Notes
Identity and packaging design for a musically-inspired faux fragrance line, “Notes.” Each perfume in this collection is based on a renowned Romantic-era classical composer—Chopin, Tchaikovsky, etc. The watercolor captures the essence of each composer’s style and evokes the distinctive mood of each scent.
Created in collaboration with Laura Lin.
Inspired by our mutual interests in perfume and classical music, we thought the idea of embodying sound through scent was a fresh and exciting concept. After mulling over a range of composers, we decided to create a perfume line based on two personal favorites: Chopin and Tchaikovsky.
To express the dynamism of their music, we chose watercolor for its fluid and atmospheric quality, echoing the ebb and flow of Romantic-era melodies. While listening to renowned works by each composer, we created contrasting palettes that correspond with the mood of notable pieces.
To begin with, we simply laid out large sheets of watercolor paper with some paint and color pencils on the side, and pressed play. Engulfed in the music of the composers, we painted freely in broad strokes and washes of color, then went back in to articulate musical fragments with color pencil. After scanning the paintings into Photoshop, we played with framing and layering to achieve our desired look.
To give the perfume line a cohesive identity, we named the brand "Notes" in reference to the composition of both music and fragrance. In Illustrator we explored various logo directions ranging from a fashion-inspired wordmark to something more abstract. The final logo combines both influences in a striking manner, borrowing elements from musical notation while standing as a distinct mark of its own.
This project allowed us to explore the visualization of sound and the concept of conveying two senses through a tangible medium like packaging. The collaborative approach fed into the creative process every step of the way, from conceptualization and identity design to detailing the scent profile of each perfume.