Starpack: Tin Pattern Development

Considering the highly stylised, geometric and line pattern designs prevalent during the Art-Deco period, and still in use today, Shelley used her keen interest in pattern design to create 3 designs which were to be used on each of the three tins in the ‘Raritea’ gift family. 

These patterns provide finishing potentials to the tea tins, such as embossing and other tactile qualities (similar to those seen during primary research in Whittard, T2, John Lewis, Harvey Nichols etc.).

Additionally, the fine line work she has used to create each geometric pattern forms cohesion with the brand word-mark/typographic style to be featured on the tins. 

Starpack: Tin Label Development

The ‘Raritea’ tin labels, which will simply be emphasised through embossing and finishing on the tins, feature cut-out corners and a decorative line border reinforcing of the Art-Deco 

visual language.

Typographic information featured on the labels of each of the 3 tea tins is communicated via distinct and decorative typeface ‘Insomnia Deco,’ reminiscent of 1920s ‘Gatsby’ style, along side Futura and Futura light, used in the communication of blend names and information requiring greater legibility at a smaller pt. size. These typefaces form cohesion through weight of line, and are to be de-bossed with gold gloss varnish into the matt varnished black labels for added luxury and shelf-impact. 

The three numbered blends, ‘Absolute Rose,’ ‘Sheer Ginger’ and ‘Jasmine Jewel,’ have been devised in creating a range of products which allow for potentials of sought after discovery to be made by luxury consumers, as well as to target the shift is trend for more ‘rare’ blends of tea. In addition to offering a range of flavours, each blend is also a different type of tea (Black, White 

and Green).

Starpack: Tin Packaging Idea Generation

Starpack: Raritea Wordmark Branding

The ‘Raritea’ word-mark branding here uses a black and gold colour scheme, typical of the Art-Deco visual language and style (very ‘Great Gatsby’), emulating the glamour and exuberance of the period. The line detail of the ‘Insomnia Deco’ typeface provides a bespoke aesthetic, more akin to that of a hand-rendered typographic treatment, which aids and enhances the ‘rare’ qualities of the brand, leading to greater luxury consumer 

appraisal and shelf impact.

Starpack: Type Exploration

Following the establishment of our brand name and concept, we explored a range of type- faces in use during the 1920s or inspired by the Art Deco movement. 

We saw it as important that the typeface reinforced the ‘rare’ contexts of the brand, and therefore attempted to identify fonts with a decorative aesthetic using geometric shaping and clean line detail and/or ornamentation - these being typical traits of style moderne.

We took this exploration of type to critique and, much to our satisfaction, almost all those present favoured ‘Insomnia Deco’ the most.

This typeface has a bespoke, strong and distinct style, incorporating fine line detail reminiscent of the iconic F. Scott Fitzgerald novel ‘The Great Gatsby,’ which in itself has become a key representative of the Art Deco period and style. It is most certainly the rarest, most unique typeface we found, and therefore the most appropriate to the fictitious ‘Raritea’ brand and the contexts 

behind its development.

Starpack: Further Research - Art Deco

Upon consideration of the visual style of the ‘Raritea’ brand and packaging, which needs to be unique and luxurious, we gained the most inspiration from ‘Decade of the Teabag,’ the 1920s (as noted in earlier research).

The 1920s, also known as ‘The Roaring 20s,’ saw the introduction of Art Deco, or Style Moderne - a movement within the decorative arts and architecture. Its products included both individually crafted luxury items and mass-produced wares, but, in either case, the intention was to create a sleek and anti-traditional elegance that symbolized wealth and sophistication.

Characterized by rich colours, bold geometric shapes, and lavish ornamentation, the notable

features of the style are simple, clean shapes and lines, ornamentation that is geometric or stylized from representational forms, expensive materials, modernity and symmetry.

Art-Deco is one of the most notable, distinct and stylised movements of design history, and by capturing this aesthetic for the Raritea brand, potentials for luxury consumer appeal, shelf-impact and re-usability of the tins is enhanced, in addition to motives for gifting. The ‘anti-traditional’ style supports the brand’s focus on rarity.

