Handcrafted

The story of one coffee, told through design

By Dana Deininger, Senior Designer, Starbucks Global Creative Studio

In the Starbucks Creative Studio, we believe that every detail matters. We are a small but mighty team of designers, writers, producers, pre-press experts (and of course coffee aficionados). Collectively, we are responsible for packaging, advertising, gift cards, promotions, and merchandise, as well as the Starbucks art program and in-store signage. Each project is an opportunity to connect a customer to the story behind their morning cup.

Coffee storytelling has been core to Starbucks since our very first store. In the studio, we don’t have the benefit of sharing a conversation with every customer — so our job is to share what we know and love about each coffee through our art.

Starbucks Reserve small-lot coffee is exactly what it sounds like: The farms are small, the harvests are small, and the quantities are small — but the stories are not. That’s what makes package design for the Starbucks Reserve brand so interesting.

Our job is to share what we know and love about each coffee through our art.

Every project provides our team the rare opportunity to tell the story of a specific, one-of-a kind coffee. Communicating the essence of each coffee by incorporating little handcrafted details is what I love. It’s not the most efficient process — but neither is small batch roasting.

I like to think about Starbucks this way — it’s all about connection. There is the relationship you have with the barista and the people you meet at one of our stores. But there is also the connection to the coffee, the journey it has made, and the people who made that fragrant cup possible. Reserve coffees span the globe and reach into some of the most remote and special places where coffee trees are grown.

Our Papua New Guinea Ulya coffee is a good example of this. One of the fascinating stories we learned from the coffee team was about where the coffee trees came from. There are three different varieties of coffee trees in this lot — from three distinct places. One is from Jamaica, another from Ethiopia, and the last is from Papua New Guinea. While all are grown in Papua New Guinea, the diversity in the rootstock creates a flavor not typical of Asia Pacific coffee. This was the story we focused on because it enhanced our own understanding and enjoyment of the coffee when we tasted it.

Once that premise was established we began to dig in to understand, “What is this place really like?” We learned Papua New Guinea is the most remote place we source coffee from. The beans are shipped over 7,000 miles from Ulya to Seattle. There is a primitive ruggedness to the region: rains can wipe out roads, making exporting coffee at the peak of it’s freshness a challenge. The region is comprised of many tribes so it’s also complex linguistically. There are over 800 languages in a place roughly the size of California.

We began to dig in to understand, “What is this place really like?”

All of these discoveries helped to color the story we wanted to share. After looking at images of flora, fauna and the people of Papua New Guinea, we started to identify patterns and themes that we could use. We kept seeing these pictures of incredibly colorful birds — which became the inspiration for our color palette. In addition to representing the color and uniqueness of the coffees, the bird also became a metaphor for the journey of these coffees from around the world, to Papua New Guinea, and ultimately to your cup.

We chose to use a linocut for the label and packaging — essentially a hand-carved stamp. It’s a process we love to use because it’s so hands on. When hand-carving there is no undo button — so you’re extremely present and focused on every cut. Aesthetically this technique brings an element of humanity and imperfection to the work that’s impossible to fake. Like the coffee itself, it’s pure, a little primitive, and simply exquisite.

Featuring a handmade element in our designs is critically important. It is a little more labor intensive and time consuming but also worth it. You end up with a result that you can’t fake. Whether we’re creating a linocut or painting something by hand, we strive to reflect the care that goes into growing, roasting, and sharing these unique coffees.

Papua New Guinea Ulya

Cedar aromas, orange fruit notes and a spicy finish.

Body: Medium
Acidity: Medium
Elevation: 4,500–5,900 feet
Processing Method: Washed
Varietal: Arusha, Bourbon, Typica
Producer: William Roimp, Ulya Coffee Plantation

Availability: Select stores and online.