You might have noticed that each time a new espresso is released the label changes.  Not only the contents and the descriptions (obviously!) but also the layout.

Autumn Espresso

Winter Espresso

Spring Espresso

The initial idea for the label was to create a tag cloud – the size of the descriptor indicating the likelihood and quantity of that particular flavour.  We really liked this idea – we thought it was a good way to embrace the variability of brewing espresso – encompassing the changes in flavour that come with different ages, brewing water, brewing equipment and recipes.

However it fell down on anther goal – approachability.  A huge quantity of coffee flavours are intimidating for someone just starting to get into coffee, and we didn’t want to feel like we were just preaching to the choir.  So from Autumn to Winter the tag cloud was reigned back.  Designing Spring I couldn’t help but feel that the cloud was still a bit much.  It doesn’t help when someone relatively new to coffee looks at the back and expresses surprise that you do flavoured coffee.

So we simplified it again for Spring.  We like the label and I think the key flavours described should show up across most brews.  We still feel the tag cloud idea has merit though.  We did have an idea of a microsite that allowed customers to input their cupping notes into the site to constantly update a swirling live tag cloud of the espresso.  Crowd sourcing descriptors seemed like fun! However that probably won’t happen as the cloud would only really become useful when enough people enter data and at that point the espresso would be close to the end of its run as a seasonal blend.

This doesn’t mean we are done with the tagcloud idea – we still have a few experiments and projects for the future.  We just wanted to talk a little bit about why the labels are changing and our thought behind it.

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Comments ( 11 )

For what it’s worth, I really like the tag cloud. It’s a very modern take on labelling (don’t think I’ve seen it anywhere else – except online of course). I hope you keep it.

Henry added these pithy words on Apr 07 09 at 11:46 pm

I think the best thing about the labels is that they keep changing. As long as the “gargoyle” insignia remains central I say keep changing and having fun. I really enjoyed the white board at the “taste of…” so I’m sure that will translate into a great tag cloud site.

Colin Harmon added these pithy words on Apr 08 09 at 6:44 am

As a coffee poser—honestly, I didn’t even notice…

Bea added these pithy words on Apr 08 09 at 7:20 am

I agree with Henry, I really like tha tag cloud idea, although I prefer to layout on the Winter/Spring labels.

Alex added these pithy words on Apr 08 09 at 8:36 am

Please, never drop the tag cloud idea!

Thanks to your tag cloud, it has allowed me to evolve my love of coffee and develope a better pallet as a result. It’s enabled me to appreciate coffee on a whole new level, and pick up new flavours going forward. Don’t lose it or water it down so much so that there’s no potential for someone with an novice palet to hunt out and seek the more delicate flavours lingering in the backgorund.

For me, the winter espresso style labelling has been my favourite so far.

Kirk Watts added these pithy words on Apr 08 09 at 11:56 am

As a data freak, I think that a live, ever-changing tag-cloud would still be a wonderful idea. As a marketing concept, I think that it is wonderful and an excellent way to get people involved in both, your company’s coffee, in general, as well as a particular coffee, especially for repeat purchasers of a single offering. You could even highlight, in some way, the differences btw. the given flavors and those added or emphasized. I only wish I was code-savvy enough to offer my services.

Daniel M. added these pithy words on Apr 08 09 at 9:19 pm

James, i guess you know this? http://www.wordle.net

Lot of fun and creates great tag clouds … I used it as a stamp for our organic coffee line recently.

Yara Tucek added these pithy words on Apr 10 09 at 7:12 am

We really enjoyed the text-cloud, and many of our customers (who saw the bags when we ran the autumn as a guest espresso for a morning) really liked the concept, and felt it relayed information much more attractively than other labels.

Steve added these pithy words on Apr 21 09 at 10:26 pm

have you considered doing the cloud as embossed black on your actual bag (rather than the label)? the words would still be there but it’d be more subtle and approachable, like, “hmm I wonder why it says jasmine on the back of this bag of coffee…”

of course that way makes it more expensive if you’re custom printing bags instead of labels.

Anne Nylander added these pithy words on May 02 09 at 11:03 pm

I really digg this idea for the tag cloud. That gives a very good sense on the taste profile- size of tag cloud applied on the flavor, THATS AMAZING. Perhaps if the cost is not too high, make it as a poster to be included in the purchase, make it as an optional bag, or just at least make it as a PDF so we could print that out and hang it somewhere?

goodwill added these pithy words on Apr 12 10 at 4:47 pm

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