Complements: 3D printed modular chocolates by Universal Favourite

Like any respectable design agency, Australia's Universal Favourite spends its days partnering with clients to make great projects, and at the end of the year, it likes to treat them to a gift. Last Christmas, they decided to push the boat out, and created their own line of chocolate.

Written By: Katy Cowan

9 June 2017

Colourful 3D printed modular chocolate pieces in various colours and flavours arranged on a white surface, each designed to interlock into bite-sized cubes

But they didn't make just any chocolate; they joined forces with Sydney artisans of sweetness Bakedown Cakery to come up with 3D printed modular treats. Called Complements, the chocolates come in a range of flavours which are delicious on their own, but also pretty tasty if you combine them.

"We get a lot out of pleasure from creating work that delights clients and their customers alike. It’s a feeling we wanted to create in our chocolates, so looked to create a sense of anticipation, and the unexpected – the kind of thrills all good gifts should deliver.

"After exploring a wide range of interlocking shape designs, for maximum flexibility, and an elegant finish, we chose a clean, modular staircase shape for each piece, which combined with another flavour, creates a single bite-sized cube."

Universal Favourite used 3D printing to create the bite-size cube, which went on to form the perfect chocolate mould. They added: "Once we'd selected a diverse flavour range, we worked on a vibrant mix of colours and painterly finishes like airbrushing, dips and marbling, to create a natural contrast to the geometric shapes. With the designs locked in, Jen from Bakedown Cakery worked her magic to bring our idea to life."

After much debate, and of course, extensive tasting for "research purposes", the 12 chosen flavours were: shortbread, single origin dark, fairy floss, blackcurrant, cookies & cream, cherry, watermelon, strawberry, pistachio, matcha, vanilla and lemon.

Reflecting the concept, and hinting at what’s inside, the packaging design used colourful organic patterns and geometric shapes, with the Complements name subtly printed on the side. Lift the lid, peel back the delicate black tissue paper and an elegant menu revealed the flavours within, along with simple instructions for assembly, and some awesome pairing suggestions, inspired by Shigenobu Kobayashi, colour maestro and a strong design reference in the creation process.

Although Complements was created for Universal Favourite's clients, they wanted to share the love, so created a website to tell the story of the chocolates, giving people the chance to invent their own flavour and win a box of their own, with a pairing of mango and black sesame winning top prize, a combination that makes us drool.