Casa Mate was founded around a beverage that many consumers had never heard of before: yerba mate. While mate offers a natural source of energy similar to matcha, the founders wanted the brand to stand for something much deeper than a functional drink.

In Argentina, mate is woven into everyday life. It's shared between friends after a soccer match, passed around at family barbecues, enjoyed during long conversations, and associated with a feeling of home and connection. The challenge was to introduce a relatively unfamiliar product to a broader audience while preserving the cultural significance that makes mate so special.

The goal was to create a brand experience that felt earthy, natural, and energetic while celebrating the warmth, community, and heritage behind the name Casa Mate.

To bring this vision to life, I led the website design, AI-assisted visual production, and graphic design direction. The objective was to create a brand that felt educational enough for first-time mate drinkers while capturing the warmth, nostalgia, and community that sit at the heart of Argentine mate culture.

Website Design: Designed an immersive digital experience that balances education with emotion. The site introduces visitors to the benefits of mate while weaving in stories of connection, family, sport, and everyday rituals. Clean layouts, organic textures, and intuitive navigation help transform an unfamiliar product into an approachable lifestyle brand.

AI Visual Production: With limited photography available during launch, I developed a library of AI-generated visuals that brought the brand world to life. These visuals helped showcase key moments tied to mate culture—from friends gathering outdoors to post-soccer rituals and family get-togethers—creating an emotional connection that product photography alone couldn't achieve.

Graphic Design & Brand Assets: Created supporting graphic elements that injected energy and personality throughout the brand. Hand-drawn details, playful layouts, cultural references, and educational graphics helped communicate the product benefits while keeping the experience visually engaging and memorable.

Visual Storytelling: Built a visual language inspired by the earthy origins of yerba mate. Natural textures, warm tones, and lifestyle imagery were paired with modern design elements to create a brand that feels both rooted in tradition and relevant to today's wellness consumer.

A cohesive digital brand that introduces mate in an accessible and engaging way.

A website experience that balances product education with emotional storytelling.

A custom library of AI-generated visuals that established a strong brand world before large-scale photography was available.

Graphic design assets that bring energy, personality, and cultural storytelling to every touchpoint.

By combining thoughtful web design, AI-generated visual storytelling, and playful graphic design, Casa Mate was able to introduce a lesser-known beverage through a lens that feels both educational and deeply personal. The result is a brand that celebrates not just what mate is, but the sense of connection and home that has made it a beloved tradition for generations. PHASE I: WEBSITE