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Weird & Sweet:
Artisinal Candy Shop

A Spec Concept Brand and Promotional Campaign largely generated with AI Tools

Weird & Sweet is an artisanal candy shop in Austin, creating handcrafted confections that blend unconventional flavors with local ingredients, celebrating Austin's unique culture and creative spirit.

Project Goals and Overview

Boldness with Approachability

 Inspiration from Austin’s local creative scene to build authenticity, personality, and strong brand recognition.

Discovery & Engagement

Create an intuitive, visually engaging UI that encourages exploration and product discovery. 

Playful Digital Identity

Develop a cohesive brand identity and UI experience for Weird & Sweet that captures its playful, unconventional spirit while reflecting Austin’s creative culture.

Research & Findings

Audience

Investigate target audience preferences, focusing on younger, experience-driven consumers who value novelty, aesthetics, and shareability. 

Market Landscape

Research Austin’s specialty candy and dessert scene to identify gaps and opportunities for differentiation. 

Analyze how competitors present their brand, product range, and in-store or digital experiences to position Weird & Sweet as uniquely innovative.

Visual  Trends

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Target Audience

Trend-Driven & Playful (20-40 years old)

Plugged in. We know what’s happening. We care about the city, the scene, and the little cultural moments that make it feel alive. We show up, we collaborate, we stay curious — and we don’t take ourselves too seriously while doing it.

Community-Rooted (wide age range)

We’re not just in the city, we’re part of it. Community over corporate. We support, we participate, we actually care. If it’s happening around us, we’re probably there... probably with snacks.
 

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Horizontal Stack

Vertical Stack

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BonBon is our beloved logomark and face of the brand. BonBon is able to change expressions on ephemera, packaging and all the goods but the primary logo. 

BonBon!

Logo Variations and Type

Austin’s got that mix of indie grithonky-tonk roots, and “keep it weird” energy. So I’m pairing bold, weighty typefaces with slices of the city’s personality... meet 8heavy and Quicksand!

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AI Usage

Explore Visual Directions
Generative AI was used to explore unconventional visual directions aligned with Weird & Sweet’s playful, Austin-inspired brand.


AI Prompt Writing Development 
Leveraged AI for rapid experimentation with color, mood, and illustration styles during ideation. Developed prompt-writing and refinement skills to guide AI outputs intentionally.
 

Enhance UI Design
Combined AI exploration with human design judgment to shape final image/wireframe concepts. Also demonstrated how generative AI can enhance creativity and efficiency in branding and UI design.

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Adobe Firefly
Image Generations

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Bacon Spice Bark

Sour Gummy Cluster

Fish Shaped Miso Hard Candy

Lavender Caramel Chews

Lavender Caramel Chews

Sour Gummy Cluster

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User Flow

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Lo-fi Wireframes

UI Kit

Austin’s bold, eclectic personality with warm colors and playful, chunky typography. Rounded icons and geometric shapes reflect the city’s mix of indie creativity and modern design. It embodies Austin’s “Keep it Weird” spirit vibrant, expressive, and full of character.

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Creative Playground

Dino National Monument

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