ELLEN FRANK • TORONTO, ON.
Graphic & Brand Designer
I create thoughtful identities and visual systems through typography, colour, and intentional detail.
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Brand Identity + Packaging design
role:
Concept development
visual identity
art direction
packaging design
2025
Hair,
Meet High Performance.
Reimagining luxury haircare through tactile materiality and organic form.
AquaSilk is a premium haircare line inspired by natural marine forms and textures. Its modern, clean, and tactile visual system balances structured design with a soft, human touch, bridging the gap between high-performance haircare and an elevated shelf presence.
Project Overview
This project translates AquaSilk’s marine-inspired concept into a cohesive brand identity and packaging system.
ORIGINAL
BRAND DESIGN
What needed to change?
AquaSilk needed a visual identity that could communicate high-performance haircare while feeling more sensorial, refined, and distinctive than conventional clinical packaging.
Logo & Colour
The illustrated logo and neon palette felt busy and dated.
Typeface
The high-contrast, traditional typeface reduced legibility and felt out of step with the clean-beauty direction.
Materials
Standard plastic packaging didn’t support the brand’s premium, nature-led positioning.
The Challenge
AquaSilk needed a visual identity that could communicate high-performance haircare while feeling more sensorial, refined, and distinctive than conventional clinical packaging.
visual direction
Logo & Colour
The direction combines fluid marine-inspired forms with structured typography and a restrained palette. This balance allows the identity to feel organic and tactile while remaining clear, contemporary, and premium.
Original mark
The original clam illustration and neon lime palette made the identity feel busy and dated.
refined mark
The symbol was refined into a simpler, more fluid form so it could work clearly across packaging, labels, and campaign applications.
Colour palette
The palette combines sea-glass tones with neutral shades to create a calm and cohesive visual system across the product range.
original palette
new palette
identity development
Typography Refinement
The original typeface had a high-contrast, decorative feel that made AquaSilk look more ornamental than functional, and it struggled with legibility at smaller sizes. It didn’t support the brand’s shift toward a cleaner, more modern, and accessible haircare experience.
I replaced it with Montecatini Pro Ultra Bold, a bold display serif that gives AquaSilk a more confident, contemporary presence. Its expressive, sculptural letterforms introduce a sense of softness and movement, connecting the identity to the fluidity of water while creating a distinctive wordmark that holds up across packaging and campaign applications.
old typeface
Fino Sans Bold
The original logotype felt ornate and less legible, especially at smaller sizes, which worked against the brand’s promise of functional, high-performance care.
new typeface
Montecatini Pro
Ultra Bold
The new typeface gives AquaSilk a stronger visual signature, balancing expressive character with a refined, premium presence.
Final Wordmark
The refined wordmark anchors the identity and pairs with the shell icon to create a cohesive, premium system.
packaging system
Materials & Tactility
To support AquaSilk’s premium, nature-led positioning,
I selected materials that balance tactility, durability, and a more natural visual language.
Each choice is designed to make the brand feel more premium in hand while reinforcing its cleaner, more responsible direction.
wooden corkscrew
cap
A wooden corkscrew cap adds warmth and tactility to the washing ritual. Its natural texture contrasts with the smooth bottle surface, reinforcing the brand’s elevated, sensorial feel.
unbleached sugarcane paper & water based ink
Labels use unbleached sugarcane paper and water-based inks, bringing a softer, more natural texture to the packaging while supporting the brand’s cleaner visual direction.
pet plastic
PET provides a durable, lightweight packaging base suited to everyday use and scalable production.
Its smooth surface creates a clean contrast with the tactile paper label and wooden cap.
Campaign Applications
The identity extends across packaging, lifestyle accessories, and campaign applications, creating a consistent experience at multiple touchpoints.
AQUA ESSENTIALS
Extending the brand into everyday rituals
To extend AquaSilk beyond core shampoo and conditioner, I developed Aqua Essentials, a collection of lifestyle pieces that carry the brand into everyday rituals.
Deliverables
Brand identity · Logo system · Colour palette · Typography · Packaging direction · Material exploration · Lifestyle accessories · Campaign applications
Final Outcome
The resulting identity gives AquaSilk a cohesive visual language across packaging, accessories, and campaign touch points.
By combining a simplified shell mark,a sea-glass-led palette, expressive typography, and tactile materials, the system balances
high-performance care with a refined, immersive brand experience.
More work available upon request.
Additional professional and self initiated projects are available to share upon request