. When it came to the packaging, I fitted all the essential information onto an environmentally and budget friendly cardboard case which would cover the cellophane wrap around the bar (additionally enhancing the size of the bar itself). Despite the wealth of information on the back of the packet, I used negative space to ensure that the logo was the focus of the front of the packaging, making the Nookie bar eye catching and easily recognisable on the shop shelf.