From a Local Cinnamon Product to a Brand Ready for a Bigger Market
Packaging redesign for a women-led Self-Help Group under the MaTHi–Mahalir Thittam ecosystem
Brand Mindz Global was entrusted with redesigning the packaging of a cinnamon product made by a women-led Self-Help Group in Kanniyakumari district, Tamil Nadu.
The product had a meaningful story. It represented the work of women building an enterprise together, a spice associated with the region and a wider government-supported effort to improve women’s livelihoods.
But that story was not coming through in the earlier packaging.
Our assignment was to give the product a fresh, contemporary identity—one that could sit confidently alongside established spice brands without losing its local character or the identity of the women behind it.

Project at a Glance
Brand: MaTHi
Product: Cinnamon
Location: Kanniyakumari district, Tamil Nadu
Sector: Women-led Self-Help Group enterprise
Programme: Mahalir Thittam ecosystem, Government of TamilNadu
Project type: Government-supported packaging design assignment
Scope: Packaging review, visual direction, information hierarchy and final packaging design
Completed by: Brand Mindz Global Technology Private Limited
Project year: 2025

The Story Behind the Product
Mahalir Thittam is one of Tamil Nadu’s important women’s socio-economic development initiatives. It has supported women through Self-Help Groups, financial inclusion, training, collective enterprise and livelihood-development programmes.
The Tamil Nadu Corporation for Development of Women’s 2023–24 policy note reported approximately 4.48 lakh active Self-Help Groups across rural and urban Tamil Nadu. It also stated that its livelihood and community-development programmes supported the lives and livelihoods of more than 50 lakh women. (TNCDW)
These numbers helped us understand the wider context of the project.
We were not redesigning the packaging of just another spice product. We were working on something connected to one of the largest women-led community enterprise ecosystems in the state.
MaTHi supports the presentation and marketing of products created by women’s Self-Help Groups. Recent official initiatives have included MaTHi experience stores, e-commerce support and programmes intended to help SHG products reach larger markets. (TNCDW)
Professional packaging plays an important role in that journey.

The Challenge
The original cinnamon packaging was functional. It carried the basic product information, but its visual presentation did not reflect the quality of the product or the aspirations of the women’s enterprise behind it.
The design had a few clear limitations:
The product did not stand out immediately.
The information hierarchy was difficult to follow.
The typography and visual elements felt dated.
The packaging lacked the confidence of established consumer brands.
The design was not strong enough for modern retail or digital-marketplace presentation.
The cinnamon itself had value. The packaging needed to communicate it.
The goal was not to make the product look unnecessarily expensive or remove its regional identity. We wanted to give it a more professional, trustworthy and contemporary presence.

What We Were Asked to Do
Brand Mindz was asked to completely rethink the packaging.
Because the assignment was connected to a government-supported women’s initiative, our capabilities and professional approach were reviewed carefully before the project was awarded.
The expectation was clear:
Create packaging that respects the product’s origin while giving it the quality and confidence required to compete with established brands.
This required more than changing colours or adding decorative elements. We needed to understand the product, its audience, its retail environment and the wider purpose it represented.

Our Design Approach
We started by looking at the pack from a customer’s point of view.
What should someone notice first?
Would they immediately recognise the product as cinnamon?
Could they understand the key information without searching for it?
Did the packaging make the product feel trustworthy?
Would it remain clear when viewed on a retail shelf or as a small image on an online marketplace?
We reviewed packaging used by cinnamon and spice brands across different price ranges. We studied how they presented the product, organised information and built confidence through colour, typography and ingredient imagery.
We did not want to copy an established brand. The review helped us understand the visual standards customers were already familiar with.
From there, we simplified the design and gave each element a clearer role.

Building a Clearer Product Identity
The product name was made easier to recognise.
The cinnamon received stronger visual emphasis so that customers could understand the product quickly.
The information was reorganised into a clearer order, allowing the eye to move naturally from the brand to the product and then to the supporting details.

Creating a More Confident Visual Language
The new colour and typography system was selected to communicate warmth, natural origin and product quality.
We avoided overcrowding the pack. Instead, we created a stronger focal point and gave the design more breathing space.
The result feels fresh and modern while remaining connected to the product and its regional background.

Designing for Real-World Use
The packaging was considered across more than one environment.
It needed to work:
On a retail shelf
At exhibitions and sales events
In government-supported outlets
During buyer and distributor meetings
On e-commerce platforms
As part of a possible future range of MaTHi products
The final artwork was also prepared with practical production requirements in mind, including dimensions, print-safe spacing, information placement and legibility at the actual pack size.

The Designer’s Perspective
“The product already had a strong story. The women had done the difficult part—they had created something worth selling. Our responsibility was to make sure the packaging did not hold the product back. We wanted the new design to feel modern and confident, but still honest about where it came from and who created it.”
— Nithiya Prasath,Graphic Designer, Brand Mindz Global

The Transformation
The final packaging introduced a complete visual change.
The product now has:
Clearer product recognition
Stronger MaTHi brand visibility
Improved typography
Better organisation of information
A more confident use of colour
Greater shelf presence
Better suitability for digital marketplaces
A visual direction that can extend to future products
The redesign did not try to hide the product’s community-enterprise roots.
It gave those roots a stronger and more professional public face.

