The Process – Malomo

Over the past few years I have been able to spend a lot of quality time with my mother and I’ve been able witness how she pulls through and cleanses her mind and spirit from her immediate situation. Since she is no longer working, she has taken up the craft of soap making to keep her focused on the positive. She has been able to challenge herself as well as keep in tune with the creativity she has always had. I wanted to be apart of her experience so I decided to develop a conceptual line of bath soaps based on the healing nature of African Black soap.

1.  The Sketches

Initially, I started with some pretty obvious solutions. Natural elements such as the palm leaf or wood conjured up a “green” feel but did not quite capture the beauty of black soap.

2.  Investigations

I then developed another approach that centered around the pot ash used in the soap. Since a the ash is a major ingredient, I decided to combine a dark base against the lively nature of bright patterned wax batik. To simulate the ash, I ground charcoal into a fine powder, photographed it and incorporated it into a majority of the packaging.

3.  Mocking it up

Next, I mocked up the final proposed packaging for the line of products. I wanted the peak of blue print to be continued undulating horizontal region if all the packages were presented on a retail shelf. We hope to launch Malomo soaps this winter so be on the look out!