Starpack: Brand Name & Concept

After putting our research and ideas thus far to critique, and considering the briefs request for a creative use of tin that will sit within the luxury gifting sector, Shelley and I decided to combine two ideas which together form a considered and well-informed concept.

The Name

‘Raritea’ - As consumer trends move away from the ‘builder’s brew’ into more exotic blends and infusions, this name is a ‘blend’ word created by bringing together the words ‘Rare’ & ‘Tea’, and in doing so generating a brand name which sounds

like ‘Rarity,’ though spelt alternatively. This play on words additionally represents the history of tea and its introduction to Britain through Princess Catherine Braganza of Portugal. When Catherine arrived in Portsmouth in 1662, she requested a cup of tea, though at this time it was a rare luxury, and was therefore unavailable.

This name also provides the opportunity for the packaging solution to take a rare form, homing in on luxury consumers’ penchant for discovery and premium quality, creating greater consumer appeal as a special product which is out of 

the ordinary. 

Starpack: Brand Name Development

Informed by a breadth of research, Shelley and I came up with a range of potential fictitious brand names to feature on our tin tea packaging. These were inspired by significant figures for tea, tea 

paraphernalia, locations, dates/eras, and other tea-related words - as well as tea itself of course.

Potential brand names included:

Braganza Tea

Duchess Tea
Russell Tea Co.

Garraway Tea
Thomas Garraway Tea Co.

Tea Jenny

Theist

T. Sullivan Tea Co.

Gatsby Tea
Flapper Tea
Roaring Twenteas

China Cup
Fine China

Tea Chest
The Tea Chest Co.

Newsam Tea Co.

TE. Newsam

Raritea

Starpack Research: Significant Figures for Tea

Catherine of Braganza

While tea is very much associated with the British way of life, it may come as a surprise to learn that it owes much of its popularity here to foreign princess Catherine of Braganza. While the Queen-consort of King Charles II didn't introduce tea to Britain, she had much to do with it becoming a fashionable and popularised beverage.

Portuguese traders imported it to their homeland from the East, and its high price and exoticism helped it to become very fashionable in aristocratic circles and at the Royal court, where Catherine grew up. By the mid-seventeenth century, tea was very popular in Portugal and had also gained popularity in elite society in Holland, through Dutch trade in the East, and in neighbouring countries. 

At this stage, Britain somewhat fell behind. In May 1660, Charles II had been restored to the throne after the collapse of the unpopular Commonwealth administration set up by Oliver Cromwell in 1649.   Charles II inherited many debts from the previous government, and quickly ran up new ones of his own, and thus became short of cash. His solution to this was to marry a wealthy foreign princess and to demand with her a great deal of money or goods as a dowry. After some negotiation, it was agreed that he would marry Catherine, and that her father King John IV of Portugal would provide with her several ships full of luxury goods, some as gifts and some which could be sold to pay off Charles II's debts. These goods included a chest of tea, the favourite drink at the Portuguese court.

Catherine arrived in Portsmouth on 13 May 1662. As soon as she arrived she asked for a cup of tea, though at this time it was so rare there was none available. Catherine and Charles II were married on 21 May 1662. Initially Catherine, a deeply pious Catholic who had been schooled in a convent, found it difficult to fit in at the bawdy and fun-loving English court. Over time however she established herself, and as the pre-eminent woman in the kingdom became something of a trend-setter. Although she adopted English fashions, she continued to prefer the cuisine of her native Portugal - including tea. Soon her taste for tea had caused a fad at the royal court. This then spread to aristocratic circles and then to the wealthier classes. 

Anna Russell, 7th Duchess of Bedford

While the English gentry became accustomed to drinking tea in the 1660’s, it wasn’t until the 1840’s that the more elaborate custom of taking 'Afternoon Tea' came into existence. In the 19th Century, it was customary for the upper classes in England to have their evening meal late, around 8:00-9:00 pm, and therefore many grew hungry in the afternoon.

