Grain Hair
Brand Identity, Packaging & Motion Graphics [Graphic Designer & Creative Direction]
BRIEF
I partnered with Harvard startup Grain Hair to develop a brand identity for an ingredient-focused curly hair care line. The brand needed to balance the sophistication of a luxury beauty product with the credibility of its scientific research.
PROBLEM
Curly hair care products rarely occupy luxurious spaces, particularly those created with black and curly-haired consumers in mind. How could the identity feel elegant and clinical while creating space for those underrepresented in this market?
INSIGHT
The idea was to bridge two worlds that are often visually separated: luxury and clinical. Rather than choosing one over the other, the identity could use the visual language of high-end beauty with the facts-based, research-driven product info to tie these two worlds together.
SOLUTION
We made the four areas of itching the central focus of the campaign, using elegant, skin-focused photography that showed models experiencing intense itching in each specific area. A soft pink palette helped evoke the sensation of itchiness while maintaining the refined visual language of Galderma. The result balanced an approachable beauty aesthetic with a clear, recognizable representation of the study criteria.
OUTCOME
What began as a school assignment became a freelance opportunity with Grain Hair, allowing me to develop the identity beyond the initial project. The experience let me explore how thoughtful visual systems can help create space for audiences that are often underrepresented in their respective categories.
Let's work together!
© KIRA AJAS, 2026
