Saffron Treasure is an ice cream brand specializing in Persian flavors, specifically how the culture utilizes the saffron flower in their foods. The flower and spice are a bright and beautiful red. The taste of saffron in ice cream may not be for everyone, but it gives classic flavors like vanilla and pistachio an extra unforgettable kick.
The founder of Saffron Treasure requested a logo design as well as designs for their future employees’ uniforms and merchandise T-shirts. Their current logo is AI-generated and features a scoop of ice cream inside a treasure chest, surrounded by saffron flowers and a key. While it does represent the brand in a literal sense, it feels chaotic since the treasure chest is the only thing that is grounded, while the surrounding elements are floating and don’t appear connected to the treasure chest. This logo will become important later on.
The logo brief:
ST within a circle
gold, for the stigma (inside) of a saffron flower
works well over black
simplistic
Saffron Treasure
I started with three very different typefaces, as I wanted to gauge what their idea of “simplistic” was, whether that was in a more straightforward sense or a more upscale and fancy vision. They chose the latter and enjoyed the “swirly” typeface the most. I wanted the top of the S to swirl more and the T to connect. The factory setting kerning needed improvement.
Based in San Mateo, CA
The founder holds their hometowns quite sacred, whether that be in Persia and Iran, or in the states, here in California. They are based out of San Mateo and insinuated later on in the project that they wanted to include this city in their logo, especially for product use.
We did not discuss packaging design as they were still figuring out other logistics of their business. I created a couple mockups of what I imagine the pint packaging might look like, having a more manageable appearance considering the small business’s financial constraints.
Brief:
black T-shirt
front has logo on top corner
+San Mateo and full brand name surrounding logo
back has full brand name
include Instagram profile caption
simplistic
The ST Employee Shirt
The ST merch Shirt
Designing the back was the most fun and challenging part of this project, as I wanted to be respectful of the Persian culture while also being able to tell a story about ice cream:
A snake is given a sample of ice cream, of course, with the saffron touch. He finds it delicious so he asks for several scoops, and ultimately finds an everlasting treasure.
Brief:
black T-shirt
front has full brand name and San Mateo, CA on top corner
back: creative freedom
include Persian New Year themes
This shirt and the entirety of the Saffron Treasure brand values representation of those in the LBTQ+ community. It pays homage to the symbols of the Persian New Year, welcoming growth and perseverance.