The Bitterroot Bundle
Brand Identity
Cultural Research
Package Design
Web Design
Brand Strategy
The Bitterroot Bundle is a care package service based out of Portland offering boxes filled with products handmade by local vendors in the Pacific Northwest with a Victorian twist.
Started by Hannah Dubrow, an LA transplant, this brand aims to stand out against other subscription boxes currently on the market.
The Bitterroot Bundle website
Concept and Solution
During the pandemic, Hannah's sister got sick. Wanting to support her from the other side of the country, Hannah made her a care package filled with local Portland goods. The idea came to her to start a business for folks looking for a unique care package experience. In our discussions, Hannah often reiterated that she didn't want the brand to be mainstream. We discussed at length how to create a unique brand that still had a clear voice and messaging.
Bitterroot inspiration and logo
Concept and Solution
Hannah described that there were several different "Portlands" and that she loved the Victorian houses in the area as well as her neighbors who were fans of antiquing, making their products locally and by hand. With this in mind, we decided to combine this aesthetic as part of the messaging.
The business didn't have a name yet so I decided to look at flora native to the Pacific Northwest for inspiration. We settled on the bitterroot flower for its striking appearance as well as medicinal purposes which supported the "care" behind care package. Combined with "Bundle" the name had a sweet name with a Victorian tone. Thus, the Bitterroot Bundle was born.
The Bitterroot Bundle's icon. Considering the bitterroot isn't a well known flower, we thought a literal approach was best. So the design became a bitterroot flower coming out of a fabric bundle.
Business cards, stationary, and postcard inserts
Implementation
Once we had a concept for the brand, I started implementing our branding guidelines into various situations Hannah might need them. We agreed on a design for business cards, stationary to correspond with vendors and clients, as well as postcards that would be sent with the "bundles" describing the items included as well as the small businesses from which they were sourced.
A small stamp created for the brand to play into the
hand crafted narrative.
Tape designed for the packaging. Hannah wanted to make sure that the Bundle stood out in contrast to other packages the client may be receiving.
Color Palette
In coming up with a color palette, Hannah and I had many discussions about different possibilities. In the end, we settled on a color palette that incorporated pastel colors which provided a softness we were hoping to strike in a care package. There are several natural colors included which encapsulate the natural environment of the Pacific Northwest. Additionally, the colors were all sourced from images of Victorian ceramics, furnishings and houses to reiterate the aesthetic we were hoping to achieve.
Typography
In looking for a proper typeface, the choice was obvious to seek out one that looked Victorian but was still legible and appealed to a modern audience. I chose Nevrada for its beauty as well as glyphs we were able to incorporate into the logo wordmark. I still wanted a typeface for the text that would be featured on the website so I decided on Josefin Slab for its thin profile in contrast to Nevrada as well as typewriter look to reference a letter written long ago.
In spelling out bitterroot, Hannah and I discovered that the second "r" felt like a typo. So I adjusted it for the wordmark which also showed some of Hannah's quirky personality.
Graphic Elements
The graphic elements for the brand encapsulated imagery of woodwork found on the exterior of Victorian homes. The imagery of the bitterroot flower in the fabric bundle became a pattern that could be used as an accent on various products and packaging and I edited the wordmark so that there would be a version of it for every scenario Hannah would need to use it.
"When I approached Monika to help me come up with a logo for my new brand, I ended up with so, so much more. During the design process, Monika asked me questions that pushed me to define the brand in a way that helped me in every aspect of the business. She put a lot of care and deep thinking into the material she presented. Starting a new business is scary, working with Monika gave me the confidence that I was putting my brand out there with the strongest possible foot forward. I would recommend Monika not only for visual design, but brand development and strategy as well."
— Hannah Dubrow, The Bitterroot Bundle Founder