E S - Chirpies

Role: Lead designer

Duration: 6 weeks

Skills: Graphic Design, Research, Prototyping

PROJECT SUMMARY:

Tasked with designing a food product based on an assigned insect, with a major constraint: the packaging had to take a form other than a box and needed to be completely sustainable. I was assigned the cricket, and after learning about its dense protein content, I designed a trail snack in a plastic-free pouch. I utilized vibrant, lively colors inspired by the outdoors and designed a pattern based on both the shape of the cricket and topographic maps. For the packaging, I created a beeswax-coated pouch for durability. It has a tear-off top and uses a beeswax-coated sticker to seal for reuse. This project reflects my passion for hand-crafted, energizing, engaging sustainable design and the outdoors.

PRELIMINARY RESEARCH:

CULTURAL BACKGROUND:

Bush crickets are commonly eaten in Uganda in the form of a snack called Nsenene, which is cricket that is fried in onions and other spices (Rummel, 2017). The bush crickets are popular during the wet season, and there are several traditions that revolve around them, such as one where women would collect the crickets and gift them to their husbands, who in return would give them dresses as a reward (Rummel, 2017).

SALIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Research included analysis of photographs of bush crickets in order to determine their salient characteristics. Bush crickets are bright green, in contrast to many other types of crickets, making them really striking and almost more grasshopper-like than cricket-like. Additionally, they have angular legs, long antennae, and delicate wings. Bush crickets are also known throughout many cultures for their distinct chirping sounds, which I looked into to find many different technical terms for different sounds, such as “lisp”, “chirp”, and “zit” (“Cricket Sounds and What They Mean”, 2017). I hope to incorporate some of these characteristics into my logo and product.

NUTRITIONAL VALUE:

According to Eat Grub, crickets contain very high amounts of protein, 3 essential amino acids, fiber, calcium, iron, Vitamin B12, as well as Omega 3 and 6 Oils (“Insects for Athletes”, 2018). Recently, many brands have created cricket flours and protein powders to harness the incredible amount of protein and other minerals that crickets contain. While being protein-packed, cricket flours are also a low-carb alternative to other flours (“Insects for Athletes”, 2018).

PROPOSAL:

For my product, I wanted to combine both the bush cricket’s traditional way of being consumed with its impressive nutritional panel to create a protein-packed, crunchy snack intended to be used for hiking, backpacking, camping, and other outdoor activities. Rather than going the route of protein powder, I wanted to either create a trail mix or granola snack incorporating fried and ground cricket and an array of spices.

My product is aimed towards an outdoorsy audience of hiking, backpacking, camping, cycling, and running enthusiasts. The product will come in a resealable bag that is conducive for outdoor activities because it can be flattened to save space and can be resealed for later. Since it is intended to be packed away in a backpack, I think that a pouch will be the best package for a trail mix-like snack, other than perhaps a solid granola bar.

I am going to implement playful hand lettering, organic and free-flowing patterns, and bright colors to cater to the healthy, vibrant, lively nature of the intended audience. I would love to incorporate an element of the cricket’s sound, whether that be patterns that mimic sound waves of their chirps or onomatopoeia in the product name harkening back to the cricket’s chirping sounds.

Initial logo sketches

MOOD BOARD:

When approaching a new project, I often to start the process by creating a mood board in order to get a sense of the vibe that I want my product to evoke. I typically divide this process into 3 parts: images, text, and in order to curate a wide range of inspirational content.