Logo and Packaging Design

Magis Chocolate is a socially conscious bean-to-bar craft chocolate company founded by Corey James. Corey spent part of his summer working and living alongside cacao farmers in Belize where he became aware of the rapid growth in the chocolate industry in the recent decade and the unfortunate reality that the cocoa farmers were not benefiting from this boom. To address this, Corey started Magis Chocolate which is co-owned by Belizean cocoa farmers, ensuring they earn a higher income and have a voice in the company’s future.

Corey approached me for help with a logo and packaging design for his business. As a college student on a budget, he needed packaging that was sustainable, affordable, high-quality, and easy to assemble. It was important to Corey that the logo reflected Ignation values, the Mayan culture and the scarlet macaw. The color red was chosen for its association with St. Ignatius of Loyola and the Jesuit order, aligning with the values behind Magis. The Scarlet Macaw, a culturally significant bird, was stylized into the shape of an “M” to represent the brand name. Within the wings, I incorporated a simplified pattern inspired by traditional Mayan designs, honoring the heritage of the Belizean cocoa farmers involved in the company. As an owner of a startup company, he had a restricted budget so I kept the packaging and design simple: brown wrapping paper, twine and a stamp — bringing the packaging cost down to just 17 cents per bar!