Roots: Local is the new global
Roots is a Dubai-based retail brand built around the idea that wellness should be both accessible and aspirational. It’s a localized rethinking of the VkusVill model, but with a design-forward approach tailored to a multicultural audience used to quality, clarity, and visual storytelling. With over 500 SKUs planned at launch  from organic dairy and nut butters to frozen bowls and artisan chocolate  the challenge was to create not just packaging, but a design language that could flex, scale, and still feel like one coherent voice.

We approached the brand as a living ecosystem. The visual identity had to function across multiple sensory zones: cold storage, snack shelves, gourmet corners. It had to speak to health-conscious expats as well as local audiences while standing out in Dubai’s visually saturated retail environment. The wrong move would be to go sterile-minimalist or trend-chasing. We did neither.

Our illustrations became the connective tissue. Bold, shape-based, and emotionally warm  they work in micro (on a chocolate square) and macro (across a freezer aisle). Each graphic evokes the raw, joyful simplicity of nature  but stylized for the contemporary eye. The color palette walks the line between organic and upbeat: earthy bases mixed with lively highlights, creating a balance that feels both grounded and fresh.

Typography is clean but characterful  sans-serif fonts that avoid cliché and lean into directness. Paired with clean layouts and subtle motion principles, the system scales beautifully. The result is not just packaging  it’s brand architecture for a product family that grows, evolves, and stays instantly recognizable.

Roots now has a packaging ecosystem that doesn’t just “look healthy”  it feels human. Visually rich without being loud. Structured without being stiff. Local in tone, global in ambition. A brand made for shelves, stories, and everyday rituals.