Sip & Sonder
Brand Re-fresh / Packaging / Web Design / Illustration
Coffee. Community. Culture.
Awards & Accolades
Winner — 59th GDUSA Packaging Annual
Creative Direction, Illustration: Schessa Garbutt
Product Photography: LaDonn Williams
About
“Established in 2017, our flagship location was the first specialty coffee house in Inglewood, California. With a coffee roaster, creative space, and multi-purpose event space on site, Sip & Sonder is much more than your ordinary coffee shop—we are a Black women-owned coffee house and roastery where coffee, community, and culture truly connect. Through our mindfully curated coffee program, we invite our communities to be part of a global conversation with a product that is sustainable, traceable, and intentional.”
Our Solve
We were overjoyed to work with another Inglewood-based small business that we’ve been big fans of for so long. The Sonder team approached us in 2021 for a brand refresh when they opened their second location at the Music Center and began selling their beans wholesale to brands like Alfred’s. We wanted to retain the DNA of the brand while better expressing all of the thought, love, and soul that goes into the space and products they’re creating.
Behind the Label Artwork
Regent / A regent is an advisor to the monarchy, as well as the name of the street adjacent to S&S's flagship location. This artwork represents the clearheadedness required to envision our path forward.
Blend 108 / Inspired by the 108 lines of energy (nadis) that go out from your (green) heart chakra to the other 6 chakras.
South Market / Inspired by the art hanging in the S&S flagship location on South Market Street in Inglewood.
The Nile / Inspired by Rawandan weaving patterns and the sun dried beans in this roast. The co-founders described this roast as tasting like Sun Ra's cover of "Blue Nile".
Native Reign / Inspired by plants from Ethopia (like the beans in this blend), this artwork uses shades of purple to connote royalty.
Website Design
The Sonder team wanted to highlight their e-commerce store while making sure that the website evoked the same feeling as walking into the flagship—stylish, inviting, and undeniably Black. We used the neutral tones (obsidian, copper, and ecru) from the new color palette so that the people and packaging could be the star while users scroll.
We created custom illustrated banners for Sip & Sonder’s second location in front of the Disney Concert Hall in downtown L.A.
“Thank you Schessa for this AMAZING collaborative process. We couldn't have imagined a better creative to partner with on these designs.”
— Shanita Nicholas, Co-founder of Sip & Sonder