In around 1840, Anna Russell, the 7th Duchess of Bedford, complained of a 'sinking feeling' and requested that some light food and a pot of tea (usually Darjeeling) be brought to her private living quarters to help ward off her mid afternoon hunger. This light food probably included bread, butter, and perhaps biscuits. The idea proved so successful that it soon became routine, and the Duchess decided to invite a few of her friends to her private rooms for tea in the afternoon. A new social event was born in which the invited guests would have an opportunity to meet with friends, catch up on the latest news, discuss recent events, etc. The service would normally take place in the lady’s parlour, or withdrawing room, or boudoir and be served on low-decorative tables. Hence this event also became known as “low” tea.

The light food served with afternoon tea gradually evolved to include more elaborate fare such as crustless finger sandwiches, scones with clotted cream and jam, and a final course of sweets and pastries. The idea was to provide easy-to-manage portions suitable for entertaining in a sitting room.

The Duchess was lady-in-waiting and a lifelong friend to Queen Victoria, whom she introduced to the idea and, in so doing, gained an influential supporter. The trend gained popularity, and it soon became a fashionable pastime of the upper classes. To meet this new demand, English china manufacturers, linen makers, and silversmiths began turning out fine accoutrements to be used in the service of afternoon tea.

Thomas Sullivan

The invention of the tea bag is said to have resulted from the small silk sample bags used by Thomas Sullivan, a New York City tea merchant, in 1908 to send out to potential customers. However the 1920's is said to have been the 'decade of the teabag,' and its commercial use developed from the tea egg or tea ball (a perforated metal container on a chain) into a tea bag.

Thomas Garraway

Thomas Garraway was the first know retailer of tea in London.

Tea Jenny

In Scotland, a Tea Jenny is a is someone who drinks a lot of tea.

Starpack Research: Tea Paraphernalia

Tea Bags

The invention of the tea bag is said to have resulted from the small silk sample bags used by Thomas Sullivan, a New York City tea merchant, in 1908 to send out to potential customers. However the 1920's is said to have been the 'decade of the teabag,' and its commercial use developed from the tea egg or tea ball (a perforated metal container on a chain) into a tea bag.

The first bags were made from cloth or gauze and were so described and illustrated Ukers in 1935, around 1935 Messrs Joseph Tetley who had a powerful associate company in the States made a tentative approach to market teabags in the UK. Initial acceptance was slow but Tetley never gave up. The teabag market eventually began to grow in the UK in the 1960's when approx 5% of tea was consumed in bags. By 1965 it had risen to 7% and now, 96% of tea consumed in the UK is done so with teabags.

Tea and the British Porcelain Industry

The earliest tea cups had no handles, being originally imported from China where cups traditionally were more like small beakers. As tea drinking gained popularity, so did the demand for more British-style tea ware.

This fuelled the rapid growth of the English pottery and porcelain industry, which soon became world famous. Most factories making tea ware were located in the Midlands area which became known as 'The Potteries.' Today, many of the original Potteries are still producing world famous porcelain such as Wedgwood, Royal Doulton and Aynsley.

Tea Pots

In the earliest history of tea drinking, tealeaves were simply boiled in open pans. It was the Ming Dynasty that led the fashion for 'steeping' the leaves and therefore led to the need for a covered potthat would allow the leaves to infuse and keep the liquor hot. Ewers, resembling the modern teapot, that for centuries had been used for wine were now adapted to tea brewing.

By the time the Dutch started carrying cargoes form China back to Europe, the concept of the teapot had developed further, the teapots that they brought back were small, with broad bases and wide spouts, which would not clog easily. As Europe had never seen such Chinese stoneware, it took Dutch potters until late 1670's to reproduce the heat-resistant pots. Two of The Netherlands' most successful potters the Elers brothers settled in Staffordshire and established the English Pottery industry.

Tea Caddies

The first containers used for the domestic storage of tea were the jars and bottles that arrived from China with shipments of tea. Gradually, European jars and boxes were developed in a wide range of shapes and sizes - round, square and cylindrical boxes, jars and bottles, in silver, crystal, stoneware and wood. The word 'caddy' was not used until the end of the eighteenth century when the word kati - denoting a measure of approximately 1 pound and 5 ounces - was adopted into English.

