Marino Institute of Education Strategic Report | Clare Lynch Creative – Graphic Design Services Dublin – Branding and Packaging Design

Marino Institute of Education Strategic Report

Marino Institute of Education Strategic Report 2021-26.

The report’s focus is on how ‘Education Transforms Lives’, and how enabling people from all backgrounds of life (for example, from disabilities to financial hardship) to further education, will empower them and give them greater opportunities in life.

We co-created the report in collaboration with Laura Macaulay at NavigatebyDesign. We used a gradient colour system throughout to indicate the transforming aspect of this report, with bright images of the students, lecturers and the lovely Marino grounds. The report is a complex piece of work, developed with MIE over an extended period of time.

We worked carefully in communicating a large amount of information in an easy-to-read digestible manner, maintaining the professional feel that an education body like Marino Institute would like to convey, in a clean and fresh style. It was also important to maintain the Marino brand colour palette and showcase the college grounds, societies, people and facilities. The report is flipped in half between an English and Irish language version of the report. The printing of this report is FSC Certified, supporting sustainability and the environment by using paper when printing that is FSC approved.

The launch event for this important body of work took place in the Nagle Rice hall on the beautiful grounds of Marino in North Dublin, hosted by TD and Minister for Further and Higher Education, Simon Harris. Everyone was very happy with the design of the finalised printed report and the success of the launch event.

The Tasting Vault: Brand Packaging Design

Branding, Design, Packaging

The Tasting Vault: Brand Packaging Design
Whiskey Tasting Subscription Services

The Tasting Vault is a whiskey and spirits subscription service that provides consumers with curated tasting experiences, allowing them to explore a wide range of premium whiskeys from around the world. The company solves the “try before you buy” challenge by offering tasting packs that let customers sample new and famous whiskeys before committing to full bottles.

Their subscription service is designed to engage both beginners and seasoned connoisseurs through expert tasting notes, digital content, and invitations to exclusive events, both virtual and in-person. By working with distilleries in Ireland and internationally, The Tasting Vault offers access to a curated selection of world-class spirits, fostering a loyal community of whiskey enthusiasts, who have the option to connect and engage with each-other through this whiskey tasting club.

Their mission is to cultivate a deep appreciation for fine whiskeys and spirits through unique, curated tasting experiences. Their vision is to become the leading platform for whiskey exploration, creating meaningful connections among a global community of enthusiasts. Quality craftsmanship, community building, and an authentic whiskey experience are key values of The Tasting Vault.

The challenge for The Tasting Vault was to create a packaging design reflecting the premium, sophisticated, and community-driven nature of their whiskey subscription service. The design needed to solve two key issues: communicating the exclusivity and luxury of the product, while offering practicality for repeated monthly deliveries of different whiskey varieties. The packaging needed to be functional yet visually compelling, enhancing the unboxing experience for consumers to share on social media. Furthermore, the design needed to accommodate 3 x 50ml whiskey bottles with flexibility for monthly variations, while remaining compact and easy to ship.

The core idea behind the design draws inspiration from the brand’s ethos of connecting people with fine spirits. The minimalist approach incorporates a modern vault symbol, subtly referencing the monthly “drop” of whiskey, and reinforcing the idea of treasured, curated experiences delivered directly to the consumer’s door. A blend of luxury, authenticity, and community was key.

A key feature of the design is the brand’s “V” symbol, which represents the word “Vault” and subtly incorporates a whiskey droplet within the “V,” symbolising the monthly delivery of curated whiskey selections – their monthly drop. The tagline, “Taste. Connect. Enjoy.” captures the essence of the brand, communicating its message in a sophisticated yet friendly tone. The vault-inspired design is enhanced with gold foil debossing, giving the packaging an air of exclusivity. The ample spacing around the bottles adds to the luxury feel, while tabs ensure the bottles are easily accessible. Inside the lid, the playful message “Good Things Come in Small Packages” adds a light-hearted element, complementing the overall elegance. Social media details are included to encourage consumer engagement and help grow the brand’s online community.

Each bottle is labelled with the brandmark and whiskey details on a transparent background, allowing the whiskey’s amber hue to shine through. These labels are designed for easy updating, adapting to the monthly subscription model. The bold Causten Rounded font combines softened edges with a sophisticated tone, conveying a friendly yet premium feel to the brand.

The packaging also includes a bespoke insert card with detailed information about that month’s whiskey selections, adding a personal touch. A 20-page tasting notes booklet further enriches the consumer experience, allowing customers to log their impressions and learn more about whiskey tasting. Clever phrases are used in the booklet such as “unlock a world of whiskey” to tie into the vault theme, reinforcing the brand’s identity.

