Punk rock.

Four KAITO coffee capsule boxes in a cascading staggered arrangement, each box displaced progressively to the left on a neutral grey ground. White coated paperboard, single-color cyan print. KAITO wordmark in horizontal stripe type fill across the front face; LØVE variant wordmark and concentric arc stripe pattern on the blue vertical band. Bilingual English/French copy: "10 capsules biodégradables." Origami bird logomark on all boxes. Art-directed multi-format range composition — visual identity design system and art direction by a packaging design studio.
Kaito Coffee
Hudson, Quebec
2023

Client

Kaito is a coffee roaster in Hudson, Quebec with a distinctly minimalist visual design language driven by color based flavour, mood, and feel signifiers.

In 2015 AOFP developed and applied the name, identity and visual language to packaging, communications, and interior/cafe designs.

In 2024 Kaito merged with Mikko, a lifestyle cafe carrying its roasts. We kept the visual aesthetic and design language of Kaito, while updating the brandmark with Mikko as brandname.

Assignment

For this project (the last one prior to brands merging) Kaito looked to expand the visual language and create packaging for a line nespresso pod coffee.

Keep it minimal, artistic, unique. Avoid typical nespresso pod packaging approaches.

Process

First a tactile folding board cardstock from Neenah was selected for its textured, raw feel, and excellent spot color reproduction.

Then a series of illustrations were developed wrapping the packaging with an identifying color.

Results

Tactile, textured, minimal, eye-catching.

An artwork on the shelf, in store, on the counter.
Project Info ↗

Kaito’s visual language is distinctly minimalist.
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Very normal for coffee brands. Not so much for nespresso variants.

Close-up of the right end panels of KAITO coffee capsule boxes stacked four high. White coated paperboard, single-color cyan print. End panels read "KAITO coffee roasters" in clean geometric sans-serif with the origami bird logomark on each tier. Front face visible at left: "10 capsules biodégradables compatible avec Nespresso Original Line," "Nous torréfions le café. Avec grand amour." and LØVE variant on the blue band. Bilingual French/English label architecture and typography and graphic design by a packaging design studio.
Four KAITO coffee capsule boxes in an alternating staggered offset arrangement against neutral grey, each box shifted to expose the box beneath. White coated paperboard, single-color cyan print. Front face shows the large striped KAITO wordmark; LØVE variant in white on the blue vertical band with concentric arc stripe pattern. Tasting notes: noisette, chocolat, caramel. Bilingual French/English pack copy. Origami bird logomark throughout. Art direction and brand identity and graphic design by a packaging design studio.
Four KAITO coffee capsule boxes in a horizontal-shift arrangement, each box displaced laterally to form a stepped profile against neutral grey. White coated paperboard, single-color cyan print. KAITO wordmark in striped type fill across the front face; LØVE variant on the blue vertical band with concentric arc stripe pattern. Bilingual French/English label system: "10 capsules biodégradables," "Nous torréfions le café. Avec grand amour." Origami bird logomark. Art direction and visual identity design by a packaging design studio.
art of packaging / projects