In states where cannabis is fully legal, the brands that have become prominent in the market (like any brand) are often chosen by consumers as a reflection of personal taste, preferences, or even of themselves. And as the cannabis market becomes saturated in these states while its breakthrough is imminent in other parts of the country, brands are having to find novel ways of differentiating themselves within the gold rush of this emerging market. For Mehran Moghaddam, founder of top cannabis brand Kurvana, this differentiation was always a function of high-quality meets high-design.
“When I started Kurvana, my goal was to create a product that was like no other, something that would disrupt the industry and set the new standard for cannabis, so design has always been in the core DNA of our brand,” says Moghaddam. “There was a level of art that was necessary, not just good science.”
Compared to the types of branding that exists on the cannabis market, which tends to skew either cool and chill, brazen and in-your-face, or medical and clean (or some combination of these), Kurvana stands out with the Apple-like ingenuity of its sleek and considered physical aesthetic combined with a focus on a superior product and technology. Think bright colors, ergonomic shapes, sharp lines, and a packaging experience that is satisfying from start to finish. Kurvana’s color palette, which was inspired by nature, was selected to signify the particular strain of the original cannabis plant’s chemical composition the color represents. This evolved into the color-coding of the products to match the experience—bright and colorful for sativas, deeper hues and calming tones for indicas.
“The packaging may seem simple, but our team spent hundreds of hours nitpicking every aspect of design. We want to make sure that it’s consistent with the brand, representing the high quality and sophistication of our oils,” the founder explains. “Also, our goal is to allow the consumer to take one look at the packaging and immediately see the attention to detail so they can instantly know what to expect from the product inside even before consuming.”
A similar intensity towards product development took place in the very beginning stages of Kurvana through the work of expert scientists. The result of this research and development was a 50-step manufacturing process which the founder describes as “obsessively meticulous,” and a formulation that is without any fillers or additives and starts with the highest medical grade oils available. This obsessive meticulousness is likely drawn from Moghaddam’s own intensive background of 20 years in the biotech and nutraceutical fields which is punctuated by his MBA degree from the University of California, Davis. Plus, a life dedicated to the pursuit of optimal physical fitness.
The product design played an equal role in the development process for Moghaddam where he and his design team considered details such as how a mouthpiece feels when it is in use or its actual touch in a user’s hands. Of course, there was also the question of the type of materials to use which are recyclable and sustainable.
“We wanted to make sure that the entire experience with our products is as exceptional as the oil itself. That’s why we paid so much attention to detail in the aesthetic of the cartridges, our pens, and even our packaging. We made sure what is seen on the shelves is a celebration of the product’s quality. We stood back and looked at the brand as a whole and decided on the colors, the weight, the feel, all the way down to how sharp the edges are.”
All of Kurvana’s hardware is exclusive to their product and the design elements have been carefully vetted and has considered everything from airflow, pore sizes, electrical settings, and medical grade components. According to Moghaddam, different oils have different settings and different pore sizes to adjust for temperature, flow rate, and the overall experience when someone is consuming from one of Kurvana’s vape pens.
The design aspect of Kurvana plays a role in a multitude of qualitative benefits for the brand beyond simply standing out. Its communication is artistic but also straightforward and trustworthy. This consistency builds trust between Kurvana and its consumers while the color-based visual identity delivers the expectation of product (red for sativa, for example). Moghaddam believes that, on a subconscious level, there is some aspect of the color and its coding that aligns with the consumer experience.
“For me the foundation for success is quality, so I built Kurvana to set the bar for quality in the industry,” he says. “It’s what makes us the top premium vape brand on the market. We do not just strive to be good, or great, we strive to be exceptional. When someone tries our product for the first time, it is not a success unless they say ‘wow.’”