This thoughtful and recyclable packaging design reflects the brand’s values of premium quality, authenticity, and community, offering a refined yet accessible experience that is both visually striking and highly functional.

The packaging design for The Tasting Vault strikes a perfect balance between luxury and functionality, offering a sleek unboxing experience, while showcasing the brand’s dedication to authenticity and craftsmanship. The packaging is made from 1000gsm greyboard and wrapped in black beater-dyed paper, giving it a solid, premium feel. Its rigid, hinged-lid design includes die cuts to securely hold three 50ml whiskey bottles, ensuring both safe transportation and a refined presentation.

Follow The Tasting Vault online:

Instagram: @the_tasting_vault

Twitter / X: @thetastingvault

Website: www.thetastingvault.com

Photography by Brendan Ryan Photography:

Instagram: @brendanryanphoto

Website: www.brendanryan.ie

Packaging printed by JJ O’Toole:

Instagram: @jjotoole_ie

Website: www.jjotoole.ie

Labels by BrandPack

Instagram: @brandpackireland

Website: www.brandpack.ie

Grásome! Gluten-free Brownies: Brand Packaging Design

Branding, Design, Packaging

Grásome! Award-Winning Brownies: Brand Packaging Design

Grásome! is an artisan award-winning brand born out of the passion for creating luxurious gluten-free treats that are not only delicious but also fun and playful. Ruth, the founder, draws inspiration from her rich French-Irish heritage, her personal baking journey, and her love of good food. The brand’s mission is to provide indulgent, hand-crafted treats made from the finest natural ingredients, all while bringing a smile to the consumer’s face. With a tagline that reads “Gorgeously Gluten Free,” Grásome! speaks to those seeking both high-quality and allergy-conscious products without compromising on taste or style.

The name Grásome! perfectly encapsulates the essence of the brand, combining the Irish word “Grá” (meaning “love”) with a playful twist on the word “awesome.” The result is a name that feels both familiar and exciting, resonating with Ruth’s fun, vibrant personality. It’s a brand that isn’t afraid to be glamorous yet unpretentious, offering gluten-free indulgences with a wink of fun and light-heartedness. The nod to her influential aunt Gráinne, a passionate coeliac, baker and advocate for gluten-free products, adds a personal touch to the name, reinforcing the love and care behind every product.

Grásome! stands out not only for its delectable products but also for its strong, memorable visual identity. We approached the branding with the goal of blending luxury, fun, and warmth – all key aspects of the product’s personality. The product flavour names incorporate a rustic, earthy font that mimics the textures found in brownies, cakes, and baking, emphasising the hand-made nature of the products. The letter ‘O’ is cleverly replaced with a heart, signifying both love and the personal care that goes into every batch. The fada (accent) on the ‘a’ is stylized as a leaf, symbolising the brand’s use of natural ingredients. The exclamation mark at the end of the name encapsulates the brand’s energetic, fun vibe, tying back to the playfulness of the word “awesome.” The tagline “Gorgeously Gluten Free” sits beneath the brand name in a handwritten font, reinforcing the personal, hand-crafted element of the brand while also making the gluten-free aspect clear and prominent.

The colour palette is designed to be bright and vibrant, reflecting the client’s ethos of living life to the fullest and embracing boldness. It ensures the product stands out on the shelf, commanding attention rather than blending into the background. Each flavour is represented by a distinct, vivid hue—green for the original flavour and orange for the orange variety—highlighting the brand’s playful and energetic character. The use of gold foil adds a touch of luxury, reinforcing the high quality of the products while maintaining a warm, approachable aesthetic.

The packaging design features a cardboard sleeve with a heart-shaped cutout on the front, mirroring the heart in the logo. This allows the consumer to catch a glimpse of the brownies inside, creating an instant emotional connection. Gold foil lines radiate out from the heart cutout in a celebratory style, further enhancing the premium feel. The back of the packaging includes a personal note from Ruth, inviting consumers to share in the love and care she pours into her products:

“For a truly indulgent experience, try our award-winning luxurious gluten-free brownies, lovingly handmade using simple natural ingredients, no preservatives ever added… simply pure grá.

Love, Ruth x”

Sustainability is a key pillar of the Grásome! brand, reflected in the fully recyclable packaging. This aligns with Ruth’s values and her personal experiences living in eco-conscious environments like New Zealand and Antarctica. The reusable delivery boxes also emphasize the brand’s commitment to reducing waste.