Early eighteenth century boxes, called tea chests, had two or three separate compartments for different teas and sometimes also for sugar. All were lockable, and the lady of the house guarded the keys. As tea was far too precious and expensive to risk leaving in the charge of the servants, the caddy stayed in the family drawing room.

The Chinese had started producing fruit shaped containers earlier in the eighteenth century, and English and German wooden imitations appeared as pears, apples, strawberries, eggplants and pineapples. Some were painted but most were varnished and their loose-fitting, hinged lids opened to reveal foil-lined cavity that held the tea. As the price of tea decreased toward the end of the nineteenth century, the use of lockable caddies and ornate jars declined as tealeaves were transferred to practical tins and boxes that were stored in the kitchen.

Tea Spoons

The earliest caddy spoons were long-handled ladles made for use with box-like tea chests. Fromabout 1770, short-stemmed caddy spoons began to appear, designed to fit into shorter, dumpier caddies and often in the form of a miniature scallop shell. This motif originates from the fact that oriental merchants always placed a real scallop shell in the top of tea chests to allow potential buyers to take a sample from the chest before deciding to buy.

Spoons have been manufactured in the form of leaves, acorns, salmon, thistles and shovels but the most popular has always been the shell, the jockey's cap, the hand and the eagle's wing. The 'caddee shell' motif also often appears on teaspoons, tea strainers and sugar tongs.

https://www.tea.co.uk/tea-paraphanalia

Starpack Primary Research: Tin Packaging in Stores

In order to explore what’s already on the market in regard to tea & tin packaging, and its benefits, Shelley and I visited speciality tea shops Whittard and T2, as well as department stores John Lewis and Harvey Nichols, as well as retailer Marks and Spencer - the latter two stores noted by the brief as potential retailers of the fictitious tea brand. Our findings are below:

Tin for Packaging Tea

Detailed in a conversation with an employee of speciality tea shop T2, tea which is stored inside air-tight tins remains fresh for up to two years. Conversely, tea which is stored in standard packaging remains fresh for a significantly less period of time, up to two weeks.

Additionally, we were informed it is of great importance to customers that they are able to store tins functionally (e.g. stacking).

Tin Finishing

The finishes on tins found in Whittard, T2, M&S, John Lewis and Harvey Nichols included embossing, metallic colour, gloss varnish, and use of pattern for decorative effect - all of which

establish a luxury aesthetic and therefore appeal to consumers of high-end products.

Shape and Form

Tea tins and tin packaging sold by the likes of Whittard, T2, M&S, and in department stores such as John Lewis and Harvey Nichols all for the most part conform to practical shapes/forms such as cubes, rectangular prisms and cylinders etc. - though there were a select few which took more unique forms. This is presumably due to distribution/shelving requirements.

Whittard

T2

John Lewis

Harvey Nichols

 Marks & Spencer

Starpack Research: Metal Finishes

Crackle/Marble

Capable of being combined with a variety of colours, this specialty packaging effect adds a marble, leatherette or authentic 'aged' feel to promotional packaging.

Gloss/Matte

Special gloss or matte finishes can be applied to metal packaging individually or combined to add movement and bring subtle designs to life.













Glow in the Dark

For engaging and unique packaging designs, consider a Glow in the Dark decorative application. This light-sensitive finish can add a fun and interactive element to all packages.













Holographic

Create high impact promotional tins with this prism-like effect or use it more sparingly for subtle enhancement to decorative tin designs.













Metallic

Leverage the inherent brightness of aluminum and tinplate to enhance the design of any metal package.













Pearlescent

A shimmering varnish for everything from wine packaging to aerosol cans, pearlescent finish brings depth and sophistication to creative packaging designs.













Soft Touch

Special soft touch finish is applied on the entire metal package, creating a silky smooth feel that consumers want to reach out and touch.













Tactile


A special combination of ink and varnish create a tactile finish that adds texture to metal packaging.

Thermochromic

How about engaging with consumers by visually communicating the temperature of their beverage?  Thermochromic inks do just that by changing color on the can to indicate that the beverage is at the ideal temperature.

UV Light

For truly innovative packaging, utilize a UV reactive finish. This special ink reacts with black light, helping designs stand out in the darkest settings.

Perforations

Use small holes to enhance a design or logo.