A new chapter in Italy
There’s a pretty big announcement I want to share before getting into this project. My business is now officially based in Italy and I’m fully operating from here!
After moving countries and changing my whole life not once, but twice, this feels like a very special milestone in my career. It’s a huge step forward and I’m excited to see where this new chapter takes me and what the future brings.
Italy is a country with such a strong connection to quality, design, craftsmanship and fashion, so I’m really proud to now call it home and to be building my creative career here. And what better project to share as part of this new chapter than one that is so closely connected to Italian culture and design?
A project close to my heart
I’ve been waiting to share this project because it’s one I’m really proud of. It’s also a great example of what can happen when a client trusts your expertise and creativity, gives you enough room to experiment, and doesn’t rush the process. That’s when I think the really good stuff starts to happen.
I want to take the opportunity to say a big thank you to Ulrich, one of the founders of La Roccia, and Davide, who both share a real love for Italian coffee culture and espresso craftsmanship. Working with them has been a pleasure from the very beginning, and I really appreciated the open and easy communication throughout the whole project.
Meet La Roccia
La Roccia is a premium coffee brand based in Germany, bringing the taste and spirit of Italian coffee to coffee lovers there. Alongside its range of Italian coffee, they also offers coffee machines, accessories, and everything needed to enjoy a proper espresso at home. The initial idea was to create something inspired by retro Italian design, with a sophisticated and high-end feel that reflects the quality of the brand.
From three stickers to something bigger
The original brief was actually quite simple. Three sticker designs for three different coffee varieties. Each coffee needed to have its own personality, but at the same time, they all needed to feel like part of the same family.
I started by exploring the idea of creating three illustrated characters and placing them in different Italian scenes and locations. I played with different personalities, colours and settings, including Tuscan landscapes, coastal scenes and Italian city life. I also created another direction using the same characters but combining them with geometric patterns.
The geometric version was the direction my clients connected with most. It felt more modern and gave us a great opportunity to bring together the retro Italian influence with a more contemporary visual style. They also wanted the designs to feel bold and bright, so the colours became an important part of the visual identity.
Then came one of those emails that completely changes the direction of a project. They decided that, instead of using stickers, they wanted to print the designs directly onto the coffee bags. So, back to the drawing board, but in a good way.
I adapted the designs from stickers into full packaging for both sides of the bags, making sure the patterns, characters, information and layout worked properly across the different formats and could be prepared for print.
From there, the collaboration continued to grow beyond the coffee packaging. I worked on additional visuals for the website, including headers and graphic elements, as well as magazine and online advertising. And hopefully, there will be more to come as the brand continues to grow.
Why this project felt so personal
This project was a bit of a dream for me for a couple of reasons.
First, I’m a huge Italian coffee lover myself. Living in South Italy, I’m lucky enough to enjoy proper Italian coffee every day, so working on a brand that is bringing that experience to Germany felt very personal to me.
The second reason is the visual style. This is exactly the kind of work I love creating, taking inspiration from the past and turning that retro feeling into something fresh, colourful and modern. Living in Italy has definitely influenced the work, from the colours and architecture to Italian fashion, the relaxed elegance and that little bit of La Dolce Vita.
Looking back at where we started, it’s quite funny to think that this whole project began with three little coffee stickers and eventually grew into a much bigger visual world for the brand.
Maybe your brand is next?
It was a pleasure to be part of that journey, and I’m really happy with where we ended up.
I hope you enjoy the designs too. And if you’re looking for an illustrator and graphic designer to bring some bold, colourful and authentic character to your brand, I’d love to hear from you.
Feel free to get in touch at opencreativeworld@gmail.com
Leave a Reply