#Branding #Product Thinking #Packaging #UI Foundation
From Handmade to Digitally-Ready
Unifying Identity, UI, and Product Vision for Lavras — Chocolates Artesanais Small-Batch Artisanal Chocolate
Generic logo.
Every design from scratch. Zero consistency.
How to scale without losing artisanal soul?
Modular system connecting brand, packaging, digital
From placeholder to strategic platform
Faster production. Digital-ready. Unmistakably Lavras.
Built for growth
From Door-to-Door to Digital-Ready
How a door-to-door chocolate operation in rural Bahia evolved into a structured brand ready for national reach — and what that journey revealed about design systems.
The Beginning
From Mucugê to worldwide
Lavras began with Letícia, who handcrafted chocolates and sold them door to door in Mucugê — a remote gem in Bahia's Chapada Diamantina. What started as a one-woman operation quickly became a local favorite. With a business partner joining, Lavras grew into a structured artisanal brand, scaling production while preserving its handmade soul.
The Inflection
When Growth Exposed Gaps
As they prepared to sell beyond local markets, the cracks became visible. The logo was a generic placeholder — stacked serif text with no concept. Each new product meant starting from scratch. There was no visual logic connecting packaging, promotions, or digital materials. The brand had heart and flavor, but its visual presence told a different story.
The Solution
System with Soul
What began as a branding refresh evolved into a strategic foundation. We built a scalable visual and digital framework — one that would unify the brand and lay groundwork for e-commerce, seasonal campaigns, and digital storytelling. This connected graphic design, UI, and product thinking into a cohesive growth platform.
Foundation
Lavras' Essence
The brand had heart, flavor, and a compelling origin story. Artisanal roots in Bahia, handcrafted soul, and authentic regional character made Lavras special from day one.
The Friction
Generic, non-distinctive logo with no concept. No visual identity system — every design was a one-off effort. Visual inconsistency across channels. Not ready for digital products.
The Reframe
More than aesthetics — a scalable visual and digital framework. Strategic foundation connecting graphic design, UI, and product thinking to align with business vision.
Building Blocks
Three interdependent fronts that transformed a placeholder brand into a strategic platform — from concept-driven identity to digital-ready foundation.
Identity System
Concept-driven mark balancing sophistication with regional symbolism
We replaced the placeholder logo with a concept-rich mark that combines a bateia — the traditional diamond mining tool from Chapada Diamantina — with a stylized cacao fruit, turning the brand's name and origin into visual form. The system translates Lavras' sensorial and regional richness into craft, territory, and elegance through typography, color palette, iconography, and print collateral that feels both premium and hand-crafted.
Product Ecosystem
Modular system supporting product variety without losing brand coherence
Each product fits into a modular label system allowing flavor variations through color and text changes, visual consistency across SKUs without repetition, and faster production with reduced redesign dependency. We designed packaging for individual chocolates using fixed layout structure, a special tasting kit with gift-oriented appeal, and a scalable system for future product lines or seasonal editions.
Digital DNA
UI foundation aligned with brand identity to support digital growth
The identity transitions seamlessly into web and digital product interfaces. Deliverables included UI components for future e-commerce (product cards, buttons, color usage, typography hierarchy), style recommendations for mobile-friendly storytelling and navigation, and an asset library with design tokens ready for implementation. The system respects Lavras' tactile, sensorial essence while ensuring usability, readability, and visual consistency across screens.
Visual Language Foundation
The moodboard guided us toward a richer visual language rooted in Lavras' story — artisanal, regional, and refined. It helped transform abstract values into design principles that connect every touchpoint.
In Practice
From shelf to screen, the system delivers measurable value across brand presence, operational workflow, and strategic positioning.
Unique & Memorable
Brand Recognition
From symbolic icon to cohesive packaging, Lavras now stands out on shelf and online with authenticity and elegance.
Growth Platform
Strategic Alignment
Foundation set for subscriptions, seasonal launches, B2B partnerships, and e-commerce expansion.
Faster Production
Operational Efficiency
Modular system allows internal team to produce new labels faster with less external design dependency.
Future-Proof
Digital Readiness
Interface components, scalable visual assets, and design system connecting print and screen without dissonance.
Now it really looks like the chocolate we make.
Letícia – Founder, Lavras Chocolates
Growth Platform Established
What was once a visually fragmented brand is now a cohesive, scalable experience — grounded in its origin, optimized for production, and prepared for digital growth. The foundation is set for future channels including:
1
Online Subscriptions
Recurring customer programs
2
Seasonal Launches
Limited edition collections
3
B2B Partnerships
Corporate and retail expansion
Looking Back
Four insights that shaped the project — and one realization that extends beyond this case.
Brand and Product Design Shouldn't Be Separated
What started as a visual identity project quickly revealed deeper structural needs — packaging consistency, digital readiness, internal autonomy. Thinking like a product designer (not just a brand designer) allowed anticipating future frictions and solving for scale, not just style. Designing a system is always more valuable than delivering isolated assets.
Respecting the Soul of a Brand Makes It Stronger
Lavras had something most brands dream of: an authentic story and deep emotional roots. The work wasn't to reinvent it — it was to translate it visually without dilution. Every decision, from typography to texture, amplified that soul rather than overshadowing it. Authenticity at scale is rare, and worth protecting.
Scalability Doesn't Mean Uniformity
Building a visual system doesn't mean everything has to look the same. It means everything should speak the same language — even when telling different stories. Lavras now has structure to expand SKUs, digital channels, and seasonal campaigns while staying unmistakably itself. Flexibility within consistency is the goal.
Start Small, Think Big
The original scope was "just a logo." But by asking the right questions early, that turned into a strategic platform — a foundation supporting future initiatives like subscription-based experiences, gift kits and seasonal boxes, and a full e-commerce ecosystem. Good scoping isn't about limiting work; it's about expanding vision within realistic constraints.
Interface Thinking Beyond Screens
One key reflection: how limiting it is to think of UI strictly as digital layouts. The identity system built for Lavras is interface design — not just for screens, but for labels, packaging, menus, and every point where users interact with the brand.
Typography = Navigation
Hierarchy guides perception
Texture = Context
Material creates meaning
Color = Hierarchy
Palette establishes priority
Whether in a tasting kit or on an Instagram story, the brand behaves like an interface — guiding perception and shaping experience. This project reinforced that user interface is about behavior and clarity — regardless of medium.
Good design doesn't just solve problems – it unlocks potential.
Design Process
Discovery & Audit
Analyzed existing materials, workflow bottlenecks, and growth ambitions. Identified gaps between brand heart and visual execution.
Concept Development
Created moodboards and explored symbolic connections between regional heritage (bateia) and product essence (cacao). Established visual language principles.
System Design
Built modular identity system with logo variations, color palette, typography, iconography. Designed packaging templates and UI components in parallel.
Implementation & Guidelines
Delivered comprehensive brand guidelines, production-ready packaging files, and digital UI foundation with design tokens for future development.