Packajing escentials: 100 principles for packagee design

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Packaging Essentials

© 2010 by Rockport Publishers,

Inc.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced written

permission

reproduced

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in any form without

owners. All images in this book have been

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no responsibility is accepted by producer, publisher, or printer for any infringement of copyright

or otherwise,

arising from the contents

of this publication.

effort has been made to ensure that credits accurately supplied. We apologize for any inaccuracies solve inaccurate

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that may have occurred

in a subsequent

Every

reprinting

and will re-

of the book.

First published in the United States of America by Rockport

Publishers, a member of

Ouayside Publishing

Group

100 Cummings Center Suite 406-L Beverly, Massachusetts

01915-6101

Telephone: (978) 282-9590 Fax: (978) 283-2742 www.rockpub.com Library of Congress Cataloging- in- Publication Data

Ellicott, Candace. Packaging essentials: 100 principles for package design / Candace Ellicott and Sarah Roncarelli. p. cm. ISBN-13:978-1-59253-603-0 ISBN-10:1-59253-603-4 1. Packaging--Design. I. Roncarelli, Sarah. II. Title. III. Title: 100 principles for package design. IV. Title: One hundred principles for package design. NC1002.P33E452010 745.2--dc22 2009052423 CIP ISBN-13:978-1-59253-603-0 ISBN-10:1-59253-603-4 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Design: Sarah Roncarelli and Candace Ellicott

Printed in China

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Packaging Essentials 100 DESIGN PRINCIPLES

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Sarah Roncarelli and Candace Ellicott

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DEDICATION Mae-Lynn is a pest. She is also a loveable and gentle soul. With the effectiveness of a Hot Shot cattle prod, Mae tirelessly corralled package designers from around the globe and made this book one that inspires and teaches by example. We are eternally grateful for her project leadership, meticulous attention to detail, good humor, and exceptional organizational skills. She is a model of grace and individualism and lives by an impossibly strong work ethic. We dedicate this book to her for all her efforts. Plus, we want her to accept a full-time position at Fifty and thought that dedicating a book to her might persuade her.

5

INTRODUCTION

8

THE DESIGN CHALLENGE

1. Get the brief right.

10

2. Design for the customer, not for yourself

12

3. Organizing a product range

14

4. Designing for a private label

16

5. Designing for display

18

6. Relevance in package design

20

17.Molded Packs

42

18. Die lines

44

19. Special folds

46

20. Window reveals

47

21.1 nnovation

48

DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS: LABELS 22. Designing a label

50

23. Shapes

52

24. Label reveals and folds

54

DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS: PRINTING DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS: MATERIALS

25. Four-color lithography

56

7. Research the options

22

8. Glass and bottle design

24

9. Cardboard

26

27. Flexography

60

10. Metal

28

28. Laser etching

62

11.Plastic

30

29. Screen printing

64

12.Wrappers

32

30. Special techniques:

13. Innovative materials

34

26. Lithography with three or fewer colors

Special inks and varnishes 31.Special techniques: Foil stamping

58

66 68

DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS: FORM AND SHAPE

MARKETING AND BRAND CONSIDERATIONS

14. Brand guidelines that include sh ape

36

15. Form defines function, and Function defines form 16. Designing a bag

38 40

32. A package as a sales tool

70

33. Demographics

72

34. Psychographics

74

35. Designing within a brand standard

76

83. Fonts create mood and character

172

36. Masstige packaging

78

58. Create an emotional connection

122

84. Handmade type

174

37. What's in a name?

80

59. Tell a story

124

85. Type as imagery

176

38. Packaging mascots

82

60. Setting the right tone

126

86. Adapting from other languages

178

39. Bath, beauty, and health

84

61. Playful design

128

87. Bar codes and important

40. Technology

86

62. Metaphors and similes

130

88

63. Humor and wit

132

42. Wine and spirits

90

64. Provide information

134

43. Beverages

92

65. The art of exaggeration

136

44. Books and media

94

66. Fake it with faux

138

45. Fashion

96

67. Achieving balance

140

46.Food

98

68. Explore pattern

142

47. Home and garden

100

69. Rules and lines

144

48. Kids' products

102

70. Painting and drawing

146

and other add-oris

194

49. Office and art supplies

104

71. Iconography and symbolism

148

95. Breaking the rules

196

50. Pet products

.106

72. Woodcuts and drawings

150

51.Adult novelty

108

73. Photography

152

74. Retro design

154

96. Proofing and making alterations

198

75. Tactical use of color

156

97. Gauging ROI

200

41. Confection and candy

SUSTAINABLE DESIGN

THE DESIGN PROCESS

information

180

88. Shelf impact

182

89. Product protection

.184

90. Unpack the package

.186

91. Functionally convenient design

188

92. Packaging several products

.190

93. Decorative packages andc ollectables

l92

94. Bottlenecks, stickers,

ASSESS AND REVIEW

52. Sustainable practices

110

76. Lack of color

158

98. Anticipating the brand tomorrow

202

53. Sustainable printing

112

77. Abundance of color

160

99. Customer research

204

54. Plastic options

114

78. Don't hide the substrate

162

55. Paper options

116

79. Minimalist design

164

56. Multiuse packaging

118

80. Consider all sides

166

57. Biodegradable and recyclable packages

120

81. Hierarchy and dominance

168

82. Type basics

170

100. Celebrate a successful package design

205

CONTRIBUTORS

206

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

208

Introduction

Thinking about the first package ever, we imagine a burly, premedieval

nomad, nursing a mug of mead by a smoldering

fire, gloomily

pondering

the prospect of leaving behind what's

left of his hard-won roasted wild boar. Necessity called for invention,

and packaging was born.

In those early days, package design was limited to the hollowing out of a gourd or the drying of an animal pelt. As centuries passed, paper, wood, ceramic, bronze, and iron all served their time as packaging materials.

The designer's mastery of package design skills such as typography, color, design pattern, photography, and illustration are called upon in this encounter, but equally so is the ability to connect the product and consumer through an idea.

In the early 1900s, scientists realized that sealing food in tin extended the life of the product. Food manufacturers realized that tinned food would sell better if it had their name on it. As marketing and printing techniques advanced, designers began to examine the effect of typography and decorative design on product sales, and they were pleasedwith the results.

The package designer's idea-generation process is complex. It is a tennis game between the practical and the impossible, the emotions and the logical, the tried and true, and the wild, new frontier. It is a precarious balance of opposites designed to engage consumers consciously and unconsciously. The designers will inevitably consider the experience of the package and the unveiling of the product inside.

For today's package designer, creativity knows no bounds. There are limitless technologies, resources, and skills that can be applied to the design of packages to great effect. Every great designer knows that in each package design project there is opportunity-an opportunity that must be searched for, battled for, wrestled to the ground, and ceremoniously won.

8 Packaging Essentials

This book makes the case that great design is inspired design. It is filled with examples of inspiring package design, design features, applications, and useful tips. You will see the work of those who followed the rules of design to the letter and of those who broke the rules with abandon. Designing for packaging is painstakingly hard work. The reward of which is not just a package that entices consumers to pick up, sniff, examine, and ultimately buy, but a powerful brand experience that ensnares a consumer's loyalty for life.

"I am always doing that which I cannot do, in order that I may learn how to do it." -Pablo Picasso

THE DESIGN CHALLENGE

1 Get the Brief Right The design brief helps the designer understand his

must explain how the package's progress will be managed

client's marketing and sales requirements, as well as

through the manufacturing, warehousing, distribution,

manage the relationship. The client brief should cover

and shelving process in the most cost-effective manner.

brand, manufacturing, and audience perception concerns.

Project Product line package design Firm Gopika Chowfla Design Designer Gopika Chowfla Client Cha Bar Cha Bar is the name of a series of cafes found in the largest chain of bookstores in India. The client brief indicated a need for a cost-effective packaging design for the client's house tea brand. The solution had to allow for a variety of sizes, variants, and flavors of tea, while delivering a chic look that supported the master brand values. The designer recommended retro-styled tin canisters in various sizes printed with a onecolor logo. The product varieties were designated with a two-color sticker that overlapped the logo. The effect was that the sticker appeared as an integral part of the design and provided a slick shelf presentation for the Cha Bar tearoom shelves.

10 Packaging Essentials

It should define all brand issues such as category

Finally, the design brief must articulate how the packaging

competition, design standards, and the audience factors

will present the product's most saleable features and how

that dictate a specific design treatment or direction. It

it will attract consumers in the most convincing way.

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Project Rebrand and package design Firm Brahm Designer Sarah Walsh Client Mallard The client brief outlined the need for a new brand identity for the Mallard Tea Room and house products. The brand idea that was conveyed in the brief was that "Tea is about being home." As Mallard Tea Room clients are design conscious with contemporary sensibilities, the solution was a quirky and eccentric identity that is unmistakably British.

11

THE DESIGN CHALLENGE

2 Design for the Customer, Not for Yourself Ideally, a package design contributes to a positive inter-

Designers must also understand the demographics of

action between a product and its consumer. To facilitate

their audience, which provide information on race, age,

this interaction, the successful package designer will

income, disabilities, mobility, educational attainment,

understand the audience's personality, values, attitudes,

home ownership, employment status, and even geo-

interests, and lifestyle-in other words, the psychographics.

graphic location. Demographic information guides

Psychographics help designers visualize and empathize

designers' decisions on packaging size, cost, functionality,

with the consumers they are designing for so that they

information, and creative direction.

can create an emotional connection between the product and the buyer.

Project Product line package design Firm Fifty Strategy & Creative Design Team Candace Ellicott, Nancy Albert, Sarah Roncarelli Client Soyarie The brand manager for a soy product company wanted to find a new consumer for the company's soy products. The client had access to demographic information about the company's audience, but foundthat the informationdid not provideinsightinto the audience's emotions and attitudes. By researching North American food consumer psychographics and trends, the agency discovered a new category of food consumers, called "flexitarians,"

who

consumed food from a wide variety of genres such as ethnic, vegetarian, and traditional meat and potatoes. Thesecontemporary food eaters were happy to consume soy products as long as they weren't packaged as typical health food. This research gave rise to the unconventional soy packagingdirection for Soyarie.

12 Packaging Essentials

Sheu To u

Project

Product package design Firm Strernrne Throndsen Design Design Team Morten Throndsen, Nina Kristensen Client Bjerklund Bjerklund was established in 1925, after patenting the first cheese slicer. In 2007, the company decided to take a more upscale design approach to appeal to a higher-end client. The result is a closed box with an elegant and modern design that suggests a sense of luxury while continuing to build on Norwegian traditions and values.

13

THE DESIGN CHALLENGE

3 Organizing

a Product Range

A well-designed product line appeals to a broad range of audience segments while preserving the brand character. The product line is extended by varying the brand theme

• Shape: This is a powerful brand identifier. Package shape should not vary dramatically. • Graphic elements: Things such as logos and illustrations

but staying true to commonalities within the brand's

anchor the brand in the audience's mind. Minimal variation

core attributes.

can occur here, as long as commonality is retained. • Numbers: These are an effective way to differentiate the

Design devices to be utilized in the extension of a product

brand. For example, many car brands have successfully

line include the following:

extended their product line with a numbered series such as 200, 300, and 400.

. Color: This is the first design element consumers observe.

• Words: These are the least powerful communicative

It makes the strongest impact. Color changes should be

devices. Words are what a consumer looks to last to

reserved for only the highest level of differentiation.

understand a brand. The designer should not rely on words alone to delineate a branded product line.

Project Product line package design firm Internal Design Designer Antonio Joao Policarpo Client Boa Boca Gourmet These Portuguese handmade biscuits are available with different ingredients such as dried fruit and chocolate. Color was used to organize and distinguish between the product varieties. Type and a bold but simple design approach maintain brand consistency across the different product varieties.

14 Packaging Essentials

cafe

grande escolha

Project

Product line package design Firm TACN Studio Designer Talia Cohen Client Grind Coffee The varieties within the coffee product line are expressed with different shades of brown in a common design format. The darker brown shadesdenote darker roasts of coffee and the lighter browns indicate smoother roasts.A number system complements the color range, making the packages easy to merchandise and display so that shoppers can easily identify the blend they want.

15

THE DESIGN CHALLENGE

4 Designing for a Private Label Today, the private-label industry is worth more than

designers use high-end graphic design techniques to

US$400 billion globally, with the highest penetration in

establish the brand and identity for product lines. In

the food industry.

addition, private labels are forecast to make even greater inroads in the next few years in other product categories

Years ago, private-label packages had a very basic look. In

besides food, including organic foods, pet foods,

fact, many packagers engaged in copycat package design

cosmetics, and pharmaceutical products.

to mirror national brands. Today, private-label package

Project Rebrand and package design firm Mucca Design Design Team Matteo Bologna, Christine Celic Strohl, Lauren Sheldon Client Butterfield Market A family-owned New York City retail grocery store known for its luxury foods and outstanding customer service developed a house brand for some of its products. The design approach for the private label embodied the elegance, history, and eclecticism of the market. the neighborhood, and its shoppers with a powerful visual language. The designers used a luxurious color palette combined with supersized graphics to draw the eye and heighten the brand experience.

16 Packaging Essentials

17

THE DESIGN CHALLENGE

5 Designing for Display Shelf space is the primary intersection between products and consumers in the retail environment. The designer must make optimum use of this costly real estate. Vertical as opposed to horizontal package orientation will allow for a higher concentration of products. However, in the end, the store merchandiser chooses how the store will display the product based on the store's agenda. The designer should spend time in the retail environment to appreciate the complexity of the display challenge before beginning the design process.

Project Rebrand and package design firm Frost Design Design Team Vince Frost, Ayumi Moritoki Client Donna Hay's General Store The distinctive Donna Hay brand is well established. The challenge for the design team included developing an identity, signage, and package design for a new range of baking mix products for Donna Hay's General Store. The design approach stayed true to the core brand standard of creating accessible,high-quality products with a simple, elegant, and appetizing look-no matter how the product is merchandized.

18 Packaging Essentials

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THE DESIGN CHALLENGE

6 Relevance in Package Design To be relevant, the package design must suggest the product it contains or the audience it is meant for. It doesn't have to speak directly or in an obvious manner, but the design idea should make a connection with the consumer on either a logical or an emotional level.

Project

Holiday gift Firm

Buchanan Design Design Team

Bobby Buchanan, Jay Jones Client

Buchanan Design This edible Christmas present contained a popcorn maker, a can of gourmet popcorn, gourmet popcorn toppings, and everything needed to make a festive garland, all tagged with a "Pop Culture" greeting card. It was packed in-what else-popcorn.

20 Packaging Essentials

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This new weight-management program is designed to focus on the shape of the user as well as his or her weight. The name suggests the ease of the program while also speaking of the resultant and desired reduction of inches. The idea of shape is further carried out by the measuring tape graphic on the package.

