Exclusive Interview | Sowvital – a brand that intertwines the wisdom of plant sciences with the art of mindful care

March 11, 2024

Welcome to the world of Sowvital – where plant care meets artistry, and sustainability dances with sophistication!

Join us as we delve deep into the roots of Sowvital’s journey, a tale of passion, innovation, and botanical beauty. Founded by Jack Lewis in London back in 2022, Sowvital swiftly blossomed into a beacon of eco-consciousness and elegance in the world of plant care.

Tell us a bit about the brand – its heritage, its story, and its markets – and the brief for this project. How does the design express the brand’s values? What inspired the design?

Sowvital’s heritage is deeply rooted in its commitment to highly effective yet beautiful vegan and B-Corp certified plant-care products. Founded by Jack Lewis in London in 2022, the brand quickly gained recognition for its innovative approach to plant care, offering solutions that prioritise sustainability and efficacy, but not forgetting beauty and design, essential for products kept and used in the sanctuary of the home. Drawing inspiration from traditional botanical practices and cutting-edge scientific research, Sowvital’s journey began with a vision to create a holistic plant-care system that seamlessly integrates with consumers’ lifestyles. In collaboration with Leslie David Studio, a renowned design agency, Sowvital’s visual identity was meticulously crafted to reflect its core values and ethos. From its inception, the brand has been driven by a passion for plants and a dedication to promoting conscious and healthy living.

Sowvital’s products cater to a diverse audience of plant enthusiasts, gardeners, and environmentally conscious individuals. With a focus on urban dwellers seeking effective, eco-friendly solutions for nurturing their plants, the brand has carved out a niche in the plant-care industry. By offering premium plant-care products that combine quality, efficacy, and beauty, Sowvital appeals to consumers who value the health and well-being of their plants as much as their own.

The design inspiration was guided by the idea of “mirroring the rituals and behaviours from the beauty and wellness space.” Drawing from various sources, including botanical art and horticultural science, Leslie David Studios sought to capture the essence of Sowvital’s values and ethos in the visual identity. For instance, the Sowvital logo reinterprets early botanical drawings, showcasing the innards of a leaf schematically, symbolising the brand’s commitment to transparency and authenticity. Playful illustrations, add a joyful and friendly touch to Sowvital’s communications, highlighting the ambiguity and beauty of forms found in nature. These design elements not only express the brand’s values but also resonate with consumers, inviting them to explore the world of botanicals with Sowvital.

What is innovative or unusual about the packaging?

The brief called for a visual identity that would encapsulate Sowvital’s commitment to quality, sustainability, and innovation while conveying a sense of elegance and sophistication. Drawing heavily on the cosmetics industry as a source of design inspiration, Leslie David Studio developed a versatile and adaptable identity rooted in the duality of “heritage and innovation.”

One of the key innovations in Sowvital’s packaging lies in its thoughtful design approach, which seamlessly integrates form and function. The packaging materials were meticulously chosen to reflect the brand’s values of purity, authenticity, and sustainability. From the embossed Fedrigoni paper used for boxes to the striking and consistent pigments, every component reflects longevity and reliability. This attention to detail extends to the packaging’s structural integrity, ensuring that it can withstand handling, shipping, and storage while maintaining its visual appeal.

As specialists in scientifically formulated fertilisers that provide the best solution to your plant care needs, Sowvital complemented their original range of essential fertilisers by launching a collection of tools and accessories, designed to sit in perfect harmony in the home and within one’s plant care routine. This collection of packaging, designed by Leslie David Studio, is lithographically printed on Fedrigoni’s elite Sirio Milkshake paper. The collection is a carefully considered combination of rich colours and elegant yet impactful embossing. The Sirio Milkshake responds exceptionally well to embossing; the strong interlocking fibres in the paper can be moulded to look like a sheet of carved marble. Combined with precision cutters, the result is elegant yet prominent embossing that captures light and wraps it softly around its forms. Lithographic printing ensures the Sowvital colours are accurately and beautifully reproduced. This collection is an ode not only to packaging but also to its purpose in the customer journey.

What technical challenges did you need to overcome to manufacture the packaging?

Consistent print quality across various packaging components—labels, boxes, and promotional materials—was another challenge. Our branding elements needed to shine uniformly, conveying Sowvital’s identity. We meticulously fine-tuned the printing process, ensuring crisp logos, vibrant colours, and legible text while prioritising sustainability with eco-friendly inks and efficient printing techniques. Sowvital’s product range spans diverse categories, from accessories to plant liquid fertilisers which required our packaging design to be versatile enough to accommodate varying product sizes and shapes while maintaining a cohesive brand identity.

We created modular packaging templates that could be customised for different product lines and selected materials that flexed without compromising aesthetics. Modern consumers demand eco-conscious choices, so our packaging had to align with Sowvital’s values while meeting consumer expectations. Engaging sustainability experts, collaborating with designers, and working closely with manufacturers enabled us to strike the right balance. In summary, Sowvital’s packaging journey involved a harmonious blend of creativity, technical expertise, and environmental consciousness, resulting in packaging that reflects our brand’s essence and resonates with conscious consumers.

What reactions have you had from customers?

Our valued customers have expressed immense delight with the meticulous design of our collection. The overall cohesiveness stands out, seamlessly weaving together form and function. Notably, the crisp embossing on every box adds an elegant touch, while the practical yet luxurious internal fitments have been met with appreciation. It’s heart-warming to witness how these finer details resonate with our clientele.

Photographer credits:

Side/Header Image – Arnaud le Brazidec
1 – Arnaud le Brazidec
2 – Arnaud le Brazidec
3 – Emma Le Doyen
4 – Arnaud le Brazidec
5 – Emma Le Doyen
6 – Emma Le Doyen

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