Above Below is an award-winning conceptual brand that combines cannabis consumption and Tarot to facilitate self-discovery and personal growth. Targeting millennials interested in cannabis and spirituality, the brand would aim to reframe how we think about getting high and getting in touch with our inner selves.

I kicked off the project by diving deep into cannabis and Tarot, brainstorming ways to merge the two. A market analysis showed that current recreational-focused cannabis brands focus on quality or price point. Above Below would stand out by using the unique experiences that can be achieved through cannabis consumption and Tarot to bring in an additional marketing element through education, spirituality, and a product that focuses on the experience and what you can achieve through its use.

This was followed by researching cannabis strains, categorization, effects, as well as brushing up on my knowledge of Tarot. This helped map out the connections between specific cards and cannabis strains, using this to name each product, and develop a list of representative SKUs.

I moved through the design phases with a mix of traditional and digital techniques. I crafted initial designs for the first three SKUs, played around with type and hand-drawn elements, and iterated through print tests. Once I had the packaging finalized, I moved on to 3D modeling and rendering to bring the designs to life.

Each piece of packaging was crafted to reflect the mystical and transformative experience that Above Below would offer, featuring abstract shapes that evoke the fluidity of smoke and our self-states, and a typeface that’s a modern nod to the lettering in the classic Rider-Waite deck.

The use of reflections in the supporting imagery go back to the phrase the brand name is based on, "As above, so below.” It roughly means that what is seen in the physical world is reflected in the spiritual world - everything is connected. It embodies the experiences you can achieve through the use of both tarot and cannabis, and is a nod to the physical feelings of being high.