Cocoa Packaging Design
I wanted more product visualization practice without giving a real company free ads, so I just invented my own.
After the Dior Sauvage project, I knew I wanted to do another product shot, but I didn't want to give another real brand free advertising. I decided to invent a fictional brand for the sole purpose of having a subject. That's how HOTTAKE, this imaginary cocoa brand, came to be. The name felt suitably fun for a quick one-off project.
My main goal was still about the final image, not the branding itself. I focused on creating a lifestyle photo feel directly inside Blender, rather than just a sterile pack shot. Designing the packaging was a necessary and enjoyable part of the process, but it was all in service of the visualization practice.
The matte paperboard was a deliberate change of pace from the glossy Dior bottle. It required a softer, more diffused lighting setup to avoid harsh highlights and bring out the texture. For the label, I kept it simple. I picked a clean sans-serif font and a color palette that felt warm and accessible, sticking to browns and creams with a single accent color. The goal wasn't to win design awards, just to make something that looked plausible on a kitchen counter without distracting from the overall mood of the shot.
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