Starbucks Reserve: Travel Collection
Starbucks Reserve summer collection celebrates the art of belonging. Each item in the collection is designed and curated to support on the Starbucks customer throughout the travel season: 24oz cold cup, 20oz water bottle, 12oz tumbler, dopp bag, travel tag and eye mask. Available exclusively for the FY25 season at Starbucks Reserves across the country.
ACD: Yumi Reid, Writer: Rachel Block, Lead Designer: Teresa Grasseschi, PM: Kim MCMILLAN
Process & Approach
I drove design strategy for the FY25 summer travel collection through framing belonging as connection between nature and coffee: flowing water patterns mirror the high energy swirl of the coffee pour. Regardless of adventure location the Starbucks travel customer would be able to take nature and coffee with them as a passenger to their unique experience. Using application processes strategically allowed us to expand the design system producing varied outputs (hydro dipping, opacity plays in decal printing and raised inks) that gave depth of the collection and spoke to individualized customer experiences.
Starbucks Reserve: Winter COllection
Starbucks Reserve winter collection launches alongside the Holiday yet remains in rotation to carry the brand into spring. The collection’s longer shelf life serves to celebrate the quiet reset of the new year- speaking to the calm, introspective nature of a warm cup of coffee on cold day: 12oz mug, 16oz tumbler, 20oz water bottle, 1008 piece puzzle, pin. Available exclusively for the FY24 season at Starbucks Reserves across the country.
ACD: Drew Wilson, Writer: Hannah Yeiser, Lead Designer: Teresa Grasseschi, Holiday Collection Design: Emma Sebastian, PM: Kim McMillan
Process & Approach
To celebrate the spirit of the season designer Emma Sebastian (Holiday) and I (Winter) worked closely to create collections that used the nostalgia as the driver for elevated classics.
For the FY25 winter collection we celebrated nostalgia with the offering of a new classic siren. In reference to vintage Italian travel posters this depiction of the Starbucks siren uses bold flat graphics to that demand attention. The graphic punch is balanced by harmonious flowing line work in the coffee steam and siren hair.
For serveware graphics, the clever marriage of coffee branch to repetitive Scandinavian pattern work worked to highlight the practice of Hygge, most desired in the quiet of winter.
Results
The 20oz ceramic mug performed as a top five best seller for both the Holiday and Winter season. It’s popularity led it to an extension pick up by the Tokyo Reserve market.