Outside the Box

BURNT SUGAR

Wes Anson and Phil Curl of d.studio are brand designers based in the beautiful village of London, England. They work on large- and small-scale projects from clients across the globe, as well as closer to home. They love working with energetic emerging companies, matching their ambitions and sharing their enthusiasm to help brands achieve what they set out to do, and more. Their approach is to look at the bigger picture, creating narratives that run through brands from top to bottom.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION: Burnt Sugar is a boutique brand of fudge with humble beginnings. Started by Justine Cather, who nabbed her mother’s recipe and took it to market (London’s famous Borough Market to be more precise), the brand was small, but word soon got out and Burnt Sugar’s popularity soared. Working closely with Cather, d.studio developed the “every one is different” concept, which celebrates not just the perfectly irregular shapes of taste bud–tingling bits of fudge, but also all the wonderful varieties of foodie folk who like to indulge in her confections.

The first thing they did was turn the pack around and tweak the flap to give the impression it was sealed with a sticker. This made it look like the traditional bags in which loose fudge is sold at Borough Market and instantly communicated the roots of the brand. They then commissioned five illustrators to doodle all over the packs so each product had its own individual personality. Not a single font was used on any of the packs—every element was meticulously hand rendered. D.studio also added a little surprise under the flap of each pack for the customers—or “fun-loving foodies,” as Cather prefers to call them—to discover.

d.studio: The initial brief was extremely open, so we were largely responsible for defining the brief from the outset. The biggest evolution (and leap of faith by the client) was going from the initial concept to the final packs, as a large amount of imagination was required to envision what the five packs would look like with a different illustrator’s style on each one, which the client didn’t see at first.

What was the process of rendering this type like?

It varied from pack to pack. Working with five different illustrators brought its own set of challenges. Some nailed it pretty much the first time, others required a few rounds of exploration. Our general approach was to set certain parameters that ensured the packs worked as a range but without limiting the creative expression of each illustrator—we were keen for them to bring their own unique style and personality to the project.

Did the client request hand-drawn typography?

Not specifically, but Justine is a huge fan of illustration, so it didn’t take much to twist her arm!

Do you see a trend of hand lettering taking place in the UK?

It’s everywhere—from boutique brands to High Street private labels! But we like to think we got in before it was a “thing”—bandwagon jumping is banned here at d.studio!

title: Burnt Sugar
client: Burnt Sugar
design firm: d.studio
art directors/designers: Phil Curl and Wes Anson
illustrators: Gemma Correll, Jess Wilson, Nick Deakin, Kate Sutton, and Rudi de Wet
medium: Pen and ink
country: United Kingdom

A quirky variety of styles is used to reflect the “every one is different” concept, representing both the perfectly irregular pieces of fudge, and the lively mix of foodie fans who consume it.