Afternoon Beverage Rituals

Pause here: Refresh, Reset, Recharge

2025

How might we create a flavorful, ethically sourced afternoon beverage ritual that helps consumers recharge while aligning with wellness and social connection values?

The Ask

Service and interview data revealed that while coffee dominates morning, afternoons lack a go-to ritual. Consumers want calming, seasonal, and socially shareable drinks that provide a pick-me-up for their afternoon activities. A product that’s more exciting than “plain tea” yet approachable and ethically framed.

The Insight

The Solution

Introduce a rotating line of seasonal herb teas, starting with a summer Lemon Balm tea option, featuring bold flavors, and community-driven influence (friends, influencers, workplace workplace rituals) create excitement, encourage exploration, and lay the foundation for year-round afternoon tea adoption

A hand holding a sugar packet above a teacup on a saucer.

Brewed for Wellness,

Sipped for Joy

Illustration of green tea leaves with prominent veins.
Digital illustration of green tea leaves

The U.S. beverage market is shifting toward moderation, wellness, and ethical sourcing. Afternoon Consumption remains underutilized, with customers seeking flavorful, low-caffeine options that feel indulgent yet beneficial.

This project explores how a seasonal line of ethically sourced herbal teas can establish a new afternoon ritual that is grounded in calm, community, escapism, and flavor exploration. While also positioning tea as a vibrant, experience-driven option for afternoon beverages.

A menu featuring a group of friends enjoying summer drinks and various fruit-infused beverages, including lemon, hibiscus, and strawberry flavors, with colorful images of fruit and drinks.
Promotional poster for the 2PM Reset pop-up event featuring a pink and beige gradient background, an illustration of a red and white striped market stall, three cosmetic cream containers labeled Lemon Balm Blush, Seaside Hibiscus Bloom, and Lemon Berry Escape, and decorative text inviting to a tea event at Goodale Park from 1:30 to 3:00 PM.

Host a community pop-up where guests can sample teas, share stories, and purchase collectible tins designed to bring the ritual home. Each tin is positioned as a limited-edition piece that introduces customers to the new afternoon ritual. Feedback from the experience will guide integration into future store models, shaping how customers engage with the “afternoon treat.”

Three circular labels with pink backgrounds and scalloped borders, each featuring a different scent and its benefits. The first label is Lemon Balm Blush with calming benefits. The second is Seaside Hibiscus Bloom with invigorating benefits. The third is Lemon Berry Escape with uplifting benefits.

Ritual Card: Inside each tin, a small card explains the flavor’s mood benefit and a positive message to reinforce ritual benefits to the new afternoon beverage space.

A container of Lemon Balm Blush with pink roses and green mint leaves on a colorful, ornate background.

Collectable Tin

Collectable Tin

A round container label with a red border, purple and pink background, featuring yellow hibiscus flowers with green leaves, and the text 'Seaside Hibiscus Bloom' in black.
A round container of Lemon Berry Escape lip balm with strawberries, lemon, and mint leaves on the label.