Odyssey Espresso, a manual lever espresso machine start-up, enlisted my expertise to shape its branding and design. Our collaboration has included branding, app design, and packaging design.
THE TEAM
- Lead Product Designer (me)
- 1 Developer
- 1 CEO/Founder
THE TIMELINE
- Consistent collabs for two years, starting November 2020 to August 2022
THE TOOLS
- Figma
- Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop
- Zeppelin
- Squarespace
The Approach
The journey with Odyssey Espresso began with crafting a cohesive brand identity.
1. Designing a distinctive logo.
We wanted to keep the logo clean and modern. As a nod to the foundation of the company, I incorporated the shape of a coffee bean in the shape of the “O”.
Result: To enhance versatility across products and use cases, I developed a range of logo styles.
2. Recommending a website refresh.
I conducted a thorough current-state assessment and delivered a recommended content map for their website, focusing on low LOE and quick turnaround on a no-code platform that the founder could do himself.
Result: In the redesign, I emphasized strategic content placement to boost user engagement and draw attention to the launch of the inaugural product “The Argos”.
The Design Process
After the success of the branding project, the founder approached me with additional design projects, like a custom mobile app, packaging, graphics, and more.
1. Designing an app for users to track machine logistics and record brewing experiences.
I initiated design by integrating the founder’s requirements and feedback from Odyssey Espresso’s social media followers. After a few iterations with the founder, I finalized the app design, which now allows users to easily view machine metrics, record pull measurements, and document their espresso experience. It also supports additional accessories, such as a scale and transducer.
Result: Working closely with a developer, we were able to quickly launch the custom mobile app, delivering a net-new, seamless, and intuitive user experience.
2. Creating unique and functional machine packaging.
The design process extended to packaging, where we want to promote the classical beauty and functionality of the machine even before it was unboxed.
Result: I coordinated closely with a packaging engineer to guarantee both aesthetic appeal and functional excellence.
3. Designing marketing graphics and additional user resources.
When the company got closer to their first launch, I designed trade show materials for demos and conferences, machine handbooks and safety instructions for clarity and ease of use, and additional machine hardware to display branding and information.
Result: Odyssey Espresso now boasts a cohesive suite of resources featuring consistent branding that effectively communicates the company’s identity.
The Outcome
My collaboration with Odyssey Espresso has achieved a comprehensive and cohesive design across all its assets.
I built a trusted relationship with the founder and was regularly consulted and contracted for design work across the company’s products. Our successful partnership has undoubtedly contributed to the overall excellence of the Odyssey Espresso brand.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- A user-centric approach is key to a successful start-up launching a new product – for example, the inclusion of the machine handbook digitally and a hardcopy quick start guide help users in every step of the process of starting up and using their new machine.
- Working closely with development, packaging, and the founder himself was a great experience – collaboration and communication with these team members helped move delivery of assets along quickly and efficiently.
DELIVERABLES
- Logo and branding
- Custom mobile app
- Content strategy & website redesign
- Packaging
- Tradeshow materials
- Digital machine handbook and safety instructions
- Machine plaque and safety icons
- Quick start guide (hardcopy)
FEEDBACK
“Michelle is an excellent UX and graphic designer. I’m able to explain my half baked ideas with examples and she consistently produces exactly what I had in my head but even better! She not only understands the look of my brand but also incorporates user experience into my app and website layouts with perspectives that I would have never thought about. No time is wasted as she turns projects around quickly with progress updates every step of the way. I’ve used Michelle for logo design, company branding, app and website design, user manual, packaging graphics, and quick start guides to name a few. She can really do it all!”
Ross Ainsworth, CEO & Founder
Michelle A. He 