Dot. Cannabis Products
Cannabis period products for REAL pain relief.
Problem: Periods are a drag. CORRECTION: Periods are one of the most disruptive, mentally challenging, physically exhausting types of pain women experience… every month. For as long as women have existed, so have periods. By now, there should be various solutions and multiple options to choose from. Instead we have aspirin, simple headache medicine, to deal with problematic recurring period pain.
Women are tired of having their voices unheard and their period pain overlooked. As a result, Millennials and Gen-Z have grown increasingly distrustful of conventional medicine and are investing in holistic solutions that better reflect a more natural lifestyle. We aim to create a cannabis-based product line that treats period pain with the natural healing properties of CBD.
Project Goals: Our goal was to create a trustworthy, cannabis brand that addresses period pain, is environmentally friendly, and inclusive of all genders that experience such pain. We noticed the majority of feminine care packaging contributes to the societal views of what femininity vs masculinity looks like. Society has been groomed to think of menstruation as a private issue and one to be dealt with discreetly. We wanted our packaging to reflect a new norm and for our products to have consumers feeling empowered, but more importantly, relief.
Project Details
Timeline: 7 weeks
Roles: Research, Branding, Visual Design, Illustration, Copywriting, Packaging
Skills: Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign, Procreate
Collaborator: Jenny Flick
PROCESS & RESEARCH
Why CBD?
We aimed to find out the different ways cannabis is utilized, its main chemical compounds and their effects, the current market and where it’s headed, and its target demographic. In our research, we found the use of cannabis products have proven to treat ailments of the human body and mind for decades. Though backed by scientific research, there is a stigma against using cannabis for medical treatment. We also discovered cannabis not only has the ability to provide systemic pain relief, but localized pain relief as well, a rarity in pain management.
How does CBD help?
According to the National Center of Biotechnology Information, CBD reduces chronic pain by stimulating the activity of endocannabinoid receptors, interacting with neurotransmitters and reducing inflammation in the process. After the brain, the vaginal canal has the highest concentration of cannabinoid receptors, making it one of the fastest ways to absorb CBD into the bloodstream, providing localized relief unlike over-the-counter drugs. Brainstorming various ailments that would benefit most from localized pain relief, we found that period pain was a region of healthcare that was rarely addressed.
Who are our users?
Our concept was to address period pain management with the use of cannabis products. To be a brand that all genders who experience period pain would feel included and in control. We then continued our research and did a deeper dive in how we could provide localized pain relief and in what forms would work best. By gathering a group of our target demographic, we conducted a survey that allowed us to find out what types of pain were most common during a period, what products would a person feel most comfortable using, and what products would best fit their lifestyle. By narrowing down what our target consumer would want and benefit from the most, our team was able to evolve our concept.
SOLUTION
Because aspirin isn’t enough
A monthly subscription box of cannabis products that would give our consumers freedom from over-the-counter drugs, provide various product alternatives to manage their period pain to fit their lifestyle, and to provide a service that addresses the importance of women’s health while destigmatizing the use of cannabis products.
Branding & Visual Design
Dot is a playful take on giving menstruation a name. We wanted a name that was short and sweet, youthful, yet mature. We added the period punctuation mark at the end to add emphasis that we were making a statement with our brand. Inspired by illustrations of organic shapes layered over one another, our typeface was chosen to be familiar and interesting. We wanted it to feel human touched, which we found in the “o” of the serif typeface, Windsor. The inside of the “o” was irregularly shaped, making it interestingly delightful and different.For our visuals we chose a range of colors to represent periods, inclusivity, and cannabis. So we stuck with warm, playful, and relaxing tones.
Illustrations
We aimed to create outlines and shapes that were inspired by blots of ink or stains, our take on other ways to represent menstruation. The style needed to feel light and natural to give a hint of relaxation. Combining the illustrations layered over one another represents using cannabis to heal.
Products
As a brand that values inclusivity we wanted to make sure we were getting the opinions of people who are normally left out of the menstruation conversation. We surveyed a group of people, ranging from cisgengered females to trans-males. Our purpose was to narrow down which products would be most useful and expected in a subscription box.
Website
Bringing every aspect of Dot together all on one platform to introduce who we are, what we represent, and how we can help. Our goal is to inform customers about the uses of CBD to manage pain, present options, and for them to feel simultaneously supported and empowered because our values are their values.
