Steep Five

Steep Five is a canned iced tea built as an alternative to the energy drink: real caffeinated tea, zero sugar, no crash. The concept draws on the Chinese Five Elements, with each flavor paired to a guardian animal from Chinese mythology, like the Qilin for Earth and the Water Tortoise. The challenge was making a tea brand that felt as loud and shelf-ready as an energy drink, without losing the calm, zen side of the idea. The illustrations became the hero: oversized characters filling each can, set against chunky textured lettering and a bold palette for every element. I carried the look across shipping boxes, stickers, a tote and a tee, tied together by the line “No crash, just chi.” What I’m proudest of is the illustration work and how current the system feels: five very different characters that still read as one brand.