Deep Plant Intelligence.

Climax Superfoods

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Bridging the Gap between AI and Taste: A UX Design Case Study for Climax Foods' Plant-Based Revolution

Climax Foods is a plant-based food company using machine AI and plant intelligence to create delicious and ethical dairy alternatives. With a vision beyond just delivering healthier food choices, they're passionate about creating a lasting impact worldwide.

For this project, my task was to create a brand that could merge the gap between the tradition of food and new machine learning techniques that expand food innovation.

Roles

I assumed the following roles in designing this project:

User Experience (UX) Designer
Interaction (IxD) Designer
User Interface (UI) Designer
Visual Designer

Product Specifications

Duration: 8 weeks

Adobe Suite
Figma
Mural
Keynote

Deliverables

Brand Strategy / Facilitation:

Onsite Brand Workshop
Mission/ Vision / Purpose
User Personas
Brand Attributes

Visual Design

Brand Bible
Style Scapes
Packaging
Marketing Collateral
Visual Identity

UI / UX

Low-fidelity wireframes
High-fidelity mockups and prototypes
Competitive analysis

Overview

Climax Foods is a plant-based food company that is passionate about using machine AI and plant intelligence to create delicious and ethical dairy alternatives. They are unearthing smarter paths from plants to products, creating a new generation of plant-based foods that are not only healthier for consumers and the environment but also match the taste, flavor, and texture of traditional dairy products.

Their vision extends beyond just delivering healthier food choices as they are committed to creating a lasting impact in the world. In this UX case study, we will explore how we redesigned Climax Foods' brand identity to bridge the gap between people's needs and business goals through our human-centered design approach.

Problem to solve for

Climax Foods needed to design a visual brand that could convey the taste, nutrition, and quality of traditional dairy cheese, without confusing vegan consumers. They also aimed to address the negative perception of vegan cheese's taste and flavor. The challenge was to change this mindset and show that vegan cheese is just as delicious and more nutritious as traditional cheese.

Proposed Solutions

Striking a balance between showcasing cutting-edge machine learning AI technology and keeping the brand message clear and accessible to all.

Crafting a dairy-free cheese that vegan consumers can relish with all the flavor, texture, and taste they deserve, without any compromise.
Weaving a compelling narrative that pays homage to tradition and showcases how technology elevates it, resulting in a cheese that's healthier, tastier, and more nourishing, without any artificial lab-based shortcuts.

Research + Key Findings

Growth in the Market

Vegan cheese market growing rapidly, expected to reach USD 2.43 billion in 2021 and CAGR of 12.6% till 2030, driven by growing awareness of animal cruelty and environmental impact caused by dairy industry.

Industry Mindset Change

Despite the growth, consumer perception is that vegan cheese lacks taste, texture, nutrition, and flavor compared to traditional dairy cheese. Vegans see this as a sacrifice for the environmental impact verses an indulgence and something to be enjoyed.

Quality without compromise

Vegan consumers are eager for a craveable plant-based alternative that could match traditional dairy cheese's taste, texture, and flavor without compromise. Insights helped identify key pain points and needs of the target audience, which informed design decisions.

Personas

Through in-depth user research, we identified three distinct personas for Climax Foods' vegan cheese: the environmentally conscious vegan consumer seeking a high-quality and affordable alternative to traditional dairy cheese, the artisan chef looking for a vegan cheese that delivers on flavor and structure during cooking, and the food service buyer searching for a profitable vegan alternative that can ship and store like dairy cheese. By understanding the unique needs and pain points of these personas, we were able to design a brand and product that satisfied each group while supporting Climax Foods' business goals.

Lily Hammal

ECO-CONSCIOUS VEGAN
Meet Lily, a vegan who cares deeply about the environment and wants to enjoy cheese without harming animals or the planet. She's seeking a delicious, nutritious, and affordable alternative to traditional dairy cheese that won't compromise on texture or flavor.
Max Marzouk

INNOVATIVE CHEF
Introducing Max, a creative and adventurous chef who loves experimenting with new ingredients and flavors. He's looking for a vegan cheese that can withstand cooking, has complex taste profiles, and is appealing to both vegan and non-vegan customers.
Sarah Espanoza

FOOD SERVICE BUYER
Meet Sarah, a savvy businesswoman who runs a food service company and wants to offer her customers the best vegan cheese on the market. She's looking for a craveable product that can be easily shipped and stored like traditional dairy cheese, and that can maximize profits for her company.

Nutrition and Lifestyle Coach

“I’ve eaten a lot of underwhelming vegan cheese. This is the first I would switch to in a heartbeat, especially since you are telling me it’s better for me nutritionally.”

Developing the Brand

During an on-site brand facilitation workshop, based on research and findings, we dove into the heart, soul and voice of the brand with the Climax Team. We looked at Mission, Vision and Purpose, defined Brand Attributes and reviewed several style scapes based off competitors to try on different looks and see what felt right.

Stylescapes

Using personas, user data, and competitive analysis as ingredients, I cooked up four stylescapes that were infused with different threads from the brand's DNA. Think of it like a recipe - the client wanted notes of tradition and scientific innovation, mixed in with a clean modern framework that spoke to sustainability and vegan lifestyle. Each stylescape represents a distinct flavor or ingredient that contributed to the overall dish. By visualizing how each theme could look, I was able to observe patterns in the visual items that the team liked, like identifying the perfect combination of spices to create a winning dish.

UI + UX

Our focus was to create a clean and classy layout that not only celebrates the beauty of food but also communicates a deeper meaning. By interweaving sustainability messaging into the interior pages, we aimed to connect with users on a personal level and build brand loyalty. We also wanted to simplify complex technical processes, so we developed a visual icon system that made it easy for users to understand and navigate through the website.

Packaging

When designing the packaging, we had to adhere to strict food service label guidelines while ensuring sustainability and durability for shipping and storage. Additionally, we aimed to create a visually stunning design that would capture the attention of potential customers on the grocery store shelves.