Before and After
Design area
Earlier packaging
Redesigned packaging
Product recognition
The product was not immediately prominent
Cinnamon is easier to identify at first glance
Information hierarchy
Several elements competed for attention
Brand, product and supporting details follow a clearer order
Typography
The type treatment felt inconsistent
The new typography is clearer and easier to read
Brand presence
Limited visual confidence
Stronger and more structured MaTHi presentation
Shelf appeal
Looked closer to a locally packed product
Feels more suitable for organised retail
Digital presentation
Less effective at small sizes
Clearer when viewed in marketplace listings
Future expansion
No clear visual system
Can be adapted for related products and pack sizes


Feedback From the Project Authority
“The redesigned packaging is very good and clearly reflects the professionalism of the work. It gives products created by our women’s Self-Help Groups the confidence to stand alongside established brands and compete in wider and global markets.”
— Smt. R. Alagumeena, IAS, then District Collector of Kanniyakumari
Use the officer’s exact designation at the time of approval. The official Kanniyakumari district website maintains the list and tenure of district collectors, which can be used to confirm the correct attribution. (kanniyakumari.nic.in)
Why This Project Matters
Good packaging alone cannot guarantee sales.
Product quality, pricing, availability, production capacity and distribution all influence commercial success.
But packaging can determine whether a customer notices a product, understands it and feels confident enough to consider buying it.
This is particularly important for women-led Self-Help Groups.
Many of these enterprises create valuable food, craft and lifestyle products. However, they may not always have access to the branding and design resources available to larger companies.
That creates a gap between the quality of what they produce and the way the market perceives it.
This project gave us an opportunity to help reduce that gap.
The new cinnamon packaging gives the product a stronger foundation for presentation across retail shelves, exhibitions, government-supported stores and digital marketplaces.
It also presents the women behind the product with greater dignity and confidence.
Design as a Tool for Women’s Entrepreneurship
Women’s entrepreneurship requires more than skills and financial support.
Products must also be prepared for the market.
They need clear identities, credible packaging, consistent communication and access to customers.
When a women-led enterprise presents its product professionally, it has a better opportunity to:
Reach new customers
Enter organised retail channels
Participate in exhibitions and buyer meetings
Build repeat recognition
Improve marketplace presentation
Expand beyond its immediate local market
Create stronger and more sustainable livelihood opportunities
Packaging is only one part of this process, but it is often the first part a customer sees.
For this MaTHi cinnamon product, our work was to ensure that the first impression reflected the quality, effort and purpose behind it.
What This Project Demonstrates About Brand Mindz
Strategic Packaging Design
We do not approach packaging as decoration alone.
We consider the product, category, customer, buying environment, information requirements and future growth possibilities.
Professional Government-Project Execution
The assignment required structured communication, stakeholder reviews, accuracy, responsible handling of a public-facing identity and production-ready delivery.
Understanding of Consumer Brands
Our team understands how typography, colour, imagery and information hierarchy influence product recognition and customer confidence.
Regional and Cultural Sensitivity
The design needed to feel contemporary without becoming disconnected from Kanniyakumari, the women’s enterprise and the wider MaTHi ecosystem.
Design With Social Purpose
We treated the women behind the product as entrepreneurs—not merely as a story to be used in marketing.
Full-Stack Brand Capability
Brand Mindz can support similar products beyond packaging through:
Brand strategy
Logo and identity design
E-commerce development
Amazon and marketplace listings
Website development
Performance marketing
Content creation
Digital PR
Retail communication
Services Delivered
Existing-packaging review
Category and competitor study
Packaging-design strategy
Visual-direction development
Front-of-pack design
Back-of-pack information layout
Colour and typography system
Product-visual treatment
Stakeholder revisions
Print-ready final artwork
Remove any item that was not included in the approved project scope.
The Outcome
Brand Mindz successfully transformed the earlier cinnamon packaging into a more contemporary, organised and confident consumer-facing design.
The final work delivered:
A fresh visual identity
Clearer product communication
A stronger retail presence
More professional presentation
Better suitability for online marketplaces
A scalable foundation for possible future products
At this stage, the confirmed result is a design transformation.
Sales growth, distribution expansion or livelihood improvements should be added only after the relevant figures have been verified by the producer group or project authority.
More Than a Pack of Cinnamon
To a customer, it may appear to be a simple pack of cinnamon.
Behind it is a group of women building an enterprise together.
It represents local production, collective effort and the possibility of greater economic independence.
The product already carried that value when it reached us.
Our role was to make that value visible.
Project Summary
What did Brand Mindz do for the MaTHi cinnamon product?
Brand Mindz Global redesigned the packaging of a cinnamon product made by a women-led Self-Help Group in Kanniyakumari district under the MaTHi and Mahalir Thittam ecosystem.
The work included packaging review, design strategy, visual development, information hierarchy and final production-ready artwork.
What was the objective of the redesign?
The objective was to retain the product’s identity while giving it a clearer, more contemporary and professionally presented package suitable for modern retail and digital marketplaces.
What changed in the new packaging?
The redesign improved product recognition, visual hierarchy, typography, information organisation, shelf presence and the overall confidence of the brand.
Closing Call to Action
Good Products Deserve to Be Seen Properly
Brand Mindz works with consumer brands, women-led enterprises, Self-Help Groups, social-impact organisations and government-supported initiatives to transform valuable products into clear, credible and professionally presented brands.
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