Brazil is known as one of the largest coffee producers in the world, exporting tons of beans per year. However, this raw material is treated as a commodity without much added value, and it was this perception of the product that we sought to change with this project. Brazil produces an exceptional quality coffee, which achieves very high scores in the Specialty Coffee Association – SCA, however, the presentation of this product does not always match its quality. It was in this sense that we accepted the challenge of Grassy Caffè, a coffee shop in the interior of São Paulo, to produce packaging that would raise the perception of value of Brazilian specialty coffee.

Grassy packaging was designed to allow a high impact visual display on shelves, at an affordable cost and easy to assemble, adding value to award-winning Brazilian coffees. Its organic forms are also modular, which allows for stacking and a very differentiated way of displaying on shelves and showcases. The packaging also features an adhesive label solution, which allows for a quick and varied customization of the packaging, allowing the launch of new products without greater expense of time and money. Finally, the packaging is easy to assemble and can be stored flat, without taking up too much space in stock. We believe that this packaging model breaks with traditional industry standards and deserves to be highlighted in order to inspire new possibilities to add value and conserve coffees.

The objective of the packaging from the beginning was to create a kind of sculpture, something whose shape would symbolize that that coffee was awarded and exclusive. The first studies started with biophilic design, when we studied seeds and the organic modulations found in nature. From this analysis, we created a package that leaves a standard square base, but that transforms as it rises, assuming organic shapes that resemble one of the halves of a coffee bean, in a subtle and elegant way.