Spiceology
Welcome to the world of Spiceology, a place where you can create and mix your own custom spice blends. Inspired by the artistry and theatrics of mixology and cocktail shakers, you can use Spiceology to measure, mix, shake, and store your very own spice blends for anything from custom tea blends to marinades. Impress your friends with your Spiceology skills by creating blends that introduce their tastebuds to new experiences and mouthwatering flavors. Handcrafted from reclaimed wood, made with intention and aesthetics in mind, the Spiceology mixer is sure to become a timeless and lasting addition to your home kitchen.
15 Week Project | Product and Graphic Designer
This project was completed with a partner.
About the Project
Spiceology was created as part of The Ohio State University’s annual Winter Market, a semester-long junior studio project. The course was structured to give us hands-on experience with the full product development process. Over the semester, our teams were expected to move from initial concept to a finished product, while also building out the brand and story around it.
Each team was required to produce at least ten finalized products to bring to market, along with supporting media and brand language. In addition to the product itself, we were also tasked with creating a digital component—such as a website—that would extend the brand and showcase its potential applications.
The Winter Market served as both a capstone challenge and a public-facing event, designed to test not only our ability to design and produce but also to communicate ideas in a way that connected with a real audience.
Concept & Material Exploration
Our process began with a wide-ranging concept dump, covering every idea we could think of on sticky notes. We then organized these into themes based on shared materials, product types, and the kinds of home problems they addressed. From there, we sketched as many concepts as possible, gradually refining and narrowing down to nine strong ideas. Sustainability was a key requirement, so material research became a major part of this stage. We experimented with environmentally responsible options and factored them into our concepts before presenting two final directions to a board of judges. Spiceology was ultimately selected to move forward.
Form Development
Once Spiceology was chosen, we began exploring form and structure through sketches, mockups, and rounds of critique from professors and classmates. After testing a range of shapes, we landed on a simple rectangular design that balanced functionality with ease of construction. Staying true to our sustainability goals, we partnered with a local cabinetry company to source wood scraps, which we repurposed into our final product.
Branding & Packaging
Alongside product development, I designed the full branding and packaging system for Spiceology. The goal was to create an organic, approachable identity that reflected our commitment to sustainability. I developed a natural color palette and visual language that emphasized eco-friendly materials while giving the product a cohesive, market-ready look.
Recipe Website
To give Spiceology a digital presence, we designed and built a recipe website. The site extended the product beyond its physical form by offering curated recipes that highlighted the unique spice blends it could create. This not only provided practical context for the product but also helped position Spiceology as a lifestyle brand that could inspire everyday cooking.
Media & Promotion
In conjunction with the product development stage of the project we also created a promotional video to highlight Spiceology. We began with storyboarding and learned how to use professional tools like ring lights, microphones, and DSLR cameras. Once we captured the footage, we edited it in Adobe Premiere Pro. This experience allowed us to explore video production as another way to bring our product to life and connect with an audience.
