Between Categories
I was responsible for packaging design, product photography (yes — sometimes it’s all about lining up cranberries and coffee beans just right) and full production artwork, including technically complex shrink sleeve execution.
This became a case about designing clarity when the market doesn’t yet have a mental shelf.
The product lived in a grey zone:
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A smoothie — but grain-based
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A porridge — but drinkable
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A cappuccino — but with oats
The design strategy focused on reducing confusion:
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Strong AXA grain credibility through a dark, confident base
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Large, clean “smoothie” typography to signal drinkability
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Clear flavour coding and ingredient imagery for fast shelf reading
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Structured benefit hierarchy: high fiber, low sugar, 1% fat
The packaging had to balance familiarity with innovation, making something new feel immediately understandable.
Perception vs. Function
Early reviews were revealing.
Many consumers said they wouldn’t have picked it up in store, yet several liked it once they tried it. It worked well as an emergency breakfast or travel option, but the word “smoothie” triggered fruit-based expectations that didn’t fully align with the grain-forward experience.
So the friction wasn’t about taste. It was about categorisation.
And that’s the lesson; Retail thinks in physical shelves.
Consumers think in mental shelves.
Design can guide perception, but it cannot instantly create a new category in people’s minds.
Looking back, this was early. Today, on-the-go drinkable oats and functional breakfast beverages are mainstream. Back then, the mental shelf simply wasn’t there yet.