Brand Strategy & Packaging
Mountain Lab is an outdoor gear brand dedicated to creating innovative, tech-driven tools and solutions for explorers and outdoor enthusiasts. To stand out in a competitive market, Mountain Lab needed a cohesive brand identity that resonated with their adventurous audience while reflecting reliability, innovation, and quality.
Lyuba was entrusted with crafting the brand’s visual identity and rolling out a consistent packaging system across a diverse range of products. The collaboration resulted in a thorough set of brand guidelines, graphic assets, and package templates that became the foundation for all subsequent branded packaging.
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The Challenge
Distinctive Yet Flexible Identity: Mountain Lab’s product line spans multiple categories – from safety and survival gear to backcountry tools. The challenge was to create a unified brand style that would adapt seamlessly across varying product shapes, sizes, and categories.
Stand-Out Packaging: With so many outdoor brands competing in retail settings, the packaging had to be eye-catching on shelves, in e-commerce listings, and in promotional materials.
Scalable Design System: As Mountain Lab expanded its product range, any design framework had to be scalable, ensuring consistency over time while accommodating product-specific nuances.
Approach & Strategy
Brand Discovery & Positioning:
Conducted market research and stakeholder interviews to understand Mountain Lab’s core values and unique selling propositions.
Solidified Mountain Lab’s positioning as adventurous, trustworthy, and forward-thinking, setting the tone for all design decisions. Developed the tagline “Roam Free,” capturing the spirit of unrestrained exploration and reinforcing Mountain Lab’s commitment to enabling limitless adventures.
Visual Identity Development:
Logo & Wordmark: Developed a bold, geometric brand mark with an angular silhouette reminiscent of mountain peaks, balanced by a modern, sans-serif wordmark for clarity and versatility.
Design System & Brand Guidelines:
Established iconography, photography and design elements that compliments the logo’s angular style, ensuring continuity across product lines and marketing channels.
Packaging Templates:
Created a modular system of templates that could be easily adjusted for different product shapes and retail environments.
Integrated key branding elements—logo placement, accent color blocks, and product naming structures—into every template.
Ensured ample space for technical specs, safety instructions, and quick visual cues (e.g., icons, color-coded categories) to guide customers.
Results
Consistent Brand Recognition: The cohesive packaging and brand identity foster immediate recognition in outdoor retail settings. Mountain Lab products now stand out on the shelf.
Streamlined Production: The standardized templates simplified the packaging production process. The in-house designer could quickly adapt layouts for new products without reinventing the design system, saving both time and resources.
Scalable Framework for Growth: The brand guidelines and flexible system set the stage for introducing future product lines. As Mountain Lab expands, they can easily maintain cohesion and recognition across new gear and accessories.