Nice Package: Zoka Coffee Roasters, Seattle, Washington

A nice package does more than just announce itself; a truly nice package goes on to make an exciting impression, again and again, even when the brand it’s attached to is warm and familiar. So the story goes with Zoka Coffee in Seattle, Washington, an early pioneer in the specialty coffee scene that’s undergone a new visual identity as of late, led by in-house designer Jonathan Wright. Zoka’s got cafe locations across the Seattle area but our favorite will always be their Tangletown shop, just blocks from Green Lake and a great excuse to explore one of the city’s prettiest neighborhoods.

Let’s appreciate Zoka’s nice package together, shall we?

As told to Sprudge by David Inman. 

When did the coffee package design debut? 

Our coffee packaging debuted approximately one year ago with some new label variations evolving within the last three months.

Who designed the package?

Our director of marketing, Jonathan Wright, creates package and graphic design in-house.

Any design highlights you want to share?

Our goal is to create a clean aesthetic that inspires visual intrigue. We use hand-drawn designs, coffee origin maps for single origins, and a specific typeface unique to each blend. Single-origin coffees are also adorned with handwritten information so as to further signify the level of craftsmanship and care given to each coffee.

We use Pantone 385 as our Zoka Blue and strive for consistency across the board in our marketing materials. Every bag represents our message with the statement “Fueled by Quality, Driven by Relationships.” Likewise, as we build out our direct trade program the Zoka Family Direct Trade logo has become incorporated on nearly all of our bags.

We wanted a look that was fresh and clean, but not too plain. The goal is to highlight both the farms we work with and the blend names while providing information for each coffee in a simple, elegant way. Another goal is to give a clear, visual difference between our blends and our single origins, going even further with our Café Exotico reserve series.

What coffee information do you share on the package? What’s the motivation behind that?

For blends, we share tasting notes, the regional coffees, roast profile, and recommended use. Single-origin bags sport tasting notes, farm, farmer, region, elevation, varietal, and processing method. All in all, we’re hoping to provide a connection for the customer, something that demonstrates where the coffee comes from and who grew it. This connection is our motivation. By providing an experience beyond the cup, we can perpetuate a better understanding of what makes a high-quality blend or single origin unique. On the same note, we help our customers know that their coffee is the result of a personal relationship between Zoka and the farmer, all indicated by our Zoka Family Direct Trade logo.

Where is the bag manufactured?

We have our bags manufactured through Pacific Bag International. Our labels are printed by Trysk, a local Seattle-based company.

For package nerds, what *type of package* is it? 

Both blend and single-origin bags are block bottom, matte-finished with a one-way degassing valve and foil lining.

Nice Package is a feature series by Zachary Carlsen for Sprudge.com. Read more Nice Package here.  

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