Design Champions: Aduna

Beyond its super healthy product range, this Design Champion has a number of powerful ingredients to hook snack-hungry consumers.

Inspired by Africa, this health food brand and social business first caught my eye when running innovation workshops on the future of snacking. Here’s a quick-fire four reasons why Aduna is our latest Design Champion:

1. A cohesive brand language

Wherever you encounter Aduna, it offers a delightful design language inspired by its African provenance. The vibrant illustrations that adorn packaging, website and beyond are based on traditional wax print patterns, created by a collaborative team including the folks at Carter Wong Design. This cohesive yet flexible design language makes for a strong sense of place and storytelling.

2. A lifestyle brand

The priorities of many Gen-Z & millennial consumers have shifted from previous generations, out of necessity as much as choice. Accessible yet desirable brands like Aduna help these consumers curate their (often) rented homes with delightful design. Who needs a Banksy when you have Baobab?

3. A brand born digital

This is clearly a brand that appreciates the value of design, no more evident than in the user experience of Aduna’s website. It’s more usable and beautiful on mobile than desktop, a highly curated aesthetic runs through the site, with simple, single tile features on the landing page. Like its target consumer, this is a brand that is truly ‘born digital’.

4. And finally… a brand on a mission

What perhaps makes Aduna a brand champion beyond just design is their genuine desire to do good. The brand creates a market, through education and marketing (#MakeBaobabFamous), for nutrient-rich products that are in abundance in Africa. Setting up local African suppliers with sustainable business opportunities rather than a reliance on “cash crops”.

And this final point is perhaps the most compelling reason I’m a big fan of what Aduna are doing. It just helps that the brand’s looking beautiful while doing it!