Humble Banana was a frozen dessert company I founded and operated from 2020 to 2024. Created around a simple but unconventional idea, I produced and sold plant-based “(N)ICE CREAM” made entirely from fruit without any added sugars, sweeteners, syrups, sugar alcohols, or artificial ingredients. At the time, there weren’t any products on the market like this, which created an opportunity to introduce a healthier alternative to dairy ice cream without sacrificing flavor.
As founder and creative director, I created and developed the brand from the ground up. Unlike traditional client work, I served as both designer and client, giving myself carte blanche over the strategy, visual identity, packaging, marketing, and customer experience. Every aspect of the business reflected my vision, from the vibrant brand system and packaging design to the product itself, which I manufactured by hand in a commercial kitchen using a production process I learned and refined over the years.
Seeing Humble Banana move beyond my kitchen and into the hands of customers was one of the most rewarding parts of the project. The product earned a place on the dessert menu at UPSIDE on Moore Foodhall and was featured at pop-ups and events throughout the DC area, giving me the opportunity to introduce people to a concept many had never encountered before: ice cream without any added sweeteners.
Because I handled every aspect of the business myself, these events became much more than sales opportunities. They were a chance to tell the story behind the brand, educate customers about the product, observe how people responded to the experience, and build genuine relationships within the local food community. Every conversation, sample, and sale helped shape the evolution of the brand.
WHAT IS (N)ICE CREAM?
While the term is a well-known concept within the plant-based community, transforming a homemade recipe into a product that could be manufactured consistently at scale required extensive experimentation. Early production methods presented technical challenges that forced me to reverse engineer the process and develop new solutions to achieve the texture, quality, and consistency that I was looking for.
Through trial and error, research, countless batches and mistakes, I refined my production which allowed me to bring the product to market while staying true to the original vision. The experience taught me how to approach problems creatively, adapt quickly, and balance innovation with practicality.
The phrase “(N)ICE CREAM” became a natural fit for Humble Banana. While the term is already familiar in the plant-based world, I loved the double meaning. The product was designed to be a kinder version of ice cream, one that was plant-based, made from simple ingredients, and free from added sugars and sweeteners. It captured the spirit of the product in a way that felt playful, memorable, and true to the overall vision.
By placing the “N” in parentheses outside of “ICE CREAM,” my product could be read in two different ways. Most people would simply see ice cream, while those familiar with the plant-based community would recognize the reference to “(n)ice cream,” a frozen dessert traditionally made from bananas. It became a simple way to communicate what made the product different without having to explain it outright.
Nice cream” is a dairy-free dessert made by blitzing pieces of frozen fruit in a food processor or high-speed blender.
THE LOGO
When creating the logo, I was drawn to a typeface whose rounded letterforms reminded me of the shape of bananas. It felt playful, friendly, and approachable, which matched my personality and what I wanted for the brand. I added star details throughout the lettering to give the identity a little extra energy and optimism, helping the logo feel as fun and colorful as the product itself. I also created the tie-dye pattern that became a signature part of the brand. Most healthy food packaging tends to look clean, muted, and predictable, so I wanted to go in the opposite direction. The bold colors and psychedelic swirls helped Humble Banana jump off the shelf and immediately catch your eye in a crowded freezer aisle.
One of my favorite parts of Humble Banana was building the concept before the product even existed.
The idea started from a personal frustration. As someone who eats primarily plant-based, I was constantly searching for a vegan ice cream that didn’t contain monkfruit, stevia, erythritol or other alternative sweeteners that often leave an aftertaste. While there were plenty of dairy-free options on the market, I couldn’t find one made from simple ingredients that tasted great without relying on added sweeteners. That realization became the concept for Humble Banana.
Before creating the logo, packaging or website, I focused on understanding what was missing from the market and why consumers would choose our product over dozens of other options. The research became my roadmap for everything that followed, shaping the product, messaging, brand identity, pop-up events, merchandise, and future retail concepts.
With no client restrictions and complete ownership of the creative direction, I had the freedom to build a colorful visual world around Humble Banana.
Beyond the packaging, I designed apparel, merchandise, business cards, signage, and event collateral that transformed the brand into something people could experience outside of the freezer aisle. Creating these pieces was one of the most rewarding parts of the project and helped establish a distinct personality that customers genuinely connected with.
Behind the Scenes
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Behind the Scenes 〰️
Building Humble Banana from scratch gave me a rare opportunity to experience every stage of brand creation firsthand. Over four years I developed the product, created the identity, learned how to manufacture the ice cream, marketed the products and brought it directly to customers through pop-ups and retail partnerships. I also taught myself how to navigate trademarks, permits, business licensing, taxes, insurance, and food regulations. The experience gave me a deeper understanding of what it takes to build a brand from the ground up and remains one of the projects I am most proud of.
