Nordic Noodles
Building a ramen noodle brand from scratch
the why and how
I'm one of five founders and the one responsible for the brand. We built Nordic Noodles from scratch, with a noodle master, a recipe on Swedish flour, no agency and no budget. It needed a brand that could hold its own on a deli shelf and in a chef's kitchen.
Most noodle brands shout, with loud colours and big symbols. We went for the place where Japanese noodle craft meets Nordic simplicity.
the what
The Brand
Japanese craft and Nordic simplicity in one system, built on natural colours and raw materials. The illustrations follow the shape of our actual noodle nests, so the craft ends up in the graphics too. The photography is documentary, not staged: shot fast with a flash, broth spilling, noodles slurped and the splashes left in.
Package Design
The consumer pack holds two portions of fresh noodles, and it had to look good while also working with a new production machine, in the fridge and over a longer shelf life. Packaging is where design meets production, and this one had to get both right. The sleeve is cut in the shape of a noodle, so the real noodles show through the raw board.
Who did what
Beyond the brand, I do whatever needs doing, from packing noodles to selling to small restaurants and managing one of our biggest wholesaler. As a designer I could list a hundred things I'd update and change. As a founder I know it's good enough to sell noodles and position the prant, and right now that is the job. Getting things perfect and doing more comes later.
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