Built it in 3D

Visual Design

Blender

3d model

The big idea

Tony’s Chocolonely wants a 3D hero for their website - something full of personality. Create a playful 3D scene that captures Tony’s brand, like a diorama or a mini machine. It doesn’t need to be realistic, but it should move, like some animation to make it feel lively and full of joy.

TOny’s

Chocolonely

Deep dive

I started by researching Tony’s Chocolonely and thinking about what they’d want people to see first on their website. As many know (or maybe not), they’re a strong activist brand focused on making chocolate that’s fair, honest, and respectful to everyone involved. That’s the part I decided to highlight.

I decided to go for the vibe of crooked factories where everything’s a bit tilted and imperfect. It adds a playful touch and ties back to Tony’s uneven chocolate bars.

I also wanted to use textures and a slightly realistic feel to echo cacao farms and the production process. It was a bit of a risk though, since it’s less bright than Tony’s usual bold look.

Hover Me

Tap Me

Hover Me

Setting the vibe

Sketch

Hover Me

Tap Me

I sketched the first version, which I liked, but it didn’t really show off the 3D space.

So I made another one - a more dynamic, detailed construction that felt richer and more interactive.

I wanted to create something interesting, and after some thinking, I realized everything about chocolate starts with the cacao bean. So I thought ...

What if everything happens inside the bean?

The build

I had so much fun working in Blender- creating shapes exactly how I wanted felt like drawing, but almost real. I’m honestly obsessed.

I played with angles, added little details, and tweaked textures and lighting to make the scene feel alive.

Lighting was my biggest challenge. I first wanted a darker vibe, but Darker vibes for Tony’s brand? NO. So I brightened it up and used light to highlight what mattered most. It took time, but it was totally worth it.

Made it move

Bringing it to life was so much fun - I love when small details start moving, it instantly makes everything feel real. It’s like watching a painting in a museum suddenly come to life.

The video’s shy.

It’ll show up later.

The video’s shy.

It’ll show up later.

The video’s shy.

It’ll show up later.

My takeaway.

Working in Blender and creating something for such a fun, inspiring brand like Tony’s Chocolonely was incredible. From start to finish (even with the challenges) I was fully hooked on the process and just wanted to keep making more.