WHITEBARK MUSHROOMS
“We are a retailer and educator of fine mushrooms. A company that wants to educate and guide people to understand the natural superpowers of fungi.”
project overview
type
Entreprenurial Design project
Worked with a team for a class project
team
Sarah: Business strategy, copywriting, desktop web design
Olivia: Branding lead
Aaron: Business strategy and research
Caroline: branding and product designer
With the growing use and acceptance of mushrooms for mental health and neuro-strengthening benefits, my team wanted to capitalize on this emerging science and give it a completely new look. This project includes a business strategy, brand book, and product mockups.
My role in this project included the product copy, creating the prototype for the website, and creating the business plan.
ideating
mood board
logo sketches
Aaron, a fellow teammate’s brother, had already intended on creating a company to sell mushrooms and was set on the name Whitebark Mushrooms, named after the tree that the mushrooms grow on. As a team, we began our process of creating the brand’s image by curating a mood board that does not lean on the typical “trippy” style that is often associated with magic mushrooms. We collected inspiration to come up with a color palette, logo, and set of typefaces that would modernize and sophisticate the use of mushrooms in a medicinal landscape.
We decided on an ethereal and natural look for the company. By straying from the stereotype that is associated with mushrooms intended for uses beyond food, we are able to reach a new type of customer that could benefit from the product that may be turned off otherwise. We also aimed to maintain a whimsical look to retain users who have already expressed interest in the powers of mushrooms. At this point, we as a team sketched out logos based on this mood board and began creating the branding for Whitebark Mushrooms.
strategizing
I worked most closely on the business strategy, competitor analysis, and SWOT analysis. We decided that based on the consumer profiles and competitor analysis, as well as the niche community that surrounds the mushroom community, the company should start as DTC and brick and mortar stores based in Colorado. The local aspect of the company was integral to the strategy since Denver is one of the first and only cities in the United States to embrace the cognitive superpowers of mushrooms legally.
prototyping
My other main role in this project was developing a prototype for the desktop site for Whitebark. I wanted to take the branding my teammates worked on developing and bring it to life. I incorporated a page for products, merchandise, locations, and shroom facts and education to help ease newcomers. Below is a video of the clickable prototype.
final product
Below is a slideshow of the final product of a pitch deck for Whitebark Mushrooms. In addition to my role, my teammates completed the customer journey map, all of the branding, product and merchandise mockups, and the mobile site. Overall this project gave me a lot of insight into what goes into building a company and creating a pitch deck for potential investors.
