Kimi Wellness
Challenge
Palo Santo is a species of wood native to the Yucatan Peninsula and Central America. In recent years it has become especially popular amongst the health and wellness community for its calming effects and spiritual associations, however, the origins of its use have become increasingly unclear amongst its users.
Concept
Kimi Wellness is an indigenous-owned wellness brand that is focused on educating its customers on the history and nature of Palo Santo and sacred practices. It also works with marginalized indigenous organizations to preserve the land where palo santo is harvested. In a market that implies that the resource is abundant, Kimi aims to make genuine change while continuing to preserve the practice of burning Palo Santo.
Development
Extensive visual research and brainstorming were done to understand the visual language of the Maya culture and how to best represent it in the brand identity.
Target Profiles
In creating target profiles a better understanding of the potential customers and their values was reached. This was significant in the process as it allowed me to make more informed design decisions based on the demographic of people who would be interested in the product.
Solution
A logo, and brand identity heavily inspired by Maya culture, and hieroglyphs were created to best represent the region and demographic the brand would cater to. Additionally, the word Kimi means “death and transformation” in the Mayan language. This is significant to the brand as Palo Santo can only be harvested once it has aged and died naturally to produce its fragrant scent.
