Featured image for Student Spotlight: Art Center Packaging II Fall 2014

Student Spotlight: Art Center Packaging II Fall 2014

by Andrew Gibbs on 12/17/2014 | 25 Minute Read

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Finals are over for the students in Art Center School of Design's Packaging II class. They can all drop down the mouse, the Super 77, the X-acto knife, and sleep in a little more as their final projects have been presented, graded and completed! 

This was a 14 week project that explores the redesign of Tifa, a local, family owned, chocolate and gelato shop in Agoura Hills, California. I had the pleasure to co-teach the class, with Art Center's Director of Packaging, Gerardo Herrera. Here's what our students came up with!  

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Junyong Park

"Tifa Chocolate and Gelato is dedicated to pure enjoyment. From our family to yours, Tifa delivers quality, passion and love. The direction of the brand encompasses the idea of a family environment. Premium goods that are produced from families to serve families. Catering to a customer base, who care for homemade goods and products. With such a novel and heartening philosophy, a cohesive design to package the goods as a whole is needed to showcase a premium product.The rebranding of Tifa extends their target demographics. The goal is to allow Tifa’s products blend into modern environment, your office, studio and home. The direction Ash to Bold is for the urban professional, a concept that finds the balance between the contrasting worlds of precision and ambiguity. The inception of an idea that manifests pure sensuality."


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Richard Jeng

"The TIFA redesign introduces and delivers a sense of comfort and a quality artisanal food experience for adventurous men and women.Each package offers fine gourmet chocolates made with love and passion, but with a little kick of alluring experimental flavors to peak your curiosity and engage your palette. The opening ceremony of each package experience offers an ‘at-home’ American comfort and celebrates artisanal crafted gourmet chocolates."


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Cassandra Volonakis

"Tifa Chocolate and Gelato is an existing brand with two storefronts located in Agoura Hills, CA. It is a family owned business that takes pride in hand crafting their own chocolate and gelato. They tend to explore different recipes and offer an adventurous and exciting line of desserts.

The Tifa redesign is a 14 week project that invites imaginative and adventurous products to those who are looking to take a break from their daily routine. The textural patterns of vibrant colors applied to the packaging conveys the feeling of playfully becoming lost and escaping reality, allowing for a stimulating mental break from the stresses of daily life.

It is targeted towards people who don’t necessarily get to do something adventurous every week yet still have an interest in having some adventure and escape in their lives."


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Kelsey Chow

"Tifa Chocolate and Gelato is a family owned brand that specializes in selling handmade gelato and chocolates, and imported chocolate bars. The storefront, located in Agoura Hills, California, opened in 2007 and has since expanded into two stores. Candace Orr, the owners’ daughter, is the chef behind all the gelato made and Shawn Orr, the owner’s son, is the chocolatier behind all the experimental flavors of chocolate. Aside from the two products, Tifa also has drinking chocolate, pastries, tea, and coffee.

Currently, the Tifa brand is pretty generic with brown packaging, sticker labels, and a decorative seal as a logo. Their brand is based on teaching consumers about chocolate and being known as a family, handmade and high quality brand. However, their identity doesn’t convey the fun and happiness people get when they enter the store or when they take a bite out of the gelato. 

The rebranding of Tifa Chocolate and Gelato is for youthful adventurers—people who are always on the look out for the newest flavors and fun. They rely on apps or by word of mouth to find the most novel place to fulfill their foodie cravings. The design concept is kaleidoscopic—rich in color, curiosity, and exploration. Enjoy Tifa and remise in the times of childhood wonder and joy.  

The rebranding with have new products, like the sampler piece and brownie mix. The products are to be sold in both store and retail."


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Dennis Dang

"The current TIFA Chocolate & Gelato is a humble family business that produces mouthwatering delicacies. Every month the family continues to innovate original flavors unique to their business. With only 1 retail store in Agoura Hills, how can we continue sharing their love and craft to the rest of world?

The TIFA re-design targets cosmopolitans between the ages 21-45 by strengthening the brands global identity as, The Connoisseurs of chocolate and gelato. This approach conveys a deep affection for traditionally mastered recipes revitalized with an innovative twist. Utilizing a cleansed color palette, the new packaging focuses on the brands unique flavors through a disruptively exquisite form. The new TIFA aims to be iconic… remembered… and a flavor worth treasuring."


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Yu-Ting Cheng

"The TIFA Chocolate & Gelato redesign introduces a new adventurous story to people of all ages. Combined with the idea of treasure hunting and kaleidoscope, these joyful expression will take customers on a mouthwatering adventure.  

The brand identity and packaging of TIFA’s quality products surprises the customer at every touchpoint of the chocolate and gelato experience. It is a delightful way for TIFA Chocolate & Gelato to present their unique approach in confections and packaging."


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Jiwon Yang

"TIFA Chocolate and Gelato is American family dessert business in California. We are assigned to create their new brand identity through logo and packaging design that fits in Tifa store and retail as well. The TIFA chocolate and gelato redesign introduces an engaging and playful sharing experience to friends and family of all ages. The “Smile effect” that comes with experiencing Tifa’s fun and surprising packaging makes people to want to share the pleasurable experience with others. Its innovative shapes opens up the chocolate and gelato industry to new customers and experiences."


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Victoria Lin

"For Tifa's new packaging design, I chose five main items as my design direction, which not only presents how the brand product lives in whole new market, but also bring a new life to Tifa." 


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Albert wf King

"TIFA Chocolate & Gelato is a rapid growing home made sweet factory. The current TIFA brand is based around the idea of creating a family / community oriented business. Their existing brand image is too blended in today’s market. The new approach of being luxury and premium will open up brand new revenue for TIFA Chocolate and Gelato to become the next unique premium chocolate company.

The TIFA re-design introduces elegant and modern confections that fuses with tradition, creating simple yet premium chocolates and gelato for our V.I.P’s. The packaging and products provide simple and structured craftsmanship to celebrate the symbol of success and power with the sweet touch of happiness.The chocolate and gelatois doused in confidence, it represents everything that you expect in a luxury sweet. Elegant, simple, clean, and crafted to perfection.

TIFA – Sweet bliss crafted to perfection."


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Fred Tsai

"The TIFA redesign intends to transform the packaging from conservative language to a more futuristic, fashionable and expressive design, which will appeal to women who are modern, vibrant, and sociable, and those who would normally not go to a TIFA store. This represents an expansion of customer base as well as differentiation within this competitive market.

TIFA has emphasised that their chocolate and gelato is not just tasting good, but also about seeing, touching, and even hearing the food. My design concept will reinforce this core value by integrating multiple senses into the functions and usabilities of the new packaging. From seeing the packaging to opening the packaging, customers will feel refreshed toward the vibrancy and preciousness of the design."


The instructors: Gerardo Herrera & Andrew Gibbs

To contact one of these students, please reach out to The Dieline's founder Andrew Gibbs here

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Art Center Packaging II Fall 2014 Class