Our approach:

Celebrate the scraps

Whether it’s egg shells, carrot tops, or leftover spaghetti, most people don’t realize the things they throw away still have precious nutrients. By elevating the aesthetics of food scraps, we help people better see and understand their value.

Ground it in science

With all the greenwashing and overstated sustainability claims associated with consumer products, it’s tough to know what’s reliable information these days. It was important to keep storytelling rooted in science and numbers-based facts and figures to instill confidence in prospective customers.

Bring it full circle

While the kitchen bin is a great product, Mill does a lot more than dehydrate and grind food scraps—it completely redistributes their nutrients. We wanted to show people the fruits of their labor and the benefits of food going from farm-to-table and back-to-farm again.

The Mill logo combines simple, modern, elongated letterforms with a subtle millstone icon—a reference to the name and the underlying principle of grinding up food scraps. In this way, we allude to Mill’s new, innovative solution as well as agricultural technology and practices of the past.

A characterful sans serif and a bookish serif create a dynamic pairing. This combination gives the brand typographic flexibility for a wide range of messaging and communication across themes that span food, science, and agriculture. A rich and vibrant color palette, inspired by fruit, vegetables, and Food Grounds, keeps the brand upbeat and optimistic.

Infographics use multiple forms of visual representation. Simple linear diagrams help demonstrate Mill’s role in a larger food ecosystem, while close-up, stylized food photography calls attention to startling facts about food waste. Together, these elements create an engaging way to educate audiences and highlight the problems associated with food waste.

Photography captures both sides of Mill’s service—the ease of using the kitchen to create Food Grounds, and their distribution back to the farm. This allows people to better understand Mill’s impact on the entire food ecosystem and the direct benefits that come from not throwing food in the trash. Warm tones make lifestyle photography feel organic, vibrant, and optimistic, while close-up compositions put food scraps at the center of the story.

3D render images and animations showcase the bin's functionality—accentuating the clean, simple aesthetics of the product that allow it to sit beautifully in any kitchen environment.

Stationery and notecards reuse a commercial printer’s waste paper, rather than using new paper materials. By overprinting the Mill branding onto proof sheet offcuts, a beautiful, colorful, and abstract visual language is formed.

For company swag, a Mill logo is screen-printed directly onto ‘upcycled’ fabric items supplied by individuals on the Mill team. Nothing is procured, no material is used, and the swag becomes highly personal to the individual.