Eat Grim changes the way people think about food by celebrating diversity in shape, size, and color, and create real impact for farmers, consumers, and the planet.
Client
Eat Grim
Year
2019 - 2021
My role
Brand Identity, Design systems, Packaging, Responsive Webdesign, Merchandising, Photography, Illustration
Tools
Figma
Illustrator
Photoshop
InDesign
Project Background
Eat Grim is a Copenhagen-based startup dedicated to fighting food waste by rescuing "ugly" and surplus fruits and vegetables, produce that would otherwise be discarded because of appearance or overproduction. Through a box subscription model, Eat Grim delivers this fresh, organic produce directly from European farms to people’s doors, making it easy to eat more sustainably.
The Challenge
As the Brand Designer (+ illustrator + photographer), I shaped Eat Grim’s visual identity and voice across all touchpoints. From logo and packaging to emails, website, and merchandise. My goal was to create a brand that not only stood out but also sparked conversations about food waste and sustainability. Over the course of my two-year collaboration, Eat Grim grew to over 2,500 regular subscribers and built a passionate online community, saving hundreds of tons of food from going to waste.
Table of Contents
01. Research – Understanding the Market
Overview
COMPETITIVE MARKET ANALYSIS
STAKEHOLDER INSIGHTS
Research Intro
To lay a solid foundation for Eat Grim’s brand and design, I started with a deep dive into the Danish food delivery and subscription market, analyzing competitors and industry trends shaping consumer behavior.
Competitive Market Analysis
I conducted this analysis to understand the landscape of similar food delivery and subscription services in Denmark. It helped identify what competitors offer, their strengths, and opportunities for differentiation, especially in areas like packaging, branding, and sustainability messaging. Key findings revealed Eat Grim’s unique positioning through its playful branding and focus on “ugly” produce, setting it apart from meal kit services like HelloFresh and Aarstiderne, and from surplus-food rescue apps like Too Good To Go.
Stakeholder Insights
Purpose of discussions
Engaging with key stakeholders to fully understand Eat Grim’s business goals, operational challenges, and long-term vision helped ensure, that the brand identity not only looked great but also reflected the company’s commitment to reducing food waste and connecting authentically with customers.
Key Stakeholders Involved
Conversations were held with the two company founders, Marketing Manager, Customer Success Manager and Head of Operations. Their perspectives provided a well-rounded view of brand aspirations and practical needs.
Main Themes and Priorities Identified
Stakeholders highlighted the importance of celebrating imperfect produce through bold and playful branding that challenges conventional beauty standards. They emphasized transparency, sustainability, and building a community of eco-conscious consumers as central pillars.
Influence on Design Direction
Insights shaped the vibrant color palette, approachable typography, and engaging packaging that tells the story of each product’s journey. The tone of messaging was crafted to be friendly and educational, encouraging customers to embrace and enjoy “ugly” food.
03. Define – Clarifying Needs & Strategy
Overview
USER PERSONAS
CUSTOMER NEEDS & FOCUS POINTS
DESIGN GOALS & DELIVERABLES
Defining Next Steps
This chapter outlines the strategy that shaped Eat Grim’s design direction. By distilling insights from customer types and focusing on clear, actionable deliverables, the team set the stage for building a brand and product that reflect the values and priorities of the target audience.
User Personas
Personas help bring key Eat Grim customers to life by showcasing their habits, needs, and motivations. By outlining different customer types, the team could focus on real-world preferences and pain points, ensuring each design and communication choice resonates with the people most likely to use and love the service.
Customer Needs & Focus Points
Understanding what matters most to Eat Grim’s customers helped focus the design and product strategy. The visualization below highlights key user needs: healthy options, flexible subscriptions, and provided recipes. Alongside common pain points and the prioritied steps prioritized to address them. This approach kept the team aligned on creating an experience that felt both practical and enjoyable.
Design Goals & Deliverables
I. Cohesive and unified brand identity
Developing a unique visual language that connects all touchpoints, from logo, typeface, color pallette and defined style of photography and illustration, ensuring instant recognition and memorability.
II. New packaging design for three box sizes
Creating functional, bold packaging that communicates the story and values of the brand, while protecting a variety of produce.
III. A responsive website design that converts and reflects the brand
Designing a visually engaging site that highlights the brand mission and achievements, and drives sign-ups for subscriptions.
IV. Visual guidelines and templates for e-mail marketing, SoMe content, B2B communication
Defining ready-to-use templates and rules ensuring consistent style and tone across newsletters, social posts, and professional outreach.
V. A library of branded content
Builtd a collection of photos, videos, animations, illustrations, and icons to support marketing and reinforce the brand’s personality.
04. Design – Bringing the Brand to Life
Overview
BRAND IDENTITY
PACKAGING
CONTENT CREATION
MERCH & COLLATERAL
WEBSITE
EMAIL MARKETING
Building a Recognizable Brand
The Eat Grim brand stands out with its bold colors, quirky visuals, and playful tone. From logo to packaging, every detail was crafted to be eye-catching and approachable, celebrating the beauty of “ugly” produce while creating instant recognition both online and offline. Consistency across materials helped build trust and excitement, making the brand memorable at every touchpoint.
Brand Identity
The Eat Grim logo and toolkit combine bold, earthy colors, a playful typeface, and the recognizable “wonky” fruit symbol. This cohesive identity reflects the brand’s values: celebrating imperfection, embracing sustainability, and making food waste a fun conversation starter.
Packaging
Each box was designed for practicality and to spark curiosity upon arrival, featuring bold visuals, educational snippets, and a friendly tone. The packaging invites customers to discover where their food comes from, why it might look quirky, and why that’s worth celebrating.
Content Creation
Vibrant photography and custom illustrations bring the brand’s mission to life by showcasing the beauty of misshapen fruits and veggies. Social media, newsletters, and campaigns are packed with delicious images, behind-the-scenes stories, and playful animations.
Merch & Collateral - Amplifying the message
A rich library of content from stickers, tote bags, posters, email templates to SoMe graphics, makes sure Eat Grim’s personality shines at every touchpoint, from Instagram to the customer’s doorstep.
Website
The responsive website balances conversion-focused UI with visual storytelling and quirky microcopy. Users can easily learn about Eat Grim’s impact, subscribe for deliveries, and find creative ways to use their “imperfect” produce.
Email Marketing
Weekly email newsletters and updates were designed to feel like personal notes from the Eat Grim univers. Friendly, upbeat, and packed with helpful content. Each campaign blended tasty visuals, seasonal tips, recipes and brand storytelling to keep subscribers engaged.
05. Delivery & Launch
Overview
IMPLEMENTATION & HANDOVER
RECEPTION & RESULTS
Growing the Movement
Since the rebrand, Eat Grim has attracted thousands of passionate subscribers, sparked a national conversation about food waste, and turned playful, punchy design into real-world impact for farmers, food lovers, and the planet.
Implementation & Handover
All design assets (from brand guidelines and templates to final print files) were prepared to ensure smooth handoff to the Eat Grim team and their partners. Clear documentation and easy-to-use resources made it simple for the brand to stay consistent and adaptable as it continued to grow and evolve.
Reception & Results
Eat Grim turned curious customers into passionate advocates through social media, events, and creative partnerships. By using fun storytelling, striking imagery, and empowering messaging, the brand inspired thousands to rethink food waste and join a more sustainable way of eating and making an impact.
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© Barbora Gadlinova 2025
