As part of my final year project at IADT, I tasked myself with creating "Krispy Kelps", an algae-based food brand that focused on destigmatising algae products to the general public.
Research
Algae is hypothesised to be a promising food source due to the sustainability and health benefits it offers. However, consumers who are unfamiliar with algae-based foods find it difficult to engage with.
Food neophobia plays a large role in people’s food choices every day. By presenting new products in familiar ways, we can reduce users levels of food neophobia and thus play a part in normalizing alternative protein sources.
Primary research - Key Insights
Secondary research - Key Insights
Visual Research
As part of my visual research, I explored how contemporary food brands connect with their audiences. I noticed that many leading plant-based brands adopt a down-to-earth, informal tone, creating a sense of approachability and authenticity. Their food photography tends to emphasize the sensory appeal, highlighting taste, texture, and flavour in a vivid and almost visceral way. These insights became foundational to my own visual explorations, shaping how I approached both tone and imagery.
Iteration
Building on this research, I began experimenting with a range of ideas, cycling through multiple iterations of witty catchphrases, bold colours, and loud typography. During this process, I also gathered my own algae and created algae-based food options myself, using real ingredients to develop dishes like a spirulina spicebag and an algae-based burger.
App Prototype
Below are some screenshots outlining the basic user flow. This includes the initial onboarding process, browsing the menu, learning about different types of algae and how they can be incorporated into a diet, and finally, ordering algae-based food products.
Branding Campaign
As part of this project, I also developed a branding campaign. The brand uses cheeky, down-to-earth language to make unfamiliar species and foods more approachable and engaging for the user. The outputs included a series of posters, Instagram posts, a TikTok campaign, and other digital materials designed to communicate the brand’s tone and message across multiple platforms.
Final Outcome
The Krispy Kelps app is an algae-based food platform that offers convenient, tasty alternatives to meat while educating users about alternative proteins. Rather than trying to convince every meat-eater to become vegan or vegetarian, the app focuses on encouraging small, sustainable shifts in food choices. It aims to make alternative proteins more approachable for a wider audience by using a cheeky, down-to-earth tone. Each species of algae is represented by its own icon, allowing users to easily identify ingredients in each dish. A dedicated Algae section categorises different species by key characteristics, making the information clear and accessible for first-time users.
Below is a walkthrough of the app prototype, highlighting its key features and user journey.
