At Fresh Beards, we’ve always been proud of our sleek and stylish packaging, almost as proud as we are of our high quality products. After all, we want to make sure that our bottles and boxes look as good as they can, so that you know how good you’re going to look too. That’s why when graphic designer, Avery Rose, won the 2021 American Graphic Design award for our Voodoo Beard Oil design, we knew we had been doing something right.
“We were so pleased to work with Avery on this design and we’re all thrilled by the win. He took our vision and brought it to life in a bold, yet sophisticated and elevated way,” Fresh Beards owner Zach Van Steenvoort said.
To celebrate the win, here’s what Avery had to say about the process of designing the label!
Q: How long have you been working in graphic design?
A: I have been working professionally in graphic design for about 7 years.
Q: What made you want to pursue graphic design as a career?
A: Growing up, I was always drawing and throughout grade school art was always an outlet for me. Naturally, I decided to attend art school. It was at art school that I discovered, by using design, I could aid other people in representing their passion or business using my talents. After art school I was lucky to work for two art directors that sparked my interest and eventual passion for package design.
Q: How did you start working with Fresh Beards?
A: I am extremely lucky that a mutual friend put me in contact with Fresh Beards.
Q: What is your typical process when designing new packaging for a company?
A: The first step of my process is always to have a conversation with the client. This way I can gauge the direction and vision of the company and the product. The next step is research, during this stage I check out competition in related product fields. I also look at any distinct creatives across any category that potentially match with the company’s vision. The third step is to take the two previous steps and use that knowledge to create a first draft of the potential new package design. My final process involves the client again, to refine and shape the look of the final package. Throughout my entire process I attempt to involve the company as much as possible, packaging design is a collaborative business.
Q: What were you trying to achieve with the new label design?
A: After my initial conversation with the Fresh Beards team, our destination was a ‘worldwide’ brand impression. My intention was to simplify the packaging to reflect the product’s natural ingredients.
Q: Is there anything in particular about this design that you're really proud of?
A: I think I am especially proud that I was able to achieve a cohesive brand across multiple packaging types and product types. It was especially challenging moving from a box/bottle to a cylinder.
Q: What did it mean to you to win Graphic Design USA's 2021 American Packaging Design Awards?
A: This award is a bit surreal to me. It was very nice to obtain this award solo, in the past I have received the award as part of a team of designers and art directors.
Q: Anything to add?
A: Just a big thank you to Zach and Juana at Fresh Beards for taking a chance on me and working with me to create this new and exciting rebrand of products.
To get a bottle of our Voodoo Beard Oil and take a firsthand look at this award-winning design, click here.
