Packaging and Merchandising Design — Uncle Jeff Kombucha Label Redesign
18.05.2026 - 01.06.2026 / Week 5 — Week 7
Chan Zhi-Ren Zenndan / 0369069
Packaging and Merchandising Design / Bachelor of Design (Honours) in Creative Media / Taylor's UniversityUncle Jeff Kombucha Label Redesign
Table of Contents
1. Instructions
2. Process
3. Reflection
1. Instructions
Fig 1.0 Module Information Booklet
Uncle Jeff Kombucha Label Redesign
The brief:
Uncle Jeff Kombucha is a brand of sparkling, fermented tea (kombucha) founded by Jeff Lau during the pandemic. The brand focuses on creating delicious and affordable kombucha in Malaysia using 100% locally-sourced ingredients and pure fruits and spices with no artificial flavorings.
The existing label, while unique, presents an opportunity for a professional and commercially appealing redesign to help the product better compete and communicate its artisanal, local, and premium qualities in the modern beverage market.
Target Market
● Primary Target Audience (Based on Brand Context): Health-conscious individuals and foodies in Malaysia who appreciate local, artisanal, high-quality, and unique food/drink products. They are likely interested in supporting local businesses.
● Secondary Target: Consumers seeking healthier, low-sugar alternatives to sodas and other processed drinks.
Label Design Requirements:
Based on the lecture, includes necessary information on the label
Deliverables
1. Design Rationale (Report): A 1–2 page document detailing:
○ The chosen visual direction (e.g., Rustic Traditional, Modern Minimalist, Vibrant Malaysian Pop).
○ Justification for the colors, typography, and imagery used to convey the local, artisanal identity.
2. Visual Mock-up: A high-resolution digital image showing the new label wrapped realistically around the large brown bottle and physical mock-up.
3. Label Die-Line/Flat File: A to-scale visual design of the label showing all text, graphics, and the exact cutting shape.
4. Upload your source file (Adobe Illustrator) into your Google Drive and provide the link in your E-portfolio. Make sure you set the link to public.
2. Process
I started by researching Uncle Jeff and its products. Below is a general understanding:
- Malaysian artisanal kombucha brand
- Focuses on affordable, high-quality drinks using 100% local Malaysian tea leaves
- Made with fruit and spices, no artificial flavorings
- Local flavor profiles like calamansi, bandung, and starfruit
- Sold online and has retail locations in KL
I went to their Instagram page to look for a flavor/bottle to redesign. I stumbled across their CNY special edition drink and thought it would be a great opportunity to redesign it.
The reason for choosing this is because:
- There is no clear citrus color profile even though it's a citrus flavor
- Heavy illustration may be too distractive, leaving no room for conveying what the drink is
- The 'O' in KOMBUCHA reads as an 'I'
Fig 2.0 Selected drink
With that, I looked for references that would help me design the label and the logo.
Fig 2.1 Moodboard
I also went to look for citrus-themed colors, and used Adobe's color palette tool to find color harmonies.
Fig 2.2 Looking for color harmonies
I then opened up a 18.5 by 9.5cm artboard, which will be the size of the label. I created another margin where the display will be placed.
From my references, I figured that the way to go about placing the information goes like:
Nutrition facts - Front panel - Additional info and barcode
The nutrition facts uses a standard template, which I will adjust the numbers and percentages to what the drink may contain.
For the right panel, I figured it was crucial to highlight the '100% local' and 'no flavoring' points, so it needs to be bold. Most kombuchas are imported from somewhere else, but Uncle Jeff is local, so there is no need to have an import label. A concise and straightforward ingredient list for transparency, and QR codes can be used to show additional info about Uncle Jeff's brand.
Doing this allows me to narrow down into prioritizing the front panel design. I needed to provide 5 sketches, so below are the 5 themes I explored. See Fig 2.3 for the concept designs.
1 - CNY festive bold
2 - artisan heritage
3 - contemporary citrus
4 - warm citrus friendly-retro
5 - modern-premium
Fig 2.3 Label concepts
I showed Mr. Shamsul the 5 sketches, but he mentioned that all 5 didn't have a strong festive vibe, that it was too vivid and may be too simple. However the placement of the label info was okay. With that, I narrowed down to only focusing on one of the concepts, which is the second one (artisan heritage). The reason for choosing this is because it has the strongest relevant flavor profile and it has a heritage feel to it.
I then looked for more CNY symbols that can help elevate the design, see Fig 2.4 for the symbols.
Fig 2.4 More symbols
Fig 2.5 Updated front panel
Deliverables
After a few changes, I decided to get the mockups and my rationale ready.
Fig 2.6 Design Rationale
Bottle mockup can be found here.
Fig 2.7 Bottle mockup
Fig 2.8 Extra 3D bottle mockup (from pacdora)
All the 3D mockups were from pacdora, and I couldn't remove the watermarks due to it being a premium feature. Nonetheless, I still think having a 3D perspective will help visualize the bottle.
Fig 2.9 3D mockup video
Fig 2.10 3D mockup GIF
Fig 2.11 Label on A4 - to scale
Click here to download the work file
3. Reflection
The redesign of Uncle Jeff Kombucha focused on balancing brand personality with improved functional communication. My primary challenge was addressing the original label's heavy illustrations, which lacked clear flavor identification. I organized the layout into three standard panels: nutrition facts on the left, the main design in the center, and regulatory info on the right. Following a consultation with Mr. Shamsul, I realized my initial colors were too vivid and did not accurately reflect a festive atmosphere. I iterated on this by stripping back the palette to a more intentional orange and gold scheme that supports the "Citrus Prosperity" flavor. The final design is more cohesive, communicating the product's artisanal identity without sacrificing shelf clarity.
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