Design Showcase: Alcindo, Correa
Featuring the packages for Haymaker Coffee Co., Sandhill Coffee, and more.
Who: Alcindo Correa, AC Creative Studios (ACCS Design)
Role: Founder/Principle Designer
Where: Wausau, WI
Connect: https://www.accs.design/ • @accs.design • Roastar Profile
What they order: …always starting with a cappuccino
Motto: Graphic Design, Simplified.
R!WC: Alcindo, thanks for chatting with us at Roast! West Coast. I'm excited to learn more about your design work, but first, I'd like to ask about you! Who are you? Where are you from? What are some essential things about you?
Alcindo: I'm a father of three, passionate about Knowledge, Food, and Coffee. As a Brazilian guy, I have had a strong connection with coffee since I was a kid. It is part of our daily routine to hang out with our family, friends, and co-workers for a cup of coffee after lunch. I love to cook and mix our flavors from Brazil with ones from Wisconsin, where we have lived since 2014.
R!WC: How long have you been working in design, and how did you get started specifically in packaging design?
Alcindo: I discovered my design skills in the 90s when I was hired to design a process manual for a mining company. At that time, I loved drawing things, but I was passionate about this new thing called PC, which made me start to work in technology.
In 2014 I moved with my family from Brazil (104ºF) to Wisconsin (-30ºF). I'll never forget how winter can be hard here. One day, I was seeking a good cup of coffee when I met this guy from Chile selling coffee at the Local Farmer's Market. At that time, he was packing his awesome coffee in a brown bag with a stamp on it. You heard it right. They stamped their logo every week on each bag.
Trying to explain my previous job as a product manager, he asked me to design a new packaging for their coffee because of my computer skills. This is how I started my business, and he sold all six-months of [his] coffee in two.
R!WC: What makes for a good designer/coffee packaging client?
Alcindo: Knowledge about the product and market. As much as we know, client and designer, the closer we get to packaging that communicates and sells.
R!WC: What is your strategy or philosophy when brainstorming the design concept for a new coffee bag or tin? What are the challenges? What is the fun part?
Alcindo: I always start a new project with a good definition of the product and who we will serve. I think the design results from solving the gap between the product and the final user. I call them users because it is all about user experience—from packaging to taste.
The funnest and most exciting part of the job is to know the story behind the product, and I heard a lot of inspirational ones. It is a challenge to tell the correct story through design, sometimes because we don't know enough about who will listen to it and buy the coffee.
R!WC: What makes for a good coffee bag design? Why do some packages stand out on the shelf?
Alcindo: Balance. We must consider all the journeys and experiences around the product, from pricing to the touch. Working together with members of each project can make your packaging stand out from competitors.
R!WC: What is something that you've learned about running the business that has surprised you, or you've had to learn the hard way?
Alcindo: Know your client's buying process and where you are in this process. If you offer logo design, you have less chances to sell to one client already packing their coffee. Learn to say "No" to clients not matching your business services.
R!WC: You're located in Central WI, but you've worked with coffee clients from all over. How do you absorb a brand's style or identity if you can't physically visit them?
Alcindo: Having a good conversation about the entrepreneur and business is essential. I don't talk about branding or style with them in the beginning, just about what story we will tell. I put all this conversation on my CRM (Customer Relationship Management software), where I have my process and data organized.
R!WC: What questions do you ask a new client when brainstorming a new design concept?
Alcindo: What are their inspirations outside the coffee market, and what they don't want to see. And as I mentioned, some questions about the market and competition are included in our initial conversation about business.
R!WC: What is your dream design job, and why?
Alcindo: I really like to work with clients that know their products and market. This way, we can focus our efforts on positioning their products.
R!WC: Was there ever a chance you weren't going to be a graphic designer? If so, what do you think you would be doing instead?
Alcindo: I was not always a graphic designer; I worked for more than 20 years in technology areas. If I was not in the design today, probably I will be in building automation or coffee.
R!WC: Is there anything else we didn't cover that our listeners should know about you and ACCS Designs?
Alcindo: We support all coffee business processes, from concept to sales development, from logo to website projects. In partnership with Avery, we created a way to deliver physical labels to our clients a few years ago. We call it Design In The Label. They can order labels designed and ready to apply to their products.
We are also proudly supporting the Kona Coffee Farmers Association in Hawaii. We decided to support KCFA members after learning about their work from a client, and it was my way of giving back to the Kona community.
R!WC: Do you drink coffee? If yes, what coffee drink do you order when you're out in the world?
Alcindo: A lot. At the end of each project, I order at least one coffee from the client to check the packaging and the coffee. I also try different coffee shops when traveling, always starting with a cappuccino, which is an excellent way to know if they know to handle an espresso machine.
As a coffee lover, I have some coffee toys at home, which allow me to work on my barista side [skills]. My favorite beans come from Sandhill Coffee (IL) and Condor Coffee (WI).
ALCINDO’S FAVS
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