Industry Packaging, Culinary, Artisanal Salt Deliverables Package Design, Visual Identity, Branding, Presentation Deck Recognition ArtCenter College of Design GalleryDescription
A strategic salt packaging rebrand line for the small, Filipino-owned business, XROADS. They specialize in a rare, artisanal sea salt from the Philippines: asin tibuok. Translating to “unbroken salt,” asin tibuok is a handcrafted product that stands as the perfect bridge to Southeast Asian flavors.
Background
Asin tibuok is a world-rare,
artisanal Filipino sea salt made
from filtering seawater through
ashes. Back when the Philippines was a
common stop for trade, asin
tibuok was so valuable that it
was used as a form of currency.
Back in the 1950s, many poor
Filipino families traded this
product for rice. Today, still not many people know about this product. Workers in this region aren’t paid properly for the amount of labor put into their salt.Coconut husks are soaked for 2–3 months, then cut, dried, and burned into ashes. The ashes are filtered with seawater to extract salt, creating a brine that's poured into clay pots and boiled in a specialized furnace. Once the clay cracks, the solidified salt inside is ready for use.Original ContextThis small business seeks to revitalize the traditional Filipino art of hand-crafting sea salt, aiming to position it as an exotic culinary salt. In an interview with its founder, Lennie Buenaflor DiCarlo, she says the venture combines her passion for food with a commitment to fair wages and equity for the artisans of the region.
The name originally represents the
Philippines being the bridge
between Asia and the West. There
are drawbacks to the name as it
may be confusing to read, which reduces brand recognition and reliability.
The current packaging for the Asin Tibuok features a woven basket from local weavers and tissue paper. Their loose salt comes in plastic. Overall, there is room for incorporating more sustainable packaging solutions while still elevating the brand. StrategyThe brand revitalization strategy focuses on spotlighting the artisans behind this unique product, encouraging consumer trust. Additionally, renaming the brand to "xsalt," a play on "exalt," reinforces its commitment to equity and elevating its creators.Logo The new xsalt logo embraces
handwritten letterforms to reflect the organic, handmade quality of the products.PackagingEach package features minimalist typography and a prominent product description on the principal display panel, aligning with the brand’s goal of spotlighting the products and their creators.Promotional PostersProcessThe process involved many rounds of research, iterations, & art direction. See Full Process Thank you Lennie Buenaflor DiCarlo, Ania Borysiewicz, Zack Gibson, and Herman Cheung HomeNext Project