The primary typeface, Big City Grotesque Pro, provides a clean, modern look, ensuring legibility and consistency across all brand materials. To balance this with a more playful touch, HelloMixed, a quirky, display font, is used for headings and flavour titles, mimicking the playful and earthy nature of the brand. Arsilon, a handwritten font, is reserved for smaller descriptors like “Gorgeously Gluten Free,” adding a personal, friendly feel to the packaging and marketing collateral.

Grásome! successfully redefines the perception of gluten-free products, celebrating them as indulgent, luxurious, and full of character. A proud finalist in the 2024 Irish Quality Food and Drink Awards, the brand stands as a testament to Ruth’s deep-rooted love of food, family heritage, and personal journey in mastering gluten-free baking. Through thoughtful design and a playful yet elegant brand identity, Grásome! communicates its promise to deliver treats that are not only delicious but also made with love, care, and passion. The packaging itself becomes part of the experience, making Grásome! treats perfect for sharing, gifting, or savoring all to oneself.

In a competitive gluten-free market, Grásome! proudly stands out as a brand that marries luxury and fun, offering consumers a product that doesn’t compromise on quality, style, or taste.

Follow Grásome! online:

Instagram: @grasome_treats

Twitter / X: @Grasome_treats

Website: Grásome Website

Packaging printed by Esmark Finch:

Instagram: @esmarkfinchprintandpackaging

Facebook: @Esmark-Finch-Print-and-Packaging

Website: Esmark Finch

Katie’s Kombucha New Slim Cans Packaging Design

Branding, Design, Packaging

New project

Katie’s Kombucha – New Cans Packaging Design

We are loving how well the brand packaging design of the Katie’s Kombucha range translated from the original glass bottles to these lovely slim cans. They are now available in both the bottles and cans in three tasty flavours.

A little about kombucha for those of you unfamiliar with it…

Kombucha is a great alternative to sugary drinks. It contains elements that offer nutritional and digestive support, strengthen the immune system, and assist in removing impurities from the blood and organs. Poor dietary choices and chronic stress are the root causes of many modern diseases. Both diet and stress can trigger physiological imbalances and degradation, particularly in the immune system. Kombucha contains prebiotics which are beneficial for gut health (great immune booster).

✔️ Maintains a health pH
✔️ It’s antioxidants help fight disease
✔️ Contains beneficial probiotics
✔️ Encourages good microbes to grow in the gut
✔️ It’s acetic acid helps fight bad bacteria
✔️ Helps your skin glow

Katie’s Kombucha supports local and buys delicious raspberries from a raspberry farmer in Wicklow.

Katie’s Kombucha is available at Fresh stores @freshthegoodfoodmarket and SuperValu @supervalu_irl stores, along with many more locations.

Follow Katie’s Kombucha at:

@katiekombucha

The Galway Kitchen Picnic Dips: Packaging Design

Design, Packaging

The Galway Kitchen Aioli Dips: Packaging Design

The Galway Kitchen have recently launches these new tasty threesome of dips. The condiments range are delicious as a dip or try them drizzled on some freshly grilled meat or fish for an elevation of flavour like no other.

The Galway Kitchen Ranks No. 2 among Ireland’s Top Prepared Dips and Sauces Brands in 2023*. As with all of their creations, these recipes have been expertly crafted by their team of in-house chefs and are made fresh in Galway with quality ingredients.

The three variations of dips are:

Garlic & Herb Aioli
Basil Pesto Aioli
Chimichurri

This trio of delicious dips are a convenient and tasty way to elevate any meal or snack – your new fridge essential!

The Galway Kitchen brand already existed for their popular houmous dips range when they contacted Clare Lynch Creative. They asked if we could create the packaging design for these aioli dips packs to work well alongside their existing houmous range, and also the snack pack range designed by Clare Lynch Creative, which incorporate bright mediterranean patterns alongside clean, minimal typography and imagery, whilst bringing a fresher vibrant look to the packs to ensure a strong and bold standout impact on shelves. They loved the final design outcome of the range altogether. See their testimonial here…

The Galway Kitchen’s food range includes global flavours, inspired by much-loved tastes from around the world, made in their kitchen at the heart of Galway.

The beautiful photography of @thegalwaykitchen range is by Irish photographer @jenniferocooks

They are available in @tescoirl stores.

These dips are must-have condiments of the Summer ☀️

The Galway Kitchen range is available at selected Tesco Ireland stores:

Find them in the fridge at your local Tesco Ireland

www.tesco.ie

www.instagram.com/tescoirl/

Follow The Galway Kitchen at:

@thegalwaykitchen

Photography by Jennifer Oppermann:

@jenniferocooks

www.jenniferoppermann.com

Packaging printed by Priory Press Packaging.

The Galway Kitchen are produced by quality Irish fine food producer Galmere Foods.