21

DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS:

MATERIALS

7 Research the Options Well-chosen package materials add to the visual experience, provide tactile interest, reduce (or increase) costs, and increase (or decrease) environmental impact. By researching all aspects of a package's potential, the designer will deliver a complete and uniformly surprising package design experience. In addition to the library and bookstore, the Internet is an excellent (free) tool for research. Among the blogs that are devoted to the packaging process are voxbox.com, thedieline.com, and lovelypackage.com.

Project Product package design firm Adam & Company Designer Adam Larson Client Azul Real It is evident that package material and shape can have a dramatic effect on how a product is perceived and experienced. Designer Adam Larson carefully researched different shapes and sizes for Azul Real to ensure that the proper size and form were selected for the product.

22 Packaging Essentials

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DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS:

MATERIALS

8 Glass and Bottle Design Glassis not the lightest of packaging materials, but it is often

Glass comes in a variety of colors, such as amber and green

chosen for its strength and clean appearance. Many product

which are ideal for protecting light-sensitive products. Glass

categories, such as pharmaceuticals, beauty products, and

also comes in a variety of sizes and shapes. Shapes can be

food products, use glass packaging.

chosen from a catalog, or a designer with a higher budget can develop a customized glass shape. To brand or mark

Glass is an energy-intensive package to produce, but it is

a glass package the designer can explore label design as

100 percent recyclable. The raw materials in glass consist

well as etching and silk-screening techniques. Designers

of cui let, sand, limestone, and soda ash, making it highly

can also explore a variety of textured glass surfaces, such

sustainable and impervious to the market volatility of oil-

as frosted or sandblasted.

based products.

Project Product package design Designer Meeta Panesar Client Student project The colored glass protects the sensitive fruit-based cocktail while providing a beautiful visual base for the Arabic motif. The label is printed on clear adhesive paper, which lets the color of the glass show through, forming an alluring base for the label design.

Project Product package design Designer Amy Sprague Client Student project The packaging for an absinthe product drew from the heavy architectural aesthetic of the eighteenth century, the date around which absinthe first becameknown. The formed glass protects the contents and is distinctive enough to become a collector's item after the drink is consumed.

24 Packaging Essentials

Project Product package design Firm Internal Design Design Team Arron Russell, Alex Clarke Client Babicka Vodka Frosted glass delivers a chilled and

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refreshing appearance, which is ideal for a vodka product as it is often served cold. The frosted bottle is also reminiscent of the historical medicine bottles of the "Babickas of Czechoslovakia," wise old women who were revered for their mystical healing powers. This is a relevant association considering the recipe for the vodka is 500 years old.

25

DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS:

MATERIALS

9 Cardboard Cardboard can be used for fine, upscale packages, coarse

. Uncoated recycled paperboard is produced from 100

outer packs, freezer packs,and utilitarian or highly designed

percent recovered paper. Some uncoated paperboard is

package treatments. Cardboard options also include a

produced with a top ply of white recovered fiber, or is

choice of texture, surface coating for printing, and weight

vat dyed for color. It is used for shoeboxes, composite

variations, which affect the cardboard's wet strength. When

cans, and fiber drums.

printing on uncoated cardboard, the designer must be sure to consult the printer for information on dot gain.

• Coated recycled paperboard is produced from 100 percent recovered paperboard and is coated with a thin layer of kaolin clay over a top ply of white recovered

Designers have many choices for designing with cardboard,

fiber. It is used for soap and laundry detergent

but it is important to choose the right kind of cardboard for

packaging, cookie and cracker packaging, facial tissue

the right job:

and napkins, cake mix packaging, and cereal boxes. • Corrugated board is used for transport packaging for

• Solid bleached sulfate is a premium, coated board that

the kind of paperboard to be used in accordance

used for medical packaging, milk and juice cartons,

with transportation,

drink boxes, cosmetics and perfume packaging, and

absorbency requirements.

. Coated unbleached Kraft paperboard contains at least 80 percent virgin unbleached, natural wood pulp. It is coated to improve its printing surface and wet strength. It is used for frozen food packaging, milk cartons, and pharmaceutical packaging.

Product package design Firm Asprey Creative Design Team Peter Asprey, George Margaritis Client Connoisseur This packagedesign showcasesthe Connoisseur brand proposition of "precious indulgence" in a high-end bleached paperboard container.The fine finish highlights the upscale design and gives the product great shelf appeal even if the packaging is "iced up" due to the freezers. From a practical standpoint, the cardboard freezes well and will not degrade the container or food inside.

26 Packaging Essentials

and large appliances. Packagers choose

contains 80 percent virgin bleached wood pulp. It is

frozen food packaging .

Project

furniture

weight and strength, and shock

. Bleached paperboard is a premium paperboard grade that is used widely in the food and consumer goods industries. It's known for its folding and scoring properties.

Project

Product package design Firm Big Fish Design Design Team Perry Haydn Taylor, Victoria Sawdon Client Clipper Teas The cardboard box is a common packagingsolution. It is inexpensive to produce and easy to stack on the shelf and store at home. There is no need to break the mold as long as your design provides standout shelf appeal.

Project Product package design Firm Zoo Studio Design Team Gerard Calm, Jordi Serra Client Ruben Alvarez The designers used a cardboard box reference as a container for a limited series of chocolates that mimicschickeneggs.The packageis a laser-cut carton with an adhesive label designedto look like a receipt, which heightens the contrast between the boxes and the very exclusive fine chocolates inside.

27

DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS:

MATERIALS

10 Metal It is easy to see why metal has been sitting on grocery

vacuum-packaged foods such as vegetables, condensed

store shelves for decades. Metal gives products a minimum

milk, fish, fruits, nuts, and pet foods. Aluminum is used to

shelf life of three years. It is a renewable material and

package beer, soda, and carbonated beverages as well as

infinitely recyclable without a loss of quality. Metal's inherent

deodorant, cooking sprays, and spray paint.

robustness provides protection during transportation, so little secondary packaging is required.

From a design perspective, metal can be printed on, or labels can be used to deliver packaging information. Designers

Tin was historically used for metal containers. Now stainless

can choose metal containers from a catalog or create

steel and aluminum are the main metals used to protect

designs of their own.

food against environmental contaminants. Steel is used for

Project Product line package design Firm Anthem Worldwide Design Team Mark Krukonis, Lynn Schmieder, Christine Crippaldi Client Campbell Soup Company Fewpackagesare as iconic as the Campbell's Tomato Soup can. When redesigning the brand, Anthem updated its look without losing the strong shelf recognition of its classic design. The result is a perfect example of a functional design solution that continues to capitalize on its aesthetics while staying current.

28 Packaging Essentials

Project Product line package design Firm Jop Quirinchongo Designer Jop Quirinchongo Client Bogoi Tin has been usedaround the world for many years as an inexpensive way to package food. The farmerfriendly coffee in this example is packaged in a tin with rounded edges that heighten the friendly attitude of the luxury coffee brand. The unconventional size and shape are intriguing and are fully incorporated into the design.

Project Product line package design Firm ~

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With a contemporary design and type treatment, tin cans can deliver a high-end look. In this case, the spare typographic labels on brightly dotted tin canisters suggest accessibility and a clean, simple aesthetic, which is appropriate for a well ness product line.

29

DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS:

MATERIALS

11 Plastic Plastic can be used to display, contain, and protect a product.

• Clear plastic blister packs are used with a cardboard

For branding purposes, plastic can be printed on directly

blister card that makes it easy for the customer to see

with a multitude of textures and techniques. Alternatively,

the product. Pharmaceutical capsules and cough medicine

a plastic sleeve can be produced with a heat-sealed film

capsules use blister packaging.

that is printed and then slipped over a plastic container.

• PVC is softened through a chemical process and used for shrink-wrap and food packaging.

A wide variety of plastic materials is used for packaging:

• Clamshells are clear plastic boxes, perfect for products that benefit from being seen by the customer. Electronic

• Polystyrene is the basis for Styrofoam. Foam bubbles are

products, toys, food, and office supplies are often packaged

synthesized in an open or closed air cell and hardened.

in clamshells as they're difficult to open and are a deterrent

Styrofoam is used extensively to protect nonperishable

to shoplifters.

products and food.

Project Product line package design Firm Maass, Kreativer Designer Volker Maass Client Shan Rahimkhan The differences in textures found in this plastic form fuse the luxuriousness, modernity, and elegance with a roughed-up playfulness. The unusual rectangular shape is an excellent example of a molded plastic that helps the product stand out. The soft surface is appropriate for the sensory quality of the luxurious hair-care products. The UV spot coating highlights the bird motif, which is carried through with the suggestion of a bird's head for the pump.

30 Packaging Essentials

Project Product line package design Firm Container Design Team Brenan Liston, .Jonnie Vigar, Todd Gill, Mark Evens Client USPACompany A unique shapewascreated to help symbolize that this hair-care brand is a combination of age-old botanical wisdom and the latest chemistry. The twist cap extending up and out of the bottles representsnature and growth. The translucent plastic reveals the technology of the cap mechanism.The plastic wasscreenprinted with two different colors for each side.

Project

Product line package design Firm R Design Designer Dave Richmond Client Little Red Deli CHOCO(..ATE This PVC packaging for fruit and nut snacks comes off as fresh and inviting while providing an airtight seal to preserve freshness. The two-toned shift from opaque to translucent results in a sophisticated feel while allowing for a large brandable area. The translucency involves consumers, as it provides a glimpse of the product.

COVERED

SEEDMD'

DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS:

MATERIALS

12 Wrappers Whether they are made from paper, stretched or heat-sealed

in rolls, sheets, folded sheets, or precut, wrappers are

plastic, or aluminum, wrappers surround many products

ideal because of their visual versatility. They can be printed

from many sectors. Wrappers allow customers to get close

on or they come ready to use with a multitude of textures

to the product, feel its weight, and interact with its shape

and colors. The designer must verify that the materials and

and size in their hand. Plastic, aluminum foil, and paper are

printing techniques used for wrapping food are nontoxic.

the primary materials used for package wrappers. Supplied

Project Product line package design firm The Creative Method Design Team Tony Ibbotson, Andi Vanto Client Over the Moon This handmade cheese company wanted to promote its product's unique properties in a way that would stand out from those of competitors. The wrappers provide a handcrafted feel and deliver a high-quality impact.

32 Packaging Essentials

Project

Product line package design Firm LaboGroup Design Team LaboGroup-Sublim Client Le Whif The product contained inside the wrapper is a plastic inhaler from which chocolate fumes can be ingested.The inhalers are packaged in a protective wrapper that safeguards the product throughout transport. The sealed wrapper also verifies that the product is intact and safe to use.

Project Product line package design Firm biz-R Design Team Blair Thompson, Tish England, Paul Warrn, Jo Pitson Client Clive's Organic Bakery Clive's Organic Bakery prides itself on its fresh, high-quality products. The clear wrapper allows customers to see the product's freshness for themselves. The clear plastic can also be wrapped around cardboard to provide structure and portability.

33

DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS:

MATERIALS

13 Innovative

Materials

Innovation in packaging is often a response to changes

By using a material in an unfamiliar context and by exploiting

in social trends. Currently, issues such as increased

its unrealized potential, the designer can make a significant

life expectancy, localization of food growth and manu-

impact at the shelf level. The designer might consider a

facturing, and the economy are playing a role in

cloth or sewn wine label, or a wooden cookie box, or an

stimulating material innovation.

aluminum case for vodka. Although the materials themselves might not be innovative, their unconventional use can be.

Project Product package design Firm Viidrio Designer Ruben Trelles Client Viidrio Committed to finding an ecofriendly package design, the designer gave a T-shirt a second life in this packaging approach. He used embroidery for the label, and recycled HOPE#2 plastic, which is the least toxic and safest plastic producedforthefoodindu~r~ Only the nutritional information was printed. The result is an environmentally responsible package that mimics the shape and texture of a block of tofu.

34 Packaging Essentials

Project

Christmas gift packaging Firm GBH Design Team Jason Gregory, Mark Bonner, Peter Hale Client FLOS As a Christmas gift for its clients, this high-profile lighting manufacturer created a limited-edition chocolate gold-leaf replica of its successful 2008 suspension lamp design. The outer packaging for the lamp was designed to look like a miniature shipping box and included festive shipping stickers. It was delivered just as any of its lighting products would be. Accompanying the light insidethe package was a tea light that could be placed inside the lamp and lit, filling the room with the scent of warm chocolate.

Project Product package design Designer Amandine Alessandra Client Student work Rawshell-lesseggs are individually packaged in vacuum-sealed plastic pockets for a startling and fascinating effect. The plastic keeps the eggs fresh longer and savesstorage room, and for a messless, cooked egg, the sachet can be dropped directly into boiling water.

35

DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS:

FORM AND SHAPE

14 Brand Guidelines that Include Shape Consumers learn about a product and brand through their visual experience of it. A package shape is a fundamental part of a brand's characteristics. It delivers messages about the product and provides a memorable foundation on which visual and emotional values are laid. The fact that a bottle shape can be trademarked and registered is proof of its perceived value.

Project Product package design Firm Turner Duckworth, London and San Francisco Design Team David Turner, Bruce Duckworth, Chris Garvey Client Coca-Cola Just because a product has an iconic shape doesn't mean the package design cannot vary. A change to the graphics or material creates a whole new effect on a familiar shape. Coca-Cola'scurved package design is as distinctive as its label or logo. This highly recognizableshapeand brand takes on a fresh new look thanks to a simple change in bottle material from glass to aluminum.

36 Packaging Essentials

Project

Product package redesign and line extension Firm Bloom Design Team Dan Cornell, Mark Pursey Client Diageo To launch a new flavor in the Diageobeverageline,the designers gave every part of this highly recognizable bottle a face-lift, except for its classic shape. An illustrated landscape similar to the one in the original bottle design was used, but was held by a lighter frame in the label. The more contemporary imagery coupled with a modern sans serif type treatment provided an updated feel without detracting from the recognition factor.

Project Product line package design Firm Pati Nunez Associats Design Team Pati Nunez, Ester M. DePozuelo, Toni Palleja Client RNB Cosmeticos This line of body washes and perfumes was designed to appeal to a broad array of consumer groups. Even though a chain of Spanish supermarkets distributed the products, the designers' philosophy was that good design doesn't have to be costly. The clear bottle material allows the color of

EAUDE COLOGNE

BODY

the product to contribute to the

SPRAY

design. Color-tinted translucent labels complement the color of the product inside. The bottles needed a round bottom for shelf stability, but the designers wanted a more unique shape. The solution was to evolve the round base into a square top.

