SUKI TEA PUBLICATION
WEEK 10
Recently, our class had the opportunity to hear from Oscar Woolley, co-founder of Suki Tea, who visited to present a live brief based on an exciting new project currently in development. Rather than focusing on the branding of Suki Tea itself, the project explored something completely different — the creation of a publication centred around storytelling, culture, and creativity.
What stood out most during the briefing was the intention behind the publication. Oscar explained that although Suki Tea has a very established identity rooted in warmth, craft, and authenticity, this new publication aims to move away from those existing visual associations. Instead, the goal is to create something bold, experimental, and visually unexpected, giving the project its own independent voice and personality.
The publication will focus on general stories rather than tea specifically, allowing for a wider exploration of topics, people, and creative perspectives. This freedom opens opportunities for a much more expressive editorial approach, where typography, imagery, layout, and storytelling can become the main focus. Oscar emphasised the importance of making the publication feel unique and distinctive from Suki Tea’s current branding, creating something that feels contemporary, confident, and creatively driven.
Hearing directly from someone actively working within the industry made the project feel particularly engaging and relevant. It was interesting to gain insight into how a brand can expand into new creative territories while intentionally separating itself from its established identity. The briefing highlighted the importance of strategy within design and how visual direction can completely shape the tone and perception of a project.
As a designer, I found the brief especially inspiring because of its editorial nature and the opportunity to experiment with more expressive visual outcomes. The idea of creating a publication that feels bold and unconventional immediately encouraged me to think about typography, pacing, composition, and how storytelling can be communicated visually beyond traditional branding systems.
Overall, the talk provided valuable insight into the early stages of developing a creative publication and reinforced how important concept and intention are when building a strong visual identity.