Jamie's top-notch design inspiration #1

But whether you like it or not, going vegan is set to be the biggest food trend of our generation. There has never been a more diverse range of products in supermarkets around the world. Just this week, Tesco released its own vegan range, “Plant Chef”.

Many companies have made some serious bumper profits from getting involved in the trend. For example, the bakery chain Greggs posted a 58% rise in their first-half profit, up by £23.7 million in the same period last year, after releasing their vegan sausage roll. This marked the company’s best-ever sales growth, according to the Financial Times.

Just some of the facts:

• Today, there are an estimated 540,000 vegans in the UK. Source
• The UK plant-based market was worth £443m in 2018. Source
• The global vegan meat market sales hit $19.5m in 2019. Source

So why am I telling you this? Don’t worry, I’m not about to preach to you on the many reasons why it’s bad to eat animals or why it hurts people's feelings. I’m telling you because there’s a clear, growing market for vegetarian/vegan products and no matter what side you’re on, we need to embrace it. Designers are slowly starting to distinguish their products in a quickly growing field and believe me, there are some juicy outcomes.

Take this new vibrant identity called &Soda, designed by the people at Analogue in Leeds.

It’s been deemed as a clean drinking alternative for the next generation. It contains triple distilled vodka, sparkling water, and all-natural fruit extracts. Oh, and did I mention it’s a vegan-friendly, carb-free, gluten-free drink with no added sugars, sweeteners or preservatives. Whilst one could argue the health benefits of any alcoholic drink, this fresh approach could certainly stand out in a very competitive market.

If minimal is more your thing, then I’m sure you can appreciate the range of products by Minor Figures. They focus on making specialty iced coffee and oat milk. With a nice focus on bespoke, quirky illustration by Andrew Rae, and very clean use of colour combinations, it’s a brand that isn’t afraid of being a little different.

What happens if you’re a yogurt enthusiast but happen to be lactose intolerant? Don’t worry, it’s not the end of the world. The American dairy processor Chobani has released a coconut-based product that, like yogurts, still contain probiotics. The packaging design is made from cut paper, created by famed cut paper artist Hattie Newman and utilizes vivid colours that represent the many tropical ingredients.

And finally, check out some of the work the Polish design studio Owlsome has been producing. They specialize in delivering clean and fun visual identities and have embraced vegan products.

So next time you're having a browse at your chosen supermarket, have a little look at some of the vegan products, even if you are more inclined towards a bit of meaty sausage. The concept and design of the packaging might tempt you to give a plant-based alternative a try.

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