Case Study

Target's Archer Farms

Commanding a premium perception

Industry
Consumer Packaged Goods
Stage
Enterprise

Target was the first mass-retailer to offer fair trade coffee to its millions of guests. Knowing their shoppers are increasingly curious about product sourcing and large-scale impa...

Target was the first mass-retailer to offer fair trade coffee to its millions of guests. Knowing their shoppers are increasingly curious about product sourcing and large-scale impact, the brand recently revitalized their assortment of Archer Farms coffee to better reflect the product story “from farm to cup,” and partnered with COLLINS to reimagine the new and improved offering.

As we know, coffee is a complicated category for guests to navigate; not only are there a number of cues that must be taken into account across flavor, roast and origin, but beans and single-serve cups also sit tightly packed, side-by-side on shelf.

We worked with our Target partners to develop a design system that tells a genuine story, bringing the inherent Archer Farms product and provenance qualities to life. We wanted to encourage guests to make easier comparisons between the range of products in the aisle.

The unified grid system at the top of each bag indicates key attributes across name, flavor cues and origin. We invited a number of international illustrators to create a scalable, custom solution to showcase the varieties of coffee, emphasizing how and where the beans are grown —building on Target’s commitment to sustainable sourcing.

The Archer Farms brand features a wide selection of flavors, roasts, origins, fair trade and direct trade varieties with quality tiering and organic options and is exclusively sold at Target.

COLLINS
Nicholas RezabekJules TardyFlora ChanCourtney SharesBrian Collins

Augments

Augments are add-on components or properties that enhance a design system’s performance. They introduce new capabilities, expand functionality and improve how the system works across contexts.

Augments

Augments are add-on components or properties that enhance a design system’s performance. They introduce new capabilities, expand functionality and improve how the system works across contexts.

Shelf Pop

A performance property that ensures packaging visually pops on crowded shelves, driving purchase decisions in the critical 2.5-second scan window. High-contrast colors, bold typography, large imagery and distinct shapes can boost on-shelf brand recognition by up to 80%.

Choice Architecture

A component augment that combines color coding, icons and hierarchy to guide consumers effortlessly through product lines at shelf. By reducing decision fatigue and enabling clear differentiation, it empowers consumers to make a informed choice at a glance.

Sandbox

A fixed container component that enables surprising, open-ended expression within a fixed boundary. Its consistent structure signals authorship, even when the content comes from outside teams, partners or audiences. Ideal for co-branding, collaborations, co-creation, temporal campaigns.

Signature Illustration

This illustration style captures the geographic and cultural roots of Archer Farms coffee. Each scene evokes a specific origin—through architecture, landscape and palette—turning every package into a window into place, craft and climate.

Impact

Improved Shelf Navigation

A unified attribute grid system made it easier for guests to compare products across flavor, roast, and origin—improving shopability across a crowded shelf.

Enhanced Quality Perception

Elevated packaging design and custom international illustrations reinforced product provenance, growing consumer confidence in premium and fair trade options.

Strengthened Category Cues

Introduced a clear, structured hierarchy across the assortment, helping guests intuitively understand roast levels, origin stories, and preparation formats.

Elevated Perceived Intrinsic Value

Transformed abstract sustainability claims into concrete, visually distinctive product narratives—building trust and increasing relevance with ethically-minded shoppers.

Alignment with Speciality Coffee Cues

Matched the design language of third-wave coffee while retaining Target’s accessible tone, bridging mass retail and specialty sensibilities.