Was contracted by a local client to design and produce a swizzle stick for the bar's upcoming anniversary. Task was to create something more unique compared to the previous one made 10 years prior.
So we began by conceptualizing some different styles to narrow down the look. Taking a look at a wide variety of preexisting sticks that the client used as reference, these were the initial sketches of original concepts. Much of the ideas came from the ephemera located within the bar.
We quickly narrowed it down to something with a driftwood sign and a glass float tip/bottom wrapped in rope which is very popular in tiki culture and bars.
And ultimately landed on something that showcased the mask that is affixed to the outside of the bar along with torches that are also very popular.
Following the confirmation of the design we moved on to a more uniform look in vector and going through color options.
Due to the constraints of production we were only allowed to have two color options in the plastics and went with the green and a mix between the orange and red. At this point we were working on making sure the 2D design was translating well to 3D. The model below which was created by the team over at Royer Plastics in Indiana.
While the final product was delayed due to COVID-19 and production halts, the end result was pretty much spot on with what we had originally designed. The sticks were around 9" high with a max width of 3". Fairly large for a stick but by no means the largest.
As a first for me in terms of designing a swizzle stick and creating barware plastics, I'm very happy with the results. I'm hoping this will bring more clients in wanting to create more barware accessories for their businesses.
