Kaafi is Den Haag’s first speciality café with nothing to prove and expansion on the horizon.
At Kaafi, you’re not just embraced by the cosy atmosphere and enticing smells, but you’re treated as a member of their family from the moment you walk in the door. The experience in Den Haag’s first speciality café is nothing short of intimate, so when they faced the opportunity to expand some of their iconic items into retail offerings, it was obvious that same feeling had to be relieved everytime a jar is sold.
PROJECT SCOPE: Packaging, Copywriting
PROJECT DURATION: November – December 2025
TOOLS USED: Affinity, Adobe Photoshop
Crispy Chilli Oil
At the beginning of the design process, it was clear that we wanted to communicate calm, confident, and un-intimidating designs that would effortlessly express the brand’s values, all while embracing the bold nature of the product. Taking inspiration from historical chilli oil branding, we put the “Kaafi twist” on a tried-and-true classic. Nothing quite says ‘take a piece of Kaafi home with you’ like the line: “Crafted in our kitchen. Shared in yours.”
Pumpkin Spice Syrup
Even though the product is worlds apart from Chilli Oil, we wanted there to be a sense of cohesiveness and the same cosiness to go through the entire line of packaging. With product-specific, hand-drawn illustrations, we were able to make the individual distinctions while maintaining that recognition between products.
WHAT I LEARNED:
With this project, I was able to take the strategy and long-term mindset that is usually used in branding projects and apply it to create this expandable, responsive packaging line. Working within time constraints, while challenging, allowed me to hone my design process to be more efficient and effective. I was blown away by what we were able to accomplish in the 3 weeks we had on this project.
WITH MORE TIME & RESOURCES:
I would love to expand this packaging line, including marketing materials and potential campaign direction.
