Dar Levantine Foods
Identity & Packaging Design
Identity & Packaging Design
Dar Levantine Foods is a start-up ethnic grocery that markets food items from the Levant countries of the Near East: Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, and Palestine. Young, modern, yet traditional, Dar is geared towards modern Arab American consumers who want accessto the foods they grew up eating without the hassle. Many Levantine foods can only be found in small, interspersed Middle Eastern markets; and the product packaging is often times culturally and linguistIcally illegible for many Arab Americans in diaspora, much of the time written entirely in Arabic. Dar Levantine Foods’ visual identity incorporates traditional Arabic designs with a modern, western aesthetic, reflecting a product that can appeal to Arab Americans who find themselves in a similarly hybridized world. Dar Levantine Foods products are designed to evoke nostalgic sentiments, memories of family gatherings, and traditional communal meals. After all, the word dar is the Arabic word for home and household.
Served in a special finjan kettle, coffee is a symbol of Arab hospitality and is provided at gatherings and social events as complements of the house. I selected a condensed, elongated typeface to compliment the tall, slender shape of the Arabic coffee pot. The thicks and thins of Universe 59 Condensed mimics the contours of the finjan.
Because the intended audience of this product is primarily English speaking Arab Americans who may not know how to read, write, or speak Arabic, the design is English language based. However, many of the products retain their Arabic names in transliterated form for consumer convenience and experience. Exclusively translating Arabic product names into English can cause confusion for consumers as well as detract from the strong Arabic identity of the brand.
Because Arabic food is usually sold in bulk to accommodate large families, food contents of Dar Levantine Food packages do not exceed 2-3 serving sizes. Adjusting the packaging and serving sizes make these products more appealing to the independent Arab American with a small household.
