Overview

As podcasting continued to grow, Spotify set out to celebrate and support its creator community with a premium branded gift experience. Designed during a time of social distancing, the initiative encouraged creators to step away from their screens, reconnect outdoors, and embrace moments of relaxation and inspiration. Centered around comfort, creativity, and shared experiences, the kit reflected Spotify's commitment to fostering meaningful connections with its creators while extending the brand beyond the digital platform through a thoughtful, immersive physical experience.

Challenges

Create a gift kit where every element served a purpose beyond the product itself. From the packaging to the individual contents, each piece needed to reinforce Spotify's message of creativity, comfort, and connection while transforming a branded gift into a meaningful experience. The challenge was to ensure every detail felt intentional, communicated the brand story, and encouraged creators to engage with the kit long after it was opened

Approach

To meet this challenge, we explored packaging concepts that would become part of the experience rather than simply contain it. I designed a reusable wooden box lined with soft sherpa, transforming the packaging into a keepsake that reinforced the kit's cozy, outdoor theme and encouraged long-term use.

To carry the same intentionality throughout the rest of the kit, the custom blanket features an abstract wave pattern inspired by both audio sound waves—a subtle nod to Spotify—and the flowing forms found in nature. By pairing this pattern with Spotify's secondary palette of deep green and neutrals, I created a visual language that felt distinctly tied to the brand while naturally complementing an outdoor setting.

Results & Takeaways

A rewarding outcome was seeing podcast creators enthusiastically share the kit across social media, engaging with every aspect of the experience—from the packaging to the individual products. Watching each piece become part of their stories validated the idea that thoughtful, experience-driven design creates a stronger connection than branded merchandise alone.

This project reminded me that the most memorable designs are the ones created with intention. When every detail has a purpose, people connect with the experience, and not just the product.