Narrative Design
gobbular
Crafting an archive of inspiration for drink and design enthusiasts
Client
Self-initiated
Expertise
Brand Strategy
CMF Design
Concept Development
Digital Design
Sector
Food & Drink
Year
2020-
It all started with a whisky tasting
Born during the 2020 pandemic, gob•bular started when we began buying a few whiskies to try. Before long, what started as a few brief tasting notes morphed into a comprehensive critical database – spurring us to think about how this could be best shared.
1
Using CMF palettes as a means of exploring sensorial qualities
Image: True Design
2
Going beyond the cliches of whisky being for villains in spy films or leather chairs and smoking jackets
Image: Pexels
3
Brands such as Glenmorangie trying to break out of the mould with releases like A Tale of Cake
Image: Glenmorangie
4
Collages as a means of bringing together different ingredients and compositions
Image: Andrew McGranahan
5
Covid-19 accelerated the growth of digital experiences including online tastings
Image: Whisky Magazine
Encouraging curiosity in drink and design
We wanted to encourage people to step out of their comfort zone and enjoy something new, instead of feeling confined to familiar brands. Working in colours, materials and finishes, I also saw an opportunity for tasting notes to be visualised and translated in a way that would inspire designers across interiors, packaging and other brand-related experiences.
Put it in your gob
The idea for the name ‘gobbular’ came from the idea of putting something ‘in your gob’. I liked the casual reference as I wanted the platform to feel accessible rather than catering only to an elite customer base.
In a similar vein, the icon consists of a bubble-like circular graphic that looks like someone’s had a bite out of it.
Shining the spotlight on each whisky
A pared-back colour scheme was selected to allow the whiskies to take centre stage, providing a subtle warmth in the background. Deep grey-green is used for text, with olive gold as a lightweight accent against a backdrop of pale greige.
An amalgamation of flavours and ingredients
Every whisky is visually represented by a bespoke collage composed of photography, illustrations and renders that relate to various sensations or emotions. This is the key image for each page.
Exploring the DRINK section
The website is divided into two sections, DRINK and DESIGN. They can be explored separately, although the drink and design pages for each whisky are also directly linked.
Each DRINK entry contains the corresponding collage, with information such as tasting notes, scores as well as food and drink pairings.
Exploring the DESIGN section
The DESIGN pages also have tasting notes, but show how these can be translated into colours, materials and finishes (CMF). Each page also has its CMF palette displayed in full colour, with notes for further concept development.
A growing archive for
CMF-driven experiences
gobbular is an ongoing project, where further whisky entries will be added as tastings continue. There are also plans to add other drink categories, such as wine, tea and rum.
Explore other Design projects:
Exell Intelligence
FixIts
