Buttonwood: Innovative Packaging for a Imaginary Cafe and Bakery

Bringing Creativity and Functionality to Pleasanton, California

Buttonwood is not your average cafe and bakery. Located on Main Street in Pleasanton, California, this imaginary establishment captures the essence of the town's history and the variety of baked goods it offers. Annie Wu, the talented designer behind Buttonwood, aims to create a personal and memorable experience for customers through her innovative packaging and model construction of the interior.

One of the standout features of Buttonwood is its packaging. Wu's creative vision led her to design an eight-sided gift box inspired by the shape of ornaments, reflecting the circular shape of cookies and cakes. The packages are printed on paper of various weights, and Wu meticulously incorporates hand-drawn illustrations of leaves and pastries sold in the shop. These patterns, intricately woven together, create a clean and cheerful atmosphere that perfectly complements the cafe and bakery's offerings.

But Buttonwood is more than just packaging. Wu's attention to detail extends to the cafe and bakery's branding as well. The logo, inspired by the original name of the town after the sycamore tree, adds a touch of history and authenticity to the establishment. With a large target market and a prime location on Main Street, Buttonwood needed packaging that would appeal to a youthful and elegant audience. Wu's designs achieve just that, capturing the attention of passersby and enticing them to step inside.

Creating the packaging and model construction for Buttonwood was no easy feat. Wu, not an interior design major, challenged herself to bring the cafe to life using her knowledge of pop-up books and a passion for paper construction. The numerous packages required precise measurements and calculations, while the model of the shop had to be meticulously laid out on a grid in centimeters. Wu also conducted extensive research on cafe designs and standard measurements for furniture to ensure every aspect of Buttonwood was thoughtfully considered.

The Buttonwood project, a collaboration between Annie Wu and her professor, Joseph Roberts, spanned over a year from concept to execution. The result is a cafe and bakery that captures the imagination and delights customers with its unique packaging and branding. Wu's dedication to detail and her ability to bring her creative vision to life earned her the prestigious Iron A' Design Award in 2016, recognizing her well-designed, practical, and innovative creations.

Buttonwood may be an imaginary cafe and bakery, but its impact is very real. Through Annie Wu's innovative packaging and branding, this establishment brings creativity and functionality to Pleasanton, California, leaving a lasting impression on all who encounter it.