37

DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS:

FORM AND SHAPE

15 Form Defines Function, Function Defines Form

Project Product package design firm Korefe Design Team Reginald Wagner, Katrin Oeding, Jan Slrnmerl, Santa Gustina Client Kolle Rebbe/Korefe Honey in a wide-mouth jar leaves a sticky messafter use.The concept of using a tube instead of a jar is based on the idea that honey is a kind of glue. This tube package design for honey breaks the mold for typical honey dispensers and provides a much tidier consumer experience.

38 Packaging Essentials

Consumer need or desire, such as convenience, portability,

The best way for a designer to visualize how a product

easeof access,and aesthetics,determines many of a package's

design will meet the needs of an audience is to track the

properties. For example, as the population ages, their need

product through its life span. The designer will envision how

for easy-to-open packages increases. Suburban commuters

a package will evolve from concept to manufacturing, how

look for packaging that is easy to transport, and urban

the end-user will respond to it on the shelf, and ultimately

populations demand convenience.

how the consumer will interact with it after purchase.

Project

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Product line package design Firm

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PRO

Design Team Juli Shore-Sonke, Joe Heiner

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Client GNLD, International

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This packaging for the qrain-, truit-. vegetable-,and fish-basedvitamins needed to communicate the natural stance of the company. The triangle shape of the box references the food pyramid or the recommended intake ratio of different food types, which are displayed on the back of the box.

Project Product package design Firm Axygene Design Team Guillaume Boudreau Client O-water by Axygene Produced for an "idea lab" themed event for an event production company,these small water bottles mimic a test tube but with a retro twist top. The playful test tube contains a "specimen of purity," which is water.

39

DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS:

FORM AND SHAPE

16 Designing a Bag To make the most of a satisfied customer's postretail experience, the branded bag must be well designed and thoughtfully produced. Branded bags can be designed in two ways. The most economical way is to apply a nonbleed designto a standard bag ordered from a catalog. Alternatively, the designer with a discretionary

budget can create a

custom design with a die line and a multitude of design features such as full-bleed printing, a handle approach, and material specification including leather, plastic, nylon, jute, canvas, and paper.

Project Shopping bag design Firm Peter Gregson Studio Designer Jovan Trkulja Client W Hairstyle The shopping bag for this women's hair salon was part of the salon's visual identity and spoke vividly of the services it offers. The line drawing with its reference to beautiful hair combined with a simple logo made it obvious that anyone carrying that bag had just been to a salon. The level of detail in the lines suggests the attention to detail the stylists pay to their clients' hair.

40 Packaging Essentials

Project

Shopping bag design Firm Stromme Throndsen Design Design Team Morten Throndsen, Nicolai Omne, Linda Gundersen Client EGER EGERis a high-end department store in Oslo that is home to a number of fashion boutiques. The EGERshopping bag had to convey the style and elegance of the department store. The use of type as pattern acts as an aesthetic element while promoting brand recognition.

Project Shopping bag design Firm

-

Design Packaging Designer Evelio Mattos Client Haus Modern Living The bags for this modern furniture and accessory store reflect the high caliber of the store's designer furniture while emphasizing the furniture's simple beauty. A bold, two-color design was used for the bags. Emphasis was placed on the name for easy recognition at a distance. Small elements such as the cheeky caption on the inside of the bag, "Does this bag make my butt look big?" reflect the quirkiness of the store's attitude and high-quality products.

41

DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS:

FORM AND SHAPE

17 Molded Packs p

Everyday package materials that are used in unexpected ways or shapes can heighten the consumer experience and

The emergence of molded pulp as a preferred means of

increase the memorability of a product. Molded packs are

packaging can be attributed in part to the fact that it is

a great way to create unexpected shapes.

environmentally friendly and sustainable. There are four

Itt

categories of molded pulp for the designer to consider:

tt PI~c+ir

Designers can source molded plastic shapes directly from catalogs or can design custom shapes with a 3-D rendering program. Those who choose this route will need to satisfy a number of engineering considerations,

including the

package's ability to withstand stress. The designer will have to thoroughly research the package's functionality, stability, and shelf presence before he or she commits to a design.

• Thick-wall products have a moderately smooth finish and a wall thickness of Y16of an inch (0.5 cm) to • Thin-wall

Y2 inch (1.3cm).

products have a wall thickness of Y16of an

inch (2 mm) to Y16of an inch (0.5 cm), and relatively smooth front and back surfaces. • Thermoformed

molded pulp products have a wall

thickness that ranges between Y16of an inch (2 mm) and

Ya of an inch

(3 mm), and feature a high-definition

appearance. • Processed molded pulp has gone through a secondary process such as dying, coating, printing, or diecutting.

Project Product packaging design Firm Creative Pilot Design Team Bill Concannon, Chris Ford,

oz. Dukes Client Nike Todramatize the dangerous possibilities for the wearer of these Nike shoes, the design team designed a molded, plastic form that effectively approximated the look of a hazmat container. The form fits around the pair of running shoes and can be used for other purposes after the shoes are unpacked.

42 Packaging Essentials

Project Product packaging design Firm TDA Advertising & Design Design Team Thomas Dooley, Matthew Ebbing Client Newton Concern for efficiency, interaction, and the environment drove the design team to form a 100 percent postconsumer waste (PCW), compostable pulp paper box around a pair of Newton running shoes. The shape reduces the amount of shelf space and draws attention to the shoes.

Project

Product packaging design Firm Desmania Design Designer Shakti Pawar Client Kaya Skin Care A body care and cosmetics line for men is housed in a masculine, broad-shouldered package shape that was created through a custom plastic-mold process. The designer created custom package shapes with 3-D software-Solid Works for detailing and Rhinoceros for quick visual concepts. The muted palette and finish gave the packaging subtle but discernably masculine overtones.

43

DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS:

FORM AND SHAPE

18 Die Lines Most product packages are made out of one sheet of

or Corel Draw. A spot color is assigned to the line so that

cardboard. Once the card stock for the package design

when it is printed, it separates as a special film or plate.

has been printed, the sheet is fed into a machine that

The printer makes the die line out of the film or plate.

cuts the complete shape of the package-the flaps, folds, and panels. The line that describes this shape is the die line.

For more challenging shapes, it is advisable to consult a

It functions like a cookie cutter.

cardboard engineer to help with precise measurements and folds, and to gauge structural pressures. The engineer

Predefined box shapes already exist, but many designers

will also recommend an appropriate thickness to support

prefer to create their own. To create a die line, designers

the weight of the product.

can use a vector program such as Illustrator, Freehand,

Project Product brand and package design Firm Tea Forte Design Team Peter Hewitt. Katie Sarna Client Tea Forte Tea Forte defines the contemporary ceremony of tea with extraordinary teas and innovative packaging. The designers used a die line to produce the materialcovered, heart-shaped cardboard box with a false floor to give the tea importance.

Project Gift packaging design Firm Struck Design Team Peder Singleton, Dan Christofferson Client Sweet's Candy Company The die line used for this package results in a shape that emulates a pineapple and provides for an intriguing closure. Ideal for gift giving, the box is so unique and decorative that it doesn't even need to be wrapped.

44 Packaging Essentials

Project

Gift packaging design Firm Aloof Design Design Team Sam Aloof, Jon Hodkinson, Andrew Scrase Client twentytwentyone By revealing the contents of the package in stages as it is being opened, this unique package fold and shape heighten anticipation for the product inside.

Project Product package design Firm FAZdesign Designer Jefferson Reuter Quint Client Nugali Unique shapes can be created out of any material. In this case, the smooth and luxurious qualities of the chocolates are emulated on the package design. The die line conveys the high-quality content of the sweet product inside. 45

DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS:

FORM AND SHAPE

19 Special Folds Like origami, folds can be used to create shape. In certain instances, this design approach will deliver punch and economy in the finishing process. Always test the strength of the folded concept with the actual package material before committing to a final die to avoid any retail mishaps.

L

Project Product package design firm Aloof Design Design Team Sam Aloof, Jon Hodkinson, Andrew Scrase Client Heal's This package illustrates how cardboard, when folded, can provide an involving, high-end feel for a luxury product. In addition, this creative solution achieved luxury-gift status within a standard packaging budget.

46 Packaging Essentials

DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS:

FORM AND SHAPE

20 Window Reveals A window reveal in the top or side of a package involves the

Project

consumer by allowing an enticing view of the product. The

Product package design

shape of the opening is an opportunity to say something

Firm Turner Duckworth,

about the product or provide a dramatic picture frame

London and San Francisco

through which the product can be seen.

Design Team

Window reveals are created at the same time as the die line

Sarah Moffat

David Turner, Bruce Duckworth,

and won't cost more. However, if you are adding plastic to

Client Liz Earle Beauty Co.

protect the product this will increase the package cost. Liz Earle Beauty Co. makes a range of moisturizing skin care products for mature skin that contains precious argon and organic rosehip oils. The design approach uses illustrations of rosehip tendrils that creep around the pack. The perfect see-through rosebuds reveal the product's natural orange tone and create a visual metaphor. The silver outer package layer suggests science, while the yellow peaking through the diecuts suggests the products' natural ingredients.

Project Product package design Firm 2creativo Design Team Mariona Lopez, Abel de Benito Client Art-Fruit Framingthe gourmet sweets inside, this window reveal allows the consumer to glimpse the colorful natural fruit products. The black exterior and red interior of the cardboard box further dramatize the effect and present the candy as an exclusive gourmet treat.

47

DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS:

FORM AND SHAPE

21 Innovation

Project Product package design Firm Truedot Design Team Dmitry Kuznetsov, Pavel Gubin Client Truedot This beer package design mimics a beer mug with a decorative cover that looks like froth. A classic silkscreen beer label surrounds a glass bottle form. The end result is a departure from the classic beer tin or bottle approach.

Project Product package design Firm truerender Designer Pavel Gubin Client truerender A sassy design for a sexy drink makes perfect sense for this milky vodka packaged in a suggestively shaped ceramic bottle. The shape works especially well with the suggestion that the consumer drink directly from the package.

48 Packaging Essentials

A Wharton School of Business study showed that 50 percent

Innovation means breaking the mold, which often costs

of purchase decisions are made at the shelf. This statistic

money. The case must be made to the client for how a

suggests that when properly implemented, package

higher return on investment will be realized with an

innovation produces genuine business results in terms

innovative approach. Designers must also be prepared to

of higher visibility, increased sales, enhanced brand aware-

test their innovative package design from an engineering

ness, and increased brand loyalty.

perspective before committing to the final print run.

Project Product package design Firm Arthur Schreiber Designer Arthur Schreiber Client Concept piece The bottle shape conveys the feeling that it has just been sliced, perhaps by a samurai sword. The graceful bottle treatment invites consumers to pick it up and run their fingers along the cut in the glass.

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49

DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS:

LABELS

22 Designing a Label The average shopper spends five to seven seconds

Eyeball-tracking studies have shown that key messages

scanning a label on the shelf. To ensure that the label

should be clustered

is read, the designer must consider the package's com-

phrases on a label. These statements should be placed

petition. A different and unfamiliar label invites custom-

down and to the right on the main visual as this position

ers to pick up the product. If competitors'

follows the natural reading pattern of audiences.

products have

in two or three benefit words or

colorful and glossy labels, a subtle or subdued look will stand out on the supermarket shelf.

The designer should do his or her homework and stroll the aisles of the retail space where the package will be displayed. This experience will inform the design process as much as the creative impulse.

Project Product label design Firm Studio Copyright Designer Gabriel Morales Client Mas Romani Drawing inspiration from Spanish tile design the patterns on the labels for a Spanish winery are apropos. The result is a beautiful image with a unique and fitting personality that delivers strong shelf appeal for this wine.

50 Packaging Essentials

Project Product package design firm Moxie Sozo Design Team Leif Steiner, Charles Bloom Client Eat Pastry Every centimeter of available space on this container creates appetite appeal for the product inside. The perfect balance of typography and imagery on this package begs the consumer to pick it up and read it from end to end.

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Product label design firm The Creative Method Design Team Tony Ibbotson, Mayra Monobe Client Winesellers Sunflowers are the central symbol for this brand of Italian wines. The label designer created a contemporary feel around the sunflower while retaining the traditional aspects of the brand character. The result is a label design that references different parts of the Italian countryside, conveying the distance the wines have traveled.

51

DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS:

LABELS

23 Shapes When designing a label, consider its shape as an entity unto itself as it relates to the overall package design. The label carries the name and product information, but the shape can allow consumers to also see the inside of the product.

Project Product label design firm Peter Gregson Studio Designer Jovan Trkulja Client Sopocani Juice A label that works in conceptual and dimensional harmony with the package brings the product idea to life. In this case, the label appears to be almost embedded in the package. Its leaf shape marries well with the fruitlike shape of the bottle. Unusually shaped package labels will stand apart from labels with standard, square or rectangular labels. Heinz Ketchup is an example of an unusual shape that has served the brand well over time. The 130-year-old keystoneshaped label is an integral part of the brand identity.

52 Packaging Essentials

•

•

Project

Project

Product package design

Product package design

Firm

Firm

Alan Aldridge

Pati Nunez Associats

Designer

Design Team

Alan Aldridge

Pati Nunez, Kike Segurola, Ester

Client

M. De Pozuelo

The Grateful Palate/R Wines

Client RNB Coserneticos

This wine label is reminiscent of an early 1900s medicine bottle design.

Opposing ideas layered in a

The design concept centers on a

package design create conceptual

Green Lion, which is an alchemist's

dimension. The diecut lace effect

symbol for a stage of inner growth.

on this label design suggests

The design approach expresses

innocence, which when combined

a rock-and-roll sensibility with a

with the sensuality of the fruit-

kaleidoscope-like color palette.

inspired colors and the clinical feel of the chemistry bottle results in a complex and intriguing blend of ideas.

53

DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS:

LABELS

24 Label Reveals and Folds Label reveals provide focus for the eye. They can reveal a

A folded label provides significantly more space for

product highlight or simply let the product speak for itself

information than a conventional label. Its folded and

through a cut-out or clear plastic window. The designer

glued construction makes it suitable for instructions,

should consider the shape of the label reveal and how it

product declarations, information in other languages,

contributes to the entire visual experience, or explore the

and promotional activities.

"no label look" with a transparent label.

Project Product line package design Firm We Love Jam Designer Eric Hueberli Client welovejam.com This handmade jam and BBQ sauce is made of organic fruit and contains no artificial colors. To convey the handmade quality, the designer produced bottle labels from ironed grocery bags

tm

that were sent through a printer and diecut with a craft knife. The diecut label design allowed consumers to see the sauce and jam for themselves and highlighted the homemade quality.

Project

apricot

Product label design Firm Fifty Strategy & Creative Design Team Candace Ellicott. Sarah Roncarelli, Mae-Lynn Slater Client Student work The use of a label fold adds dimension to this quirky design. When the consumer lifts the labels he or she finds hidden messages, which add to the tongue-in-cheek theme.

54 Packaging Essentials

Project

Product line package design Firm Braincells Design Team Steve Boros, Brett Layton Client Highvale Preserves These handmade jams and sauces, which are natural, biodynamic, and organic, are revealed to the consumer through clear labels. The transparent labels are printed with five spot colors and allow the product to speak for itself.

Project Product line package design Firm Caracas Designer Herve Guitaut Client Jean-Louis Bissardon These premium fruit juices were designed for high-end restaurants, luxury hotels, and urban boutiques. The label design occupies minimal space so that the juice color and texture can make the boldest statement of all the visual elements.

55

DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS:

PRINTING

25 Four-Color Lithography The technique used to print full-color images, such as

printing press, through "color separation," and "screening"

photographs, is referred to as four-color process or process

or "half toning." The next step is the creation of printing

printing. Four semitransparent or translucent inks are used:

plates that transfer color impressions to paper on printing

cyan, magenta, yellow, and black. They are often abbrev-

presses.Prepressexperts, who work at the printing company,

iated as CMYK.

handle these processes. The designer is often consulted on subjective issues and is asked to indicate his or her

Two graphic techniques are required to prepare images for four-color printing. In the "prepress" stage, original images are translated into forms that can be used on a

"'tIlTA

Project

Product package design Firm

11111111111 III 1111 II I I I II I 1111111

1111.

Morning Breath Design Team

Doug Cunningham, Jason Noto Client

The Grateful Palate/R Wines The design approach for a big, burly Shiraz is borrowed from the graphic style of Lucha Ubre, which is a type of wrestling practiced in Mexico. The boisterous spirit and

SHiRAZ

color of the design celebrate the energy and raucousness of the steroid-injected wine. Nothing less than a wide range of color could capture the energy and culture of the luchador.

56 Packaging Essentials

~

approval with a signature on a prepress proof.

Project

Project

Project

Product label design

Product package design

Product package design

Firm

Firm

Firm

Feedback Marketing

Braveland Design

The Creative Method

Designer

Design Team

Design Team

Raimon Benach

Dave Bravenec, Beth Elliott

Tony Ibbotson, Mayra Monobe

Client

Client

Client

Emendis

The Grateful Palate/R Wines

Marlborough Valley Wines Ltd.

This label features a contemporary

This retro-styled

This four-color charred image

design that boasts a voluptuous

approach is appropriate for a

is a tribute to a famous fire in

photographic rendering of Emendis,

family of wines that promise

the Marlborough, New Zealand,

the woman who lived on the vine-

hedonistic pleasure.The modern

region that was fought by resid-

yard estate in the twelfth century.

style mixed with old-fashioned

ents on a street called Fireroad.

Lithography delivers a sensuality

design references relies on vivid

For those who do not know about

built on a warm color palette, which

color to deliver impact.

the fire, the shape and charred

wine label

is heightened by the cool colors in

coloring of this label design lend

the underlying shadows.

an air of irreverence to an otherwise stately looking wine label.

57

DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS:

PRINTING

26 Lithography

with Three or Fewer Colors

The process of using a limited number of color inks in addition to primary colors is referred to as spot color printing. spot color inks are special formulations that are designed to print alone, rather than to blend with other inks on the paper. The range of spot color inks, much like paint, is unlimited. Project

Limiting the number of colors can reduce printing costs.

Product package design

Spot color inks can also be used to emphasize a corporate

firm

color. spot colors often portray a color far more accurately

Maass, Kreativer

than a color that is mixed from a four-color process.

Designer Volker Maass Client Rubysense Symbols of faith, love, and hope have been playfully and slightly irreverently integrated into a package design for candles. Contrast is provided by a simple, straightforward color wash that is added to a black-and-white illustrated foundation.

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58 Packaging Essentials

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Project Product package design Firm Studio Bomba Design Team Leah Dent, Angela Mitchell Client Forlano

The packaging challenge for this high-end, hanging rack was to create an experience that mirrored the quality and style of the product. The package needed to convey the lines,quality, and design style of the rack and deliver a high-end feel for a tight budqs]. With the white paper as the backProject

ground, this tWo-color print job

Product package design Firm

resulted in a POlishedand elegant feel with minimal expense.

David Fung Designer David Fung Client Concept piece The dramatic use of black and sparing amounts of one color printed on a white background provides a stylish look for this milk carton. The success of the approach relies on the concentration and saturation of the pure hue.

59

DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS:

PRINTING

27 Flexography

Project Product line package design firm Fifty Strategy & Creative Designer Candace Ellicott Client Torq By printing on the reverse side of a clear plastic substrate using flexography, a sleek, contemporary effect was achieved with no danger of ink transference. The design approach was ideal for the high-performance

message of

the energy bar package design.

60 Packaging Essentials

The flexography printing process involves the use of a

color. The various tones and shadings are achieved by

flexible plate that adapts to different textured and dimen-

overlaying the four basic shades of ink. Flexography can

sional surfaces while printing. The substrate is fed into

be used to print corrugated containers, folding cartons,

the press from a roll in the typical flexo printing sequence.

multiwall sacks, paper sacks, plastic bags, milk and beverage

The image is printed as the substrate is pulled through a

cartons, disposable cups and containers, labels, adhesive

series of stations, or print units. Each unit prints a single

tapes, envelopes, newspapers, and wrappers.

Project Product label design Firm Aloof Design Design Team Sam Aloof, Jon Hodkinson, Andrew Scrase Client Jo Wood Organics

JO WOOl) OIU;ANICS

The ink in this label design sits on a foil-blocked substrate. This printing approach results in an alluring organic feel well suited to a modern luxury product.

Project Product package design Firm ~

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Aloof Design Design Team Sam Aloof, Jon Hodkinson, Andrew Scrase

Ihair

style

Client Realhair

style

This polished, high-end package

ghtless

design speaks engagingly to a high-end celebrity audience. The

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style

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specially mixed yellows, silver foil, and reflective logo result in a contemporary and sensual design experience with a highly visual aesthetic.

61

DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS:

PRINTING

28 Laser Etching Laser etching is a precision printing method used to mark or brand a substrate. Often, a computer is used to drive the movement of a laser over surfaces such as glass, metal, wood, and plastic. Laser etching has the additional benefit of processing a high volume of material at a rapid speed.

Project Product package design Firm Pati Nunez Associats Design Team Pati Nunez, Kike Segurola Client Cavas Recaredo This Catalan wine is produced with a minimum of human intervention. The design concept was

,

based on the same premise. The typography was laser-cut into off-white cotton paper. Laser etching was used to create the typography on the wooden box.

62 Packaging Essentials

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DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS:

PRINTING

29 Screen Printing

Project Product package design firm Death by Colour Designer Michael Lonergan Client Lunar Vine Wines Lunar Vine wanted its wines to stand out on the shelf, so designer Michael Lonergan chose to use screen printing to deliver brightness and vividness of color and texture on the packaging. The result is an interesting visual play between the positive and negative shapes of the design against the actual product within the bottle.

64 Packaging Essentials

Also known as silk screening or serigraphy, screen

Screen printing is used on a wide variety of substrates,

printing is one of the most versatile of all the printing

including paper, paperboard, plastics, glass, metals,

processes. Opaque inks as opposed to the transparent

fabrics, and many other materials. Screen printing is

inks of offset are forced onto a substrate by a roller or

especially useful on substrates other than paper that

squeegee through a stenciled polyester mesh screen.

cannot be fed through an offset lithography press.

Project

Product package design Firm Moruba Designer Daniel Morales

Project

Client

Product package design

Winery Arts

Firm Robot Food

Screen printing was used to

Designer

create a bold signature within

Simon Forster

a rich textural experience for

Client

these wines by Winery Arts.

White Flock Sauvignon

The texture reinforced the stark, bold typographical concept of

The flavor attributes of this

each number, which coincided

Sauvignon were conveyed in

with the name of each product.

the design: fresh, crisp, and light, based on the New Zealand vineyard's name. Screen printing allowed the birds to fly freely on the bottle as opposed to being contained on the label by an ink-on-paper print production process. The printing technique also enhanced the shape and texture of the bottle and allowed the product to show through.

65

DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS:

PRINTING

30 Special Techniques: Special Inks and Varnishes Special inks and varnishes provide intriguing surface varia-

· Matte varnish: This gives the printed surface a nonglossy,

tions that involve the eye. The effect can be subtle or more

smooth look. This type of seal softens the appearance

pronounced. The designer should know that each add-

of a printed image.

itional color or varnish requires a separate plate and run

· Silk/satin

varnish: This coating technique is the middle

through the printing press which increases the cost of the

ground between a machine sealed-inline and a matte

print run. There are a variety of special inks and varnishes

varnish. It is not as glossy as a true gloss nor as subtle

to choose from:

as a matte finish. • UV varnish: This requires the use of special ultraviolet

. Machine seal-inline:

A machine seal is a virtually

drying machinery to create a coating that is the deluxe

invisible coating applied to a printed surface. It does

version of the non-UV varnishes. The varnish appears

not affect the appearance of the job, but "seals" the ink

noticeably richer and more luxurious. A UV varnish can

under a protective coat. This means the printed piece

be applied as either an all-over coating or a spot varnish.

can be handled sooner, as the ink sitting under the protective coating does not have to be entirely dry.

· All-over UV varnish: The most common type of UV varnish, this finish gives a high-gloss effect.

. Gloss varnish: This is used to enhance the appearance of

· Spot UV varnish: Applied to isolated areas on a printed

printed photographs in brochures or flyers. The coating

piece, a spot varnish highlights and draws attention to

reflects light, making colors appear richer and more vivid.

an aspect of the design or pattern.

Project Product line package design Firm Moag Bailie Design Team Annie Moag, Kim Ford Client Woolworths (South Africa) Earthy tones and textures for the man who enjoys the outdoors are the characteristics of this cosmetics line for men. A tactile experience, suggestive of the outdoors, is provided by the embossing and matte laminate on the packages.

66 Packaging Essentials

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XOJ

Project Product line package design Firm Campbell Hay Design Team Charlie Hay, Jonathan Baron, Yann Binet Client Shengaia Natural ingredients are the basis for this high-quality spa cosmetics product range. It was important to express the product quality, but the limited print budget posed a challenge. The designers chose to print on cardboard, but used the interior gloss side with an inline matte seal to create a ribbed pattern.

Project Product line package design Firm Moag Bailie Design Team Annie Moag, Kim Ford Client Woolworths (South Africa)

....•-

Board sleeves and tags were printed in soft metallic inks and were spot-varnished with an overall matte laminate for this holiday-themed bath and body collection. Embossing was used to create visual texture. Finished with an elegant black cord and toggle, this product range communicates pure decadence.

67

DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS:

PRINTING

31 Special Techniques:

Foil Stamping

Foil stamping is a technique that creates dimension on

usually made from brass and are generally carved

cardboard, metal, or plastic substrates. There are many

by hand. This process is costlier than regular flat foil

types of foil stamping techniques to choose from:

stamping . . Vertical foil stamping: This technique is used for stamp-

. Flat foil stamping: With this relatively simple and cost-

ing foil designs on flat substrates as well as cylindrical

effective technique, foil is transferred onto the substrate

substrates to a maximum of 90 degrees of the outer

using a flat, magnesium or copper metal stamp. The

perimeter.

finished result is a slight rise on the original surface with no impression left on the back of the substrate. • Sculpted foil stamping: Using a die with more than one level, this technique results in a foil design that appears obviously raised from its surface. Sculpted dies are

• Peripheral foil stamping: Used for the outer perimeter of cylindrical materials, this technique applies foil stamping to 360 degrees of the circumference. . Nonmetallic foils: These tend to bleed and are not suitable for fine detail work or cloth applications.

Project

Project

Product package design

Product package design

firm

firm

Juli Shore Design

Big Fish Design

Designer

Design Team

Juli Shore-Sonke

Perry Haydn Taylor,

Client

Victoria Sawdon

Sundance Catalog

Client Clipper Teas

Mirroring the distressed silver mercury glass of the ornament

The brand identity for a new

and twinkle of the holiday

London-based small-batch

season, this design approach

distillery

contrasted the plain cardboard

black-and-white labels that

with the richness of the silver

were heightened by generous

foil-stamped label.

use of foil stamping. The foil

utilized primarily

impression functioned as a field, as opposed to detailing which is customary for foil stamping. The result is a modern twist with big shelf appeal.

68 Packaging Essentials

Project Product label design Firm DDCCreative Lab Design Team Igor Mospanov, Dmitry Elkin, Anton Soklov Client BevMarketing Group Heraldic elements and stylized ornaments embossed with gold were the key to making this vintage brand's history and rich traditions of making champagne come alive. The luxurious-looking label highlighted the brand's

•

reputation

of producing fine

champagne from exceptional grapes.

CHAMPAGNE

69

MARKETING

AND BRAND CONSIDERATIONS

32 A Package as a Sales Tool Effective package design can make a consumer desire

• A demonstrated

benefit or reason for buying, such as

something as benign as soap. A well-designed package

economic alternative,

can elevate a lackluster product to exceptional status.

and so forth

In fact, some marketers have moved all of their advertising budgets into package design.

category leadership, innovation,

• A personality that is likeable, meaningful, and relevant to its consumers • Desirable product features that are enhanced using

To meet sales strategy demands, the designer must

• Easy-to-understand,

package design:

• Practical, easy-to-open packaging

from its competition

Product neck label design Firm Pemberton & Whitefoord Design Consultants Design Team Simon Pemberton, A. Whitefoord, Lee Newham Client Bambarria To compete with stiff competition on the duty-free shelves, the designers opted to take their inspiration from Mexican history. The resultant neck label for the tequila brand carries the legend of the origins of Mexico City and is illustrated on one side of the bottle.

70 Packaging Essentials

or a product reveal

conceptualize and execute the following traits in the • A unique design that allows the product to stand apart

Project

photography, illustration,

compelling

product information

Project Product line package design Firm Crave, Inc. Designer David Edmundson Client The Sugar Plum Fairy Baking Company Appetite appeal is the primary driver in the packaging approach for this ali-natural, handmade line of baked goods. The designer developed sumptuous photography in a design environment of plush colors, resulting in a dreamy effect that ensnares

CHOCOLATE*

TIRAIISU -ALL

the consumer's imagination and appetite.

NATURAL-

Project Product package design Firm Michael Osborne Design Design Team Michael Osborne, Beth Leonardo Client Brix An upscale look was warranted for this gourmet line of chocolate bars that were specifically blended to complement wine. The design team made the most of the small budget with a fourcolor label and a gold foil stamp directly on the box, highlighting the product's unique orientation and fine qualities.

71

MARKETING

AND BRAND CONSIDERATIONS

33 Demographics Demographics are the first place to look when trying to

years of age, but by the year 2000, most of the population

anticipate

was older than thirty, with the highest percentage

tomorrow's

packaging needs. Demographic

of

information is derived from a country's national census. It

retirees ever. There is no question that this demographic

might include information

trend will heavily influence future package design.

residence, cultural

such as gender, occupation,

background,

ethnic background,

educational level, marital status, family size, socioeconomic

The designer should use broad demographic categoriz-

status, geographic factors, and religious factors.

ations with a grain of salt. They are useful but are not always enough to identify a group with common motiva-

One of the major demographic trends that contemporary

tional triggers. For example, not all twenty-six-year-olds

package designers must consider is an aging audience.

are interested in or motivated by the same thing.

In the 1970s, the population

was mostly under thirty

Project Product line package design Designer Yvonne Niewerth Client Student work The contents of a shopper's cart are revealing. What one purchases is a reflection of one's values, habits, needs, and desires. The packaging approach for this pudding line resulted in a wide variety of designs that appeal to a broad demographic range of pudding eaters.

~"

02. 20(]8 V •

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lI4Ra.,1IIXIIWl.. ~ I\j' we (DIltlOuuo.,.. $l:l.IOWolll

72 Packaging Essentials

•

Pl1d(llll~

\ .uul!e

• Pudding: Schokolade

I

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I

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73

MARKETING

AND BRAND CONSIDERATIONS

34 Psychographics Psychographics consider how groups of people are

. The Emulator: This person's primary goal is to attract

motivated and how they behave. Unlike demographics, it

the opposite sex or gain approval from his or her peers.

is an imprecise study, but it helps marketers relate to a

Emulators will buy flashy foreign imports or a local copy

consumer group and anticipate their needs. Examples of

(because they can't afford a luxury car), as long as it

psychographic profiles include the following:

looks expensive and fast and attracts attention. • Socially Conscious Type A: This person is not concerned

. The Belonger: This is a person of modest ambition who lives in an average town.

with the world of achievement. He or she cares about family, community, and how his or her actions affect society.

. The Achiever: This is a serious business person. Power

These people want to make the world a better place.

and physical wealth are what make this person perform

• Socially Conscious Type B: This person has given up

day in and day out.

on humanity as a whole. Such people have created their own small communities.

Project Product line package design firm Mor Cosmetics Design Team Dianna Burmas, Deon St. Mor Client Mor Cosmetics To complement Marshmallow, a perfume that targets very feminine women, the design team created a range of products that expressed the perfume's soft, sweet scent and character. A teacup extended the product line and was packaged with soft, feminine colors and an oldfashioned flower wallpaper motif, and was closed with a ribbon.

74 Packaging Essentials

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Project Product package design Firm Ruiz + Company Designer David Ruiz Client ~

Snook

c (/)

Snook children's shoes are

o o

inspired by a sensible 1830s English style of footwear called plimsolls. Rubber bottomed and canvas topped, plimsolls were worn at the beach and for sports. Snook's modern take on plimsolls reaches out to traditionalists,

but also

responds to their contemporary design concerns.

Project

Product line package design Firm Anthem Worldwide Design Team Aileen Kendle-Smith, Brian Lovell, Jane Dalrymple Client Safeway To appeal to consumers who are looking for fast, convenient, healthy food options, Safeway developed the Eating Right product line. The light, bright packaging design approach

?f«tn:kids

organiCS

Project Product line package design Firm Brand Engine Design Team

was applied to more than 200

Bob Hullinger, Meghan Zodrow,

products. It included the Eating

Kenn Lewis

Right Spot Your Needs nutrition

Client

system that organizes the

Plum Organics

nutritional features of each product to make diet

The contemporary, fresh, and

management easier.

product-focused look appeals to moms who are concerned about their children's nutrition. The playful image of the child on the front zeros in on the benefit of the product in a highly relevant manner. As well, the game on the back of the package reassures children that eating this food will be fun.

75

MARKETING

AND BRAND CONSIDERATIONS

35 Designing within a Brand Standard To explore variations on a brand theme while respecting the brand standard is both challenging and rewarding when done well. The purpose of the brand standard is to protect the visual personality and attributes brand, which distinguish it from its competition.

of the If the

design strays too far from the brand attributes, consumers may confuse it with something else. To work within the client's brand parameters while embracing the needs of the brief requires finding the right balance.

Project Product line package design Firm Hatch Design Design Team Katie Jain, Joel Templin Client Coca-Cola This seasonal packaging for Coke, Diet Coke, Coke Zero, and Fanta is a good example of how a brand standard was respected wholeheartedly. The fresh, enchanting, winter holiday imagery and graphics supported the brand attitude and standard as opposed to detracting from it.

76 Packaging Essentials

Project

Product line package design Firm Anthem Worldwide Design Team Rob Swan, Scott Hardy, Mitch Tennison, Kelly Frazier Client Coca-Cola Coca-Cola engaged Anthem to create a powerful package design system and global brand standards to celebrate the Beijing Olympic Games. The biggest challenge was staying true to Coke's visual identity standards and current campaign principles,while incorporating the International Olympic Committee's standards as well as the identity for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The guidelines strategically offered freedom for localization within a framework of global consistency. The resultant packaging designs incorporated Eastern and Western brand elements to position Coca-Cola as an active participant in the Beijing games, as opposed to a passive sponsor.

MARKETING

AND BRAND CONSIDERATIONS

36 Masstige Packaging Masstige is a term used in the branding industry. It means

From a design point of view, the lines are blurring between

"luxury for the masses" and refers to products that are

what is considered mass and prestige. Design alone can

produced with an upscale appeal and sold for low prices.

sometimes deliver 100 percent of the impact regardless

Target and Walmart are examples of stores that adhere

of the money spent on materials and printing processes.

to the Masstige movement.

Phrases such as "luxe for less" and "beauty for a bargain" come to mind when thinking of masstige.

COWSHED

Project Product package design firm Bloom Design Team Dan Cornell, Paula Macfarlan, Polly Williams Client Soho House High-contrast black-and-white silhouettes of wildflowers and plants coupled with colored type make for a distinctive

COWSHED knackered cow relaxing

travel candles

and elegant product package.

d \'O)'&Ie

This product range targets a

lh

broad audience through a spa chain, department stores, and a Web site.

78 Packaging Essentials

Project

Product line package design firm

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Moag Bailie Designer Annie Moag, Kim Ford

I

Client Woolworth (South Africa) The bold, graphic illustrations for this private-label

line of

fragrances were inspired by the concept of living beauty. An organic design style and elegant bottle shape provide a soft, feminine character for each of these affordable scents, which are designed for a department store clientele.

Project Product line package design firm YinYing Lu Yin Ying Design Team Elmwood UK, YinYing Lu Yin Ying Client ASDA Made for Walmart UK, this wine series features illustrations that embody the light, sunny California wine-making spirit. By virtue of the packaging, these favorably priced wines take on an elevated status in an environment that caters to an economically minded mass audience.

79

MARKETING

AND BRAND CONSIDERATIONS

37 What's in a Name? Soup. Safety pins. Dog biscuits. In its most basic function, a name identifies the contents of a package. However, the use of alliteration,

a play on words, metaphors, or even

descriptive adjectives will involve audiences more fully and increase the product's relevance to them.

ENERGY

WATER

ENERGY

WATER

ENERGY

WATER

Project Product package design Firm David Fung Designer David Fung Client Pique Word play that links the brand name to the product name suggests the product's benefit. The implied benefit is abstract enough that it can relate to the product alone, or to a life concept with a much bigger scope.

80 Packaging Essentials

16 FL OZ (472 ML)

16 FL OZ (472 ML)

16 FL OZ (472 ML)

Project Product package design Firm Robot Food Design Team Simon Forster, Mike Shaw Client Nice Nose Wines Given that full-bodied red wines are enjoyed for their aroma or nose, as well as taste, the use of a nose in the name and as an illustrated element is a whimsical way to invite consumers to take a closer look. The concept is further supported by the descriptions printed directly on the bottle, naturally including notes on the wine's nose and taste.

Project Product line package design Firm Studio Bomba Design Team Leah Dent, Angela Mitchell Client Vasse Felix This series of sparkling wines is named in celebration of the incredible achievements of racehorses. The owners of the winery have a long history of breeding horses, including Black Night, winner of Australia's most prestigious race, the Melbourne Cup. The wine packaging is designed to reflect Vasse Felix's racing heritage, and incorporates the stud's colors and diamond

-

patterning. The tamper-proof cork closure was made to resemble a winner's sash. It is fitting that sparkling wine should be named for celebration's sake.

2001ISl'.ARKI

WINE OF AUSTRA

81

MARKETING

AND BRAND CONSIDERATIONS

38 Packaging Mascots Talking tigers and jolly green giants who persuade

In the past decade, however, sports teams in particular

consumers of a brand's value have been around for

have introduced

decades. Mascot and character marketing experienced

characters, which have shown themselves to be highly

a period of decline in the 1980s as ad executives and

effective in creating awareness, building loyalty, and

brand managers sought other means of promoting

most importantly,

their brands.

friendly characteristics,

their audiences to mascots and

selling tickets. Because of their mascots generate goodwill

for the brand. They also provide tie-in identification at point of sale, and they sell products.

Project Product package design Firm Designbolaget Design Team

Claus Due, Emil Gamelgaard Client Granola

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250, This granola packaging was produced for a coffee roastery in Copenhagen. The retro design feel supported the 1950s aesthetic of the store, in which a Boy Scout mascot vouches for the quality of the coffee and related products-Scout's honor. To support the brand, a real Boy Scout gave away coffee at the new granola product release.

82 Packaging Essentials

FRISK

Project

Product package design Firm The Creative Method Design Team Tony Ibbotson, Andi Vanto Client Guzman y Gomez This logo features stylized caricatures of the two owners of this Mexican food store and taqueria. Paired with a bright yellow color and black-and-white photography, this simple and stylized branding solution reinforces the quaintness of a friendly establishment where you can get to know everyone, including the owners.The polished design approach contrasts the gritty handmade character of the photography and elevates the brand to a higher level.

Project Product package design Firm The Creative Method Designer Tony Ibbotson Client Sultry Sally Potato Chips Potato Magic developed a process for producing delicious, 97 percent fat-free potato chips. The packaging needed to stand apart from the competition, so the designer chose to develop an involving brand personality. The premium product with its high price point had to reflect its high-quality production process and extreme attention to detail. Thus, Sultry Sally was created. Sally is eye catching and luxurious. She is not shy about showing off her fine figure, clearly a credit to the low fat content of the potato chips.

83

MARKETING

AND BRAND CONSIDERATIONS

39 Bath, Beauty, and Health Bath and beauty product design can elicit a strong

consider the intimate

emotional

it's intended for, and the package itself should be

response, much deeper than, say, motor

Project

use of the product and who

oil. When designing products for this category, it is

sturdy and water resistant since these products are

important to remember two things: The design should

generally used in the bathroom.

Product line package design Firm Danny Goldberg Design Design Team Danny Goldberg, Michal Koll Client Buta'i The unique properties of these new cosmetics were alluded to in the package design with botanical X-ray photography, accents of silver foil, and embossed and debossed type.

BU

BUT'" UTA'l

U TAil

BUTA/I

84 Packaging Essentials

/'

Project Product line package design firm Buzzsaw Studios Designer Tim Parsons Client Reverta Health Solutions LLC The organic, vinelike illustrations are seductive and inviting, but at the same time the package is unbreakable, can withstand water, and is easy

fI

for the consumer to hold and use in wet conditions.

Strong

vertical lines and a natural color palette ground the design solution and connect the entire product line together.

II

fI-

....

Project Product line package design

.yslen -

firm Desdoigts & Associes

mysten ....

Design Team Olivier Desdoigts,Sylvie Aligendre, Stephane Sardet Client Clarins More than 100 products in this line were packaged in clear bottles, allowing the bright product colors to show through. The frosted tops and thick clear glass reference steamy glass, cleanliness,and beauty. Aesthetic color combinations suggest that the products worked together while allowing for an individual's

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sense of style and personality. 85

MARKETING

AND BRAND CONSIDERATIONS

40 Technology Major software and electronics merchants carry numer-

Consider the approaches of Apple and Microsoft. Each

ous products in a cluttered (and often very noisy) retail

has a strong brand presence and does not deviate from

store environment.

it. Apple is focused on design and the user experience.

Too often, a product fails to produce

results because the product's package design is ineffec-

Microsoft invests in promoting its technology. The brands

tive in communicating brand value and a clear benefit in

are so clearly delineated

such a crowded space.

produced television campaigns that make fun of their

that the companies have

differences. They also have strong brand loyalty from A common mistake in software and technology marketing is an attempt to make every product appeal to every consumer. The result is a package design that tries to communicate everything, but really communicates nothing.

Project Product package design and rebrand Firm Brand Engine Design Team Will Burke, Bob Hullinger, Meegan Perry, Meghan Zodrow, Bill Kerr Client Hewlett-Packard Hewlett-Packard wanted to communicate its status as a category leader and innovator to attract a younger audience, but wanted to be sure not to alienate its older audiences. The resultant design approach communicated only the essential information on the front, as opposed to bombarding the consumer with a complicated mix of technical and brand information.

86 Packaging Essentials

consumers who identify themselves as Mac or PC users.

Project

Product package design Firm Turner Duckworth, London and San Francisco Design Team David Turner, Bruce Duckworth, Shawn Rosenberger, Ann Jordan, Josh Michaels, Rebecca Williams, Brittany Hull. Radu Ranga Client Motorola The individualized tattooed backgrounds highlighted with varnished patterns express a unique product feature. Innovative packageengineering highlights the feature and surprises the consumer. For example, the MOTOROKRis a phone and music player. Laser cuts and a package slider mechanism create a dynamic simulated speaker.

MARKETING

AND BRAND CONSIDERATIONS

41 Confection and Candy Surveys have shown that in stressful times, people treat

To develop successful packaging for a luxury food product,

themselves to luxury foods and candy as consolation

designers must acquaint themselves with the unique

instead of more extravagant

features of the product, and then relay those features

purchases. In addition,

people also use food to celebrate. Packaging is a powerful

to the consumer through the package design. They must

device for setting the stage for a luxury or celebratory

create drama, tell the product story, and help the consumer

food product. The package is essentially a courtship

anticipate the pleasure of consuming the food.

between the consumer and the product, and as such, it must entice, promise, and deliver.

Project Product line package design

TARAKAN

KENDARI cacao

Firm

chocolate nogro

Pati Nunez Associats

NAYARIT 370/0 cacao chocolate con leche

Design Team Pati Nunez, Ester M. De Pozuelo, Eva Lopez Client Selvaticas Henri Rousseau'sjungle paintings inspired this illustrated approach for exotically flavored chocolates made from fruity or spicy cocoa. Eva Lopez was commissioned to create four illustrations

for the

chocolate line, called Coberturas

setvettces,

which means wild

forest in Spanish. Daytime scenes were used for milk chocolate and nighttime scenes were used for dark chocolate.

88 Packaging Essentials

SelvAticas

Selv4.tica.a

CHOGOVICSoA m·;Sllf 1872

OIlOCOVIC S.A OESDIl: urn

Selviticas OHOCOVlC SA DESDE 1872

Project Product line package design Firm Juli Shore Design Designer Juli Shore-Sonke Client Sundance Catalog A retro typographic approach communicates the history of Suckers Candy Co.,a family business that started in the early 1900s, and connects consumers to their childhood. The package highlights the homemade, artisan quality and fun of the product through its handmade design approach.

Project

Product line package design Firm

,"SSORTED FRUITy

Hartung Kemp Design Agency

\-\CORleS'

Design Team

1Wl5Ts

Stephan Hartung, Devon Adrian, Caris Flaherty Client Route 29 Route 29 is a gourmet confections company that decided to rebrand its products for better impact on the shelf. The design unified a bold and fun approach while paying homage to the company's long history by using illustrations that appeal to children. Each package in the range has its own look and feel but is unified through the use of colors, a label system, and illustrated style.

ORANGE

MARKETING

AND BRAND CONSIDERATIONS

42 Wine and Spirits With mounting legislation restricting alcohol marketing,

· Bold packaging and contrasting

designs on a wine

wine and spirit packaging has to work even harder. The

label were thought by consumers to be exciting and

packaging must set the product apart and inform the

eye catching. However, they a Iso expected a lower-

consumer about the brand-its

quality, less expensive wine.

authenticity,

heritage,

provenance, and quality. The package also must work

· Natural designs were thought to reflect more sincere,

at an emotional level by making a lifestyle promise that

competent, and sophisticated, but not especially exciting,

connects with consumers' feelings about the occasion

wines. Consumers expected these wines to be expensive

for which they are buying the product.

but of high quality and a good value. · Delicate designs scored high on competence and soph-

A U.S.-based focus group compared five primary design

istication and were expected to be of high quality, classy,

approaches in wine labels and packaging, with some

and expensive.

interesting results:

• Nondescript

designs were thought to be insincere,

corporate, and of little value for the money.

Project Product package design Designer Victor Fong Client Student work The names of this numbered wine series are represented with silver tally marks. The intriguing line quality of the tally marks stands out and suggests handmade customization

with a

sophisticated attitude. The text alignment was chosen for easy readability in the standing and horizontal positions, allowing maximum readability whether the wine is stored upright or on its side.

90 Packaging Essentials

Project

Product package design Firm Arthur Schreiber Designer Arthur Schreiber Client Concept piece Grape spirit is an alcoholic drink that is distilled from fermented grape juice or wine. The bottle approach for Vintage Grape Vodka depicts the essence of the product that is prepared using the typical grape spirit process. As this type of spirit isn't likely to be downed in one sitting, the bottle is beautifully designed for longer-term display.

Project Product package design Firm Braveland Design Designer Dave Bravenec Client The Grateful Palate/R Wines Designed with attitude, this Shiraz package appeals to a younger, edgier audience. The wine characteristics are "big, bad, bold, and over the top," as is the wine label design. The digitized typographic effect identifies

with a younger

audience.

91

MARKETING

AND BRAND CONSIDERATIONS

43 Beverages The days of delivering a beverage in a plain bottle with a list of ingredients are over. Social behavior is changing how we think about beverages in general. Many beverages r "

no longer simply Quench thirst, but are seen as specialty •

I

.

,

•

\

11.

foods. Some have even found their place on the gourmet shelf. Several brands cater to audiences who are concerned about nutrition,

while others are dedicated to making

fashion statements.

Project Product package design Firm Pati Nunez Associats Design Team Pati Nunez, Kike Segurola Client Aguas de Fuensanta The design goal for this package was to convey the natural quality of the product in a manner that would appeal to finicky water consumers.Photographic illustrations capture the delicacy of the ferns found in a forest setting and bring the graceful package concept to life vividly,

92 Packaging Essentials

FUENSANTA AQUA MINERAL OE t.S~\lAlAS Edocl6n lImit d.

Project Product package design Firm Ferroconcrete Design Team Yolanda Santosa, Wendy Thai, Sunjoo Psrk, Ann Kim Client

chardon naywnu. '141 ~"OllIOloMT~.

First Blush is the first alcohol-free

c:hardonnay

"' __

First Blush

TIA-

'NC&

grapejuice madefrom wine grapes. Consumers will respond to the wine grape names and enjoy the surprise when they discover that

•

the drinks are nonalcoholic. The contemporary packagedesign approachresultsin a sophisticated presentationof high-endgrapejuice.

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Product package design Firm Buzzsaw Studios Designer Tim Parsons Client Bellatazza Cafe Coffee cups are generally thought of as disposable. By contrast, Bellatazza Cafe cups are a conversation piece. Every three months, Buzzsaw Studios designs a new cup that features an artistically rendered theme that illuminates a current event or worthy cause. Regular patrons have been trained to expect the new cups and look forward to each new theme. The cups have raised the profile of the cafe far more than a traditional marketing or branding campaign ever WOUld.

MARKETING

AND BRAND CONSIDERATIONS

44 Books and Media Like it or not, consumers do judge books by their covers.

Given the ephemeral nature of a download, the "real thing"

This is equally true for other forms of media, including

becomes a tangible manifestation of the experience the

music CDs and DVDs. Competition

consumer has while reading a book or listening to a piece

for the consumer's

attention on the Web page or in the retail store has become

of music. It becomes an object to be collected, shown off,

even greater, given the rise in popularity of iTunes and

and admired. The package sets the stage for listening to

other downloadable resources.

the music or viewing the movie. From the cover art to the liner notes and box packaging, everything is carefully considered for the best possible entertainment experience for consumers.

Project CD package design Firm Turner Duckworth, London and San Francisco Design Team David Turner, Bruce Duckworth, Sarah Moffat, Emily Charette, Marty O'Connor, Jamie McCathie, Brian Labus Client Metallica The design team focused on delivering craftsmanship and an experience for this deluxe CD edition for Metallica's ninth studio album. Conscious of the powerful Metallica brand, the designers used an iconic, three-dimensional

approach

with a powerful image and an innovative, layered diecut. The packaging concept was extended to various materials including a flag, a coffin-shaped special edition gift box, and a vinyl box set. The team won a Grammy for their efforts.

94 Packaging Essentials

Project

CD package design Designer Magdalena Czarnecki Client Student work The pink tape device draws its inspiration from vintage Italian signs and typography, which is relevant given Gallucci's Italian heritage. Real pink tape closes the CD. Tearing apart the tape involves the consumer and connects him or her to the band's punk ethos.

Project Book cover design Firm Trapped in Suburbia Design Team Karin Langeveld, Cuby Gerards, Debora Schiltmans Client Trapped in Suburbia Where there is smoke there is fire is a publication

about the

old Caballero Cigarette factory. The cigarette-manufacturing plant has been transformed into a creative work area. Architects, photographers, and industrial, graphic, and Web designers work in this space. The design of the back and spine, and the typographical approach on the cover, were silk-screened with a matchbox striking surface material so that you can light a match with the book. The interior of the book is printed on a mix of several different papers to represent the different textures in the building.

95

MARKETING

AND BRAND CONSIDERATIONS

45 Fashion Not always high fashion, clothing is in some cases an

combines the reinvention

essential purchase. Pleasing packaging can further the

signature qualities. The designer must be willing to go

consumer's pleasure of spending money on a basic ward-

to extremes to balance the needs or expectations of the

robe article such as sports socks or underwear. The

consumer with the vision and ego of the fashion designer.

manufacturer

Above all, the designer must be dedicated to making an

of even the most basic clothing line will

of ideas with underlying

want to make an impression on the shelf that is consistent

impact that supports the fashion idea. Pure practicality

with the brand and provide a convenient and cost-effec-

gives way to pure fantasy and experience. The designer

tive container for the article of clothing.

must think of his or her package as a platform on which the article of clothing will perform. The designer must

At the other end of the spectrum, package design for a

be clear on his or her cost parameters and be willing to

fashion designer can be a demanding process. Fashion

explore materials and printing techniques to extremes.

designers know that the key to good fashion design

Project Product package design firm Creative Pilot Design Team Bill Concannon, Dukes Client Johnny Cupcakes Johnny Cupcakes is a clothing manufacturer with an attitude. It started as a T-shirt line, but has expanded to a full clothing line. The clothing designers often use cupcakes as their central illustration theme. The primary store is decorated in a bakery theme. The rolling pin package is an engaging extension of the brand idea and the cylinder is a practical and unusual form for an article of clothing.

96 Packaging Essentials

Project

Product package design Firm Gregory Bonner Hale Design Team Jason Gregory, Mark Bonner, Peter Hale, Ross Goulden Client Puma Puma Bodywear reflects the successful fusion of the Puma brand influences from sports, lifestyle, and fashion. The design team developed a double-sided pack featuring one female and one male model. One side of the pack shows a high-fashion image by acclaimed photographer Uli Weber. The other side burst the bubble of fashion pomposity by showing an X-ray of the same model complete with tongue-incheek visual jokes such as fig leaves, bananas, and melons to cloak body parts.

Project Product line package design Firm Gregory Bonner Hale Design Team Jason Gregory, Mark Bonner, Peter Hale, Harry Edmonds Client Puma The S+ark Naked product line uses generous portions of mesh in its design to reveal much of the wearer's skin. Remaining true to the product. the photos featured on the package bare as much flesh as was allowed. The designers weren't shy about revealing all aspects of the body, including those that are normally covered in public. The result was a provocative, playful, high-performance and high-fashion package statement.

97

MARKETING

AND BRAND CONSIDERATIONS

46 Food Constantly

evolving factors such as the economy and

Product line package design

in its inner bag, which resulted in reduced packing size

as a consequence, food packaging. Designers must stay

and less paper without decreasing the amount of food.

on top of changing food trends by surveying a range of

As well, the new boxes stand out against conventionally

books, magazines, newspapers, blogs, and Web sites. As

shaped cereal boxes and make more efficient

well, designers must dedicate themselves to the art of

retail shelf space. . Sustainable

use of

packaging: Recent trends point to using

should be aware of how consumers are responding to the

more sustainable/green packaging materials with less

environment. Generally speaking, a number of trends are

reliance on plastic. Designers are also gravitating toward

already affecting the sector as a whole:

natural inks on recycled labels. . Delivery of appetite appeal: Depicting food with photo-

firm Bulletproof

was able to reduce air space

cultural and lifestyle issues affect food consumption and,

observation. As they shop for their own groceries, they

Project

boxes. The manufacturer

• Simplified

graphics and efficient

packaging: Many

graphy and illustration coupled with premium features

Design Team

manufacturers are choosing packaging with simplified,

such as diecut labels, embossed or etched structures,

Tony Connor, Will Jones

straightforward graphics and minimal design with cleaner,

or handcrafted elements such as tags or paper covers

simpler, back-to-basics products inside. For example,

can add value and help build brand equity.

Client Abel & Cole

Kellogg's has been testing streamlined, square-shaped

The design firm was asked to rebrand an organic food business in a manner that would reflect the business's growth. The design goal was to create a graphics system that could be applied to a variety of packages and communications materials. The design team recommended developing ~

a witty character for product

I

packaging using an ampersand to couple culinary ideas and the firm's human partnerships.

98 Packaging Essentials

..

. ..

Project Product line package design Firm Turner Duckworth, London and San Francisco Design Team David Turner, Bruce Duckworth, Mike Harris, Sam Lachlan, Jamie McCathie Client Waitrose In an effort to communicate the superior quality and flavor of Waitrose pork products, a photographic route was chosen depicting each pack'smain flavor or curing ingredient. A colorcoding system defined the difference between smoked and unsmoked products. The photographs of the sausages Project

were taken outdoors, using

Product line package design

natural light to help convey the

Firm

message of natural ingredients

Turner Duckworth,

and outdoor-bred

London and San Francisco

redesign of the Better Tier

Design Team

Sausage and Bacon packages

David Turner, Bruce Duckworth,

expressed the superior quality

Sarah Moffat

and flavor of the products and

Client

created better shelf presence.

pork. The

Waitrose A convincing and simple typographic approach was used to group and provide order to a canned vegetable and pasta line. The design team brought focus to the product quality by shooting minimally composed products on complementary

colored

Project

backgrounds. As a result, the

Product line package design

products are easier to find on

Firm

the shelf and customer recog-

Ferroconcrete

nition has increased significantly.

Design Team Yolanda Santosa, Wendy Thai, Sunjoo Park, Ann Kim Client epte

Ferroconcrete was asked to brand a new, sophisticated fruit store dubbed the House of Decadent Fruit. The name eple was inspired by the first fruit temptation

in

the Garden of Eden. The solution was to feature the fruit as the draw of the packaging simply by allowing the consumer to see the quality through the clear plastic. Tactful use of typography on the ribbons and labels communicated an appealing, simple sophistication. 99

MARKETING

AND BRAND CONSIDERATIONS

47 Home and Garden The purchase process for home and garden essentials

This information tells us that consumers demand greater

tends not to rely on emotional impulse but rather on the

performance and less showmanship from packages in

need for a practical solution. For example, consumers

these categories. However, recent packaging trends

will go into a hardware store or home and garden shop

indicate that things might be changing. Aesthetics and

knowing they need hedge clippers. Once they are there,

cleaning products have not been noticed together in the

brand names or reactions to package information

same shopping aisle until recently.

will

result in the purchase of one of the three most visible or highest-profile

brands, just as they would in any other

product category.

Also, with environmental responsibility becoming a key driver in customer choices and business decisions, products that demonstrate environmental

A recent survey by the Consumer Specialty Products

well positioned both visually and fundamentally to make

Association shows us that key attributes for a cleaning

money, helping people conserve resources.

product are listed in the following order: 1. Performa nce

5. Ingredients and safety

2. Price

6. Packaging

3. Convenience

7. Brand

4. Scent or fragrance

Project Product line package design Designer Amy Sprague Client Student project This design approach stands out against the mass of cleaning products that tend to euphemize the cleaning experience. Not willing to mask the unpleasantness of cleaning, this design emphasizes the hardworking efficacy of the product and does so with a pleasing, gritty design.

100 Packaging Essentials

sensitivity are

Tulnhandschoenen medium Gants delordlnage medium Gartenhandschue medium

Project Product line package design Firm Studio Kluif Design Team

Paul Roeters, Sander Teilen Client Hema This design treatment does not go out of its way to embellish the simple pleasures of gardening with unnecessary flourishes. Instead, the approach connects with the consumer by gently reinforcing the practical functionality of the gardening tool with a simple but aesthetically pleasing illustration style.

Grasschaar (isalile a gazon

101

MARKETING

AND BRAND CONSIDERATIONS

48 Kids' Products Smaller family size, dual incomes, and postponing children

According to the Center for a New American Dream,

until later in life mean families have more disposable

babies as young as six months of age can form mental

income, and parents today are willing to buy more for

images of corporate logos and mascots. Brand loyalties

their kids. Guilt can also playa role in spending decisions

can be established as early as age two, and by the time

as time-stressed

children head off to school, most of them can recognize

parents substitute material goods for

time spent with their kids.

hundreds of brand logos. Savvy marketers should realize the benefits of planting the seeds of brand recognition

Kids represent an important demographic to marketers

in children. As those seeds grow, the payoff could be a

because they have thei r own purchasing power. They

lifetime consumer relationship.

influence their parents' buying decisions.

Project Product package design firm Studio Kluif Design Team Paul Roeters, Anne Van Arhel, Yelena Peeters Client Hema The fun photography and illustration style speaks to children (and their parents) about play,creativity, and a hands-on approach while making the most of the client's limited budget.

102 Packaging Essentials

p p y L A N y

A

F

W

E L L

A

S T

Project Product and package design Firm Bananagrams Designer Abe Nathanson Client Bananagrams Born from a passion for word games, the package design is all about word play. The banana concept plays well with the anagram game and tag line while making a practical and playful carrying case for the game. From a practical standpoint. the case is easy to pick up and carry; making it possible for the players to play in almost any location.

I

From a conceptual standpoint, the unusual case invites the consumer to reach for it. touch it, and wonder what's inside.

Project Product package design Designer

.....

Ashley Buerkett Client Student work The gaming iconography on the package beckons young audiences and creates a sense of intrigue. Visibility allows the consumer to see inside the city-building game and to realize the potential for fun, even before opening the package.

103

MARKETING

AND BRAND CONSIDERATIONS

49 Office and Art Supplies Office supplies generally have a utilitarian

Project Product package design firm studio Kluif Design Team Paul Roeters, Christina Casnelli Client Hema Office supplies can be fun and practical. In this case, the design solution integrates clever use of a diecut window displaying the product with whimsical illustrations.

104 Packaging Essentials

purpose and

hu mor, su btle social com mentary, or pure aesthetic

are often packaged in a humdrum manner. Therefore,

relief can be used to great effect. However whimsical

form should follow function. Alternatively, if the designer

the design approach, the designer must not lose sight

wishes to connect with the human being inside the suit,

of the practical purpose behind the product and package.

Project

Product package design Firm Studio Kluif Design Team Paul Roeters, Jeroen Hoedjes Client Hema Classic office humor is used to great effect in this paper packaging. The photocopied face helps the user imagine entertaining and unconventional

uses for

the paper.

Project Product line package design Firm Stockholm Design Lab Design Team Stockholm Design Lab Client Askul Packaging for Askul's house brand distinguishes the products in a clear way. Bold, simple icons that represent the product's function promote quick recognition. The packaging information is precise and foregoes unnecessary product details.

--

MARKETING

AND BRAND CONSIDERATIONS

50 Pet Products Designers for pet product packaging should focus on the

durable, waterproof packaging for animal care products

psychology of pet ownership. These people are usually

is well received by the mobile, time-strapped

passionate about their pets and consider them part of

The designer must also consider that a snake owner will

their family, so the packaging should speak to the attributes

likely respond to different images than a puppy owner.

of caring for and nurturing animals. Contemporary pet

The nature of the relationship should dictate the concept

owners are highly responsive to convenience. Portable,

and design.

Nn/llm/If'i'"

consumer.

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Project Product line package design Firm Crave, Inc. Designer David Edmundson Client Variety Pet Foods Mixins To appeal to the pet owner who believes nothing is too good for his or her pet, this packaging draws from human food package design. Sold in specialty pet stores, this gourmet house brand delivers high-end appetite appeal to pet owners using photography, white space, and elegant typography.

106 Packaging Essentials

Project

Product package design Firm jungeshachtel Design Team Nina Dautzenberg, Andrea Gadesmann Client jungeshachtel The bane of a dog owner's existence is the collection and disposal of excrement. Acknowledgment of this unpleasant task is presented with humor and a sophisticated design approach usually reserved for loftier processes. As a result, shelf display is effective The witty product line based on dog size draws in the bemused consumer.

-

--

dogp 0

dOOpco

bogs

107

MARKETING

AND BRAND CONSIDERATIONS

51 Adult Novelty Sex is a taboo subject for some and a wildly fun subject

SEX

for others. The designer must be clear on his or her intended audience's comfort with the subject. Once clear, the designer must balance the sensitivities of the target audience with the abundance of creative opportunity the subject affords.

3 exciting, delicious & 11appy condom .

cr-rn ,~

Sex A Sundhed

SEX

Project Product package design

3 exciting, delicious &

ppy condom.

_. ,. .. Q

SexASundHd • I'

Firm

,

Mads & Robert Design Team Mads Jakob Poulsen, Robert Daniel Nagy Client Danish nonprofit organization "Sex is fun, but serious." This is the position taken by the More Sex condom package designers. This safe-sex message is delivered with authority and a sense of humor, which increasesits chances of getting through to the enduser. The approach makes even

NO

more sense given that the

SEX

condoms were designed to be given away by a nonprofit group. ~

3 exciting, delicious & appy condoms.

..

~, Sex A au..... .... ... op~

108 Packaging Essentials

to ,"

Project

Product package design Firm Mads & Robert Design Team Mads Jakob Poulsen, Robert Daniel Nagy Client Danish nonprofit organization As opposed to supporting the desire for discretion often felt II

by condom purchasers, this design approach invites condom users to throw modesty to the wind and to display their condoms with pride. The package is backed with an adhesive that allows condom users to stick them anywhere that's handy and visible.

Project Product package design Firm Studio Armadillo/Studio DoArt Design Team Anat Stein, Hadas Kruk, Dan Lev (photographer) Client Joya Created by women for women, the tulip packaging is particularly sensitive to its potential role in a woman's life and the sexual orientation of women in general. The package is a book-shaped box that sits quite naturally on a bedside table. The booklike box opens to reveal its inner surprising content.

109

SUSTAINABLE

DESIGN

52 Sustainable

Practices

On average, 48 percent of respondents to a Datamoniter

impact of packaging and shift the cost of managing

research study on sustainable packaging and emerging

discarded packaging from government entities to pro-

consumer trends said they would seek alternative products

ducers. The most substantial

if they thought their first choice contained excessive

requirements

implications

of these

include the following:

packing. Although sustainable packaging is not yet the main reason for purchasing a product, it is becoming a "consumer expectation."

It is one of a growing number

of issues that are driving consumer choice.

• Design standards such as material restrictions, recycled content requirements, and source reduction requirements • Documentation

requirements

including the disclosure

of technical and marketing characteristics of packaging Growing public concern for sustainable development has moved governments

worldwide

to implement

strict

requirements on packaging to reduce the environmental

Project Product line package design Firm Mor Cosmetics Design Team Dianna Burmas, Deon St. Mor Client Mor Cosmetics This range of body products is packaged in refillable, treated bamboo containers. Inspired by Scandinavian design and folk art, Mor Cosmetics shows that environmentally

responsible

design can still be luxurious.

110 Packaging Essentials

• Labeling of packaging components to indicate packaging material, funding of recovery, or other attributes

Project

Product package design Firm Studio Armadillo Design Team Anat Stein, Hadas Kruk Client Concept piece The best packaging has multiple uses and, as a result, is never thrown away.Once the detergent package is empty, the bottle can be used as a bowling pin. The detergent bowling pin set includes a ball.

Project Product line package design Firm Turner Duckworth, London and San Francisco Design Team David Turner, Bruce Duckworth, Shawn Rosenberger Client Shaklee These environmentally

friendly,

reusable, and refillable cleaning supplies are packaged in a concentrated form. Consumers dilute the solutions, thereby extending the shelf life for the packages and reducing package production and transportation

waste.

SUSTAINABLE

DESIGN

53 Sustainable Printing Many package designers today seek out printing inks

with soy inks can be de-inked more easily, making it

that are just as Earth-friend Iy as recycled paper. The

easier to recycle. Vegetable-based

benefits of using soy inks instead of petroleum-based

better ink holdout and less dry back, and as long as

inks include greater sustainability

the designer allows for the slightly added dot gain

as they come from

a renewable resource, unlike petroleum.

Project Product package design firm Brand Engine Design Team Bob Hullinger, Meegan Peery, Bill Kerr, Geoff Nilsen Client Little Bug This package redesign for locally grown, one pure ingredient baby food was printed on 100 percent recyclable Kraft carton. Its simple label uses a window reveal to showcase the quality product ingredient. The label was the only part of the package that was printed, which cut down on ink usage and reinforced the brand's environmentally sensitive values.

112 Packaging Essentials

Sayar other

inks have a much

in prepress, the results will be just as vibrant, if not

vegetable oil-based inks ease the spread of pigments

better. Alternatively,

a nd provide for richer, more even color. Paper printed

ground color without

a colored stock will provide backprinting.

Project

Product line package design Firm Funnel Designer Eric Kass Client Claire's Needingto balance product appeal with attractiveness for a tween audience, this fragrance packaging line is diecut to reveal the glitter of the product. Proving that environmentally sound package design can still be bright and vibrant. the designer used soy inks and recycled paper and plastics.

Project Product package design Firm Moag Bailie Design Team Annie Moag, Kim Ford Client Woolworths (South Africa) A 100 percent natural oil-based product line required environmentally sustainable packaging to support the brand's natural values. The design team used fewer colors to denote the environmentally sensitive mentality and printed on the back of the gray board, which reduces the need for heavy inking processes.

113

SUSTAINABLE

DESIGN

54 Plastic Options In 1988, the Society of the Plastics Industry created the

It is rarely recycled, but it can be recycled into more

plastics numbering

piping, decking, floor tiles, traffic cones, and garden hoses.

system that helps recyclers sort

different types of plastic. Here is an explanation of what

. #4 LOPE: Low-density polyethylene

is tough and

flexible, which is why it is used predominantly

the numbers mean:

in bags

for groceries, bread, dry cleaning, and garbage. It can • #1 PET or PETE: Polyethylene terephthalate

is the

most commonly used plastic material. It is popular for

· #5 PP: Polypropylene is used in some yogurt containers

because it is light, clear, and durable. It can be recycled

as well as syrup and ketchup bottles, straws, bottle

easily into carpet, fleece, tote bags, and furniture.

caps, and medicine bottles. Polypropylene

household cleaners, as well as milk jugs, juice, shampoo,

cases, brooms, rakes, ice scrapers, and bicycle racks. plates and cups, egg cartons, meat trays, CD and DVD

buckets, and recycling bins.

cases, and packaging peanuts. It can be recycled into

window frames, medical equipment, and cable insulation.

Project Product package design Firm Strernrne Throndsen Design Design Team Morten Throndsen, Eia Gr0dal Client Rustad Water Lighter plastics with fewer colorants were used to package

the impact on transportation resources. Rustad Water is also available in glass and recyclable paper cartons.

114 Packaging Essentials

· #6 PS: Polystyrene is commonly used for disposable

into motor oil bottles, plastic lumber, pipe, floor tiles,

plastic that weathers well, so it is used for piping, siding,

be shipped at one time, reducing

melting point, so it is also used for containers of hot liquids. It can be recycled into signal lights, battery

. #3 PVC or V: Polyvinyl chloride is an extremely tough

bottles meant that more could

has a high

plastic that is used in containers for detergent and cosmetics, and some shopping bags. It is recycled

water. The lighter weight of the

floor tile, and plastic lumber.

soda bottles, bottled water, and many types of foods

. #2 HOPE: High-density polyethylene is a more durable

Rustad Water, a Norwegian spring

be recycled into shipping envelopes, trash can liners,

pURe NO

tGIAN

thermal insulation,

light switch plates, license plate

frames, camera casings, and foam packaging.

Project Product line package design Firm Moag Bailie Design Team Annie Moag, Callie Raad Client Almay Bio Organic

uZ -« (J~~

Ninety-percent ecofriendly and 100 percent recyclable packaging support the values of this bio-

r-~ L. ~u $,X

organic skin care range. The faux wood caps playoff

feel of the packaging and the

O -o~~

product inside.

~~~

".,.... L.I..I

the natural

-u

~o

V J:!

moisture balancing tonin~lotion

moisture balanang deansing louon

lOY

....

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ALMAY. ... ,.. ,'-

.

Project Product line package design Firm Moag Bailie Design Team Annie Moag, Callie Raad Client Woolworths (South Africa) A combination of translucent PETand solid HDPE plastics was used for the bottles, tubes, and tubs for Woolworths' bath

cd --

-

and body department products. The simple coloring system designated products within the product range and emph-

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nch

WncrcI!

asized the products' simple ingredients, which included cocoa butter, grapefruit,

and vanilla.

II

vanilla 115

SUSTAINABLE

DESIGN

55 Paper Options Paper has a significant impact on the environment, includ-

Designers should choose a recycled paper that uses

ing destruction of virgin forest and toxic discharges from

fiber derived from the hig hest content postconsumer

the pulp and paper processing. From a design perspec-

waste. If there is a nonrecycled component, ensure that

tive, recycled papers today are just as good as, and often

the fiber comes from well-managed plantations that are

better than, paper made from virgin materials. Plus,

certified by or exceed the Forest Stewardship Council

recycled paper benefits our environment

(FSC) standards.

considerably.

One ton of recycled paper uses 64 percent less energy and 50 percent less water, creates 74 percent less air pollution, and saves seventeen trees.

Project Product package design firm

Strernrne Throndsen Design Design Team Morten Throndsen, Elin Gredal, Linda Gundersen Client Holli M011e An organic mill in eastern Norway specializes in flour production using nutritious grains. The target audience for the flour is modern, conscientious women who value health and nutrition

and are

willing to pay extra for organic flour. The brand communicates its traditional

and authentic

values through environmentally friendly, functional, and efficiently produced packaging. The bag is made entirely out of paper. In addition to being environmentally

sustainable,

the packaging challenged its competitors on the shelf for eye appeal.

116 Packaging Essentials

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Project

Product package design Firm Swear Words Pty. Ltd. Design Team Scott Larritt. Sophie Good, Maureen Eu Client Shelley and Alan Green The name and brand for these free-range eggs are fun, whimsical, and nostalgic. These characteristics are vividly portrayed, but not at the expense of sustainability. The egg cartons are biodegradable and recyclable and are cool enough to be used as window dressing and interior decoration

in Melbourne's

hippest cafes.

Project Product package design Firm Viidrio Designer Ruben Trelles Client Viidrio This T-shirt and its package share a design approach that supports their vegan and ecofriendly value system. The top of the tin paper has a no-glue, embroidered design that mirrors the T-shirt design. The band around the tin is made of recycled paper grocery bags. After the shirt has been removed, the container can be used for small household items.

117

SUSTAINABLE

DESIGN

56 Multiuse Packaging It is a compliment to a designer when his or her package is kept around long after the product has been consumed. It's also a testament to an environmentally

responsible

design solution. The fact that the product name lives on, literally speaking, is also good for business.

Project

Product line package design Design Team

David Gardener Client

Student work Made from biodegradable paper pulp, this packaging concept reflects more than just a package. The package-lamp contains the plug, socket, electric cord, and energy-saving bulb, which are assembled to create a working lamp with no leftovers to put in the trash.

118 Packaging Essentials

Project

Product line package design Firm Studio Armadillo Design Team Anat Stein, Hadas Kruk Client Vital eco-wear The package design for ecologically sound sportswear is environmentally respectful. After the package is opened, it can be used as a towel.

Project Product package design and planter Firm Studio Armadillo Design Team Anat Stein, Hadas Kruk Client Concept piece Wash the dishes and then plant some seeds. At least that is what the package designers had in mind when they came up with this concept. The lid for the dishwasher powder container is designed for seed planting. Once the plant has grown, the lid becomes a pot tray. The container is shapedto fit nicely on a windowsill or in a grouping with other plants

119

SUSTAINABLE

DESIGN

57 Biodegradable

and Recyclable Packages

The traditional "three R's" of reduce, reuse, and recycle are

Many surveys have suggested that more than two-thirds

part of a waste hierarchy that can be applied to product

of the population

and package development. Development of sustainable

recycled material or would be willing to pay more for

packaging is an area of considerable interest to standards

environmentally

organizations, government agencies, consumers, designers,

achieved by minimizing packaging, maximizing the use

packagers, and retailers.

of postconsumer recycled materials, using materials that

would prefer packages made from responsible packaging. This can be

can be and are recycled, and designing packaging where the individual parts can be separated for recycling.

Project Product package design Firm Harpun Design Team Camilla Jarem, Cathrine Lie Hansen, Finne Stale Felberg Client 0kologiske Norqarden This molded pulp egg carton doesn't need to be recycled. It goes directly into the compost heap.

eKa LOGISKe""'"' EGG

120 Packaging Essentials

Project Product package design Firm Harpun Design Team Camilla Jarem,

aKO (I LOGISK

Cathrine Lie Hansen, Finne Stale Felberg Client 0kologiske Norqarden

KYLLlNGBRYST

This package design is an example of a cooperative effort between the chicken product producer and Green Dot Norway, which is a privately owned, nonprofit company responsible for financing the recovery and recycling of used packaging on behalf of the industrial sector. The resultant bold package character, made from recycled plastic, incorporates strong, fresh colors with white backgrounds to help the product stand out on the shelf.

Project

Product package design Firm Sunhouse Creative Designer Susie Hetherington Client Just Drinking Water Aquapax water is contained in an attractively designed paper carton. The paper container occupies less space and weighs less than other containers. As a result, it uses less energy to transport.

Also, the carton

is recyclable and biodegrades quickly.

ER

121

THE DESIGN PROCESS

58 Create an Emotional Connection Today's consumers are less interested in purchasing

is intent on delivering an effective brand experience,

products to meet their basic needs and more interested

packaging can be the centerpiece of his or her efforts.

in engaging with brands whose values satisfy them

The package designer has the opportunity

emotionally. Consumers want to be entertained or

the ultimate emotional experience, to excite the senses

engaged on an emotional level. They don't want to be

and deliver anticipation of emotions such as contentment,

spoken to; they want to be spoken with. If the designer

pride, happiness, pleasure, trust, and excitement.

-~- -_-::-.--;:a. ~-_"""

Project Product package design Firm Internal Design Design Team Diana Burmas, Deon St. Mor

Client Mor Cosmetics Inspired by Scandinavian design and folk art, this design approach pays homage to handcrafted lace doilies. Lavish use of inks and textural representations on the box indicates the extravagance and sensuality of the Nordic body oils within. The inner package combines a silk-screened glass bottle with an elegant wood cap. As a result, consumers link the body oil with a pampered and sumptuous lifestyle and enhanced sense of self.

122 Packaging Essentials

to deliver

I

Project Product package design

XX XX X X XXX

• • • • •• • • • • • X • • • ••• • • x x. • ••• ••••• • • •••x x •••• • x •• • •• •• ••• • •• • • •

xxxxx X X ••

•

X

X

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Firm Hattomonkey Designer Alexey Kurchin Client Concept piece Cross-stitching is an embroidery style used for samplers with messagessuch as "Home sweet home." Consequently,the familiar, simple pattern reminds people of childhood and perhaps a simpler time in their lives.Adding to the warmth of the package experience,the flaps on the side of this milk package stand up like cows' ears. These simple and engaging visual ideas help the

x.

• ••••• •• •• •

•

product stand out on the shelf .

X •

X

Project Product package design Firm Hattomonkey Design Team Alexey Kurchin Client Interra Ltd. Fittingly, expletives adorn this line of hot sauces, helping the consumer to imagine the intensity of the heat. The idea came from the designer who tested the sauces in his studio as part of his research for the design. The comic book speech bubbles contain symbols that spell the product name and engage the consumer in the playful delivery of important information.

123

THE DESIGN PROCESS

59 Tell a story Stories engage audiences by pulling them into a reality other than their own. A good story builds atmosphere, creates depth, and involves the reader. A story on a package is a stage in the consumer's imagination on which the product performs. A good story drives the consumer to seek out the next installment of his or her next product purchase.

(

Project Product line package design Firm The Grateful Palate/R Wines Design Team Beth Elliott. James Jean, Mr. Keedy Client The Grateful Palate/R Wines The illustrated characters on the wine bottles are inspired by a rough-and-ready, individualistic music style called Gut Bucket Blues. When the bottle is turned, the label tells the story of the character portrayed on the front. The acidic yellows, reds, and bruised purples evoke the music style.

124 Packaging Essentials

Project

Product package design Firm

-

•

Project Product label design Firm

The Creative Method

Braincells

Design Team

Design Team

Tony Ibbotson

Steve Boros, Brett Layton

Client

Client

Diageo

Harvey River Bridge Wines

Diageo wanted to increase its

The concept of the name for this

presence in the competitive

wine product line comes from the

bourbon marketplace without

board game Clue. The concept

changing the shape of the bottle

revolves around Miss Scarlet, a

for its Real McCoy product. The

fictional character in the game.

solution was to create a new

Consumers will want to buy the

personality with a history of

whole range of wines in this

bootlegging and attribute it to

product line as each label reveals

the brand. Many visual elements

a new aspect of Miss Scarlet's

were used in the design approach

personality.

to emphasize the smuggling story, from the cratelike box to the bold branded type and faded distressed printing style. The placement of the label on an angle creates a more memorable experience while reflecting the immediacy and often shady nature of contraband goods. A seal and stamp were developed to further enhancethe appearance of an authentic premium product.

Shiraz cabernet 2006 'estern Auatra_ia

THE DESIGN PROCESS

60 Setting the Right Tone A design that lacks a marketing or communications purpose is doomed to fail. Consumers will walk past a product that doesn't express what's in it for them. Conversely, the package that is all business with no wit or imagination will bore consumers senseless and collect dust on the shelf. Design must engage consumers' emotions by filling their imagination with ideas, color, shape, and an artful presentation. For a truly effective

package design solution,

a balance of practical and emotional forces must be achieved.

Project Product package design firm Public Creative Designer Peter McDonald Client Howard Park Wines The Strait Jacket brand is an Australian wine sold as a niche product in the United States. The design is inspired by the madness that erupts at vintage time and makes fun of winemakers' tasting notes. The type is an obsessive handmade scrawl that delivers a sense of the powerful emotions and ceremony found at a first wine ta st ing event.

126 Packaging Essentials

Project

Product line package design Firm BVD Design Team Rikard Ahlberg, Brengt Anderung Client Candyking International The packages provide an appreciation of the complete store rebrand for Candyking. The new corporate identity was required to appeal to adults and children, and to be simple, unique, and strong enough to establish the brand as a category leader in an otherwise "unbranded" sector. The design team created the "Candyking's kingdom" identity, from which all communication would emanate. The king himself was given a more contemporary appearance and a friendlier personality.

Project

The bright, fun colors commun-

Product line package design

icate joy and variety.

Firm Remo Caminada Design Team Remo Caminada, Donat Caduff, Michael Hane Client Globus Switzerland Andreas Caminada is a highly respected chef who produces unique, high-quality

packaged

products for the Globus grocery store chain. For the packaging approach, the designers chose to focus on the history, unique ............ u... ,.,1, .',_ ....

'.',...rH .. ' . IU,.,.,. ,.,., ••

product development approach, and architectural features of the castle in which the chef prepares his products. The geometric shapes that form the storylike characters are reminiscent of old rug hooking, tapestries, and stained glass, but as a result of the white background, they deliver a stylized and contemporary feel. The logo is reminiscent of the logo on the facade of the

.

castle. The stories on the back

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,,.. .._ ~ .,.., ,.",.....,

of each preserve bottle pique the curiosity of the reader and provide an imaginative backdrop for the tasting of the preserves.

127

THE DESIGN PROCESS

61 Playful Design The effectiveness of a playful design becomes obvious when one sees the customer playing back. Play invites exploration and open-mindedness. As always, it is important to remember the product's audience. Some products are not meant for play, and not all consumers want to play.

Project Product line package design Firm Korefe Design Team Katrin Oeding, Reginald Wagner, Jan Simmerl Client Kolle Rebbe Werbeagentor GmbH This concept plays off the garagebased meaning of oil in all aspects of design, including the bottle shape, product name, and illustration. The package invites play, as the user is required to squeeze the bottle to get the oil out. The illustrations showing through the back of the bottle are oil spill monsters.

128 Packaging Essentials

Project Product line package design Firm Crave, Inc. Design Team David Edmundson, Russ Martin Client It'Sugar It'Sugar is candy designed for Generation Y. Its salty, edgy brand approach and attitude contrast with the sweetness of the products. The typographyoriented design lures the consumer and rewards his or her attention with playful and irreverent product names.

Project Product line package design Firm Korefe Design Team Katrin Oeding, Reginald Wagner, Jan Simmerl, Heiko Windisch Client Kolle Rebbe Werbeagentor GmbH These handy playful flasks hold 4 pints (2 liters) of espresso, ginger-coriander,

and melon-

mint flavored vodka. The lovingly produced illustrations suggest

POW

POWERFUEL

fantastic adventures for the monsters depicted on the flask and guarantee that the owner will refill the flask and use it again.

129

THE DESIGN PROCESS

62 Metaphors and Similes "It lasts longer than Sunday dinner at the in-laws'."

A metaphor expresses an idea by way of another, unrelated idea. For example, a designer who used a pattern of falling

Sometimes the best way to express an idea is to make a

cats and dogs on an umbrella package would be using

comparison. Two comparative techniques are the metaphor

a metaphor to indicate the umbrella's well-engineered

and the simile.

structure.

A simile compares two unlike ideas, often using the word as or like. For example, one might use illustrations

of

clouds on a package to depict the softness of a brand of toilet tissue.

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OLED

Project Product line package design Firm Peter Gregson Studio Designer .JovanTrkulja Client Wanted This playful use of simile involves the consumer while imparting vital information. The nut is the villain as hero in this package design approach. The simile works as a relevant and irreverent comparison to convey the tastiness and desirability of the product.

130 Packaging Essentials

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VASoJNEPOSRED OlBUZlNl PO}EDIIE Bi' OBAVI$TlTENADUlNE PlfJATEL}E.

Project

Product line package design Firm biz-R Designer Blair Thomson, Tish England, Paul Warren Client Carswell Farm and Langage Farm This product name uses a simile to provide meaning on many levels. The name, Holy Cow,is a commonly used North American expression for surprise. The notion of surprise conveys the extraordinary product line quality. Holy highlights the product's organic ingredients, and cow, of course, refers to dairy. The halo graphic sits on top of the logo and extends the playful use of simile.

Project Product line package design Firm Pemberton & Whitefoord Design Consultants Designer Simon Pemberton, Lee Newham Client Tesco A metaphor is an effective way to suggest product quality. In the case of Tesco flours, the illustration of a professional chef's torso infers that the products are restaurant grade, and that the culinary talent of those who use the products will be upgraded to that of a professional. As well, strong graphic icons are used as secondary visual elements to highlight content information and allow for easy recognition on the shelf.

131

THE DESIGN PROCESS

63 Humor and Wit Why did the chicken cross the road? To get to the other

Wit is a form of intellectual

humor and tends to render

side. That's not funny, but it would be good for you if it

subtler reactions than humor, but when the end-user gets

was. Humor and laughter strengthen the immune system,

it, it's a home run. Humor, on the other hand, can produce

boost energy, diminish pain, and reduce stress.

thigh-slapping

snorts of laughter.

Humor and wit on

packaging will engage consumers, causing them to pause and take a closer look. Caution is urged, as humor can be tricky. Be sure to test your concept on others before you commit to it.

Project Product package design Firm The Grateful Palate/R Wines Designer Beth Elliott, Scott Zukowski, Jennifer Leartanasan Client The Grateful Palate/R Wines Counterculture sparkling wine labels are intended for counterculture sparkling wine drinkers. The 1970s and 1980s punk graphics on this label poke fun at snobby wine connoisseurs.

132 Packaging Essentials

Project Product package design Firm Studio Kluif Designer Paul Roeters, Sander Tielen Client Bolleffe Wol Hats and kids come together in a unique package shape with a playful design approach. The distinctive design is appropriate for the product as each hat is handmade in a Nepalese village.

Project

Product package design Firm Turner Duckworth, London and San Francisco Designer David Turner, Bruce Duckworth, Shawn Rosenberger, Tanawat Pisanuwongse Client Kilo Kai Rum and pirates share a rich history, which this spiced rum bottle design capitalizes on. The product's irreverent brand personality contrasts the brand's established premium quality and authenticity. The matte finish on the bottle suggests the premium aspect while the skull and crossbones refer to a rougher sensibility.

133

THE DESIGN PROCESS

64 Provide Information Information

and information

graphics do not have to be

dry and boring. More information

can make a company

seem more honest, more technologically

advanced, and

better than the competition, and by extension, its purchasers feel empowered in their decisions. A beautifully crafted information graph can provide information in a way that reflects the product's personality.

Project Product label design Firm TACNStudio Designer Talia Cohen Client BFrank This label provides necessary information, but lets the consumer customize it. The result is that the label opens conversations, facilitates important communications, and can serve as a conversation starter for an awkward situation. This design allows the label and the wine to serve as a greeting card, an apology, or a thank-you note.

134 Packaging Essentials

Project

Product line package design firm Subplot Design Inc. Design Team Matthew Clark, Roy White Client Okanagan Spring Brewery "Know your beer" wasthe positioning platform and tagline for the reinvigoration of a twenty-yearold brand. Although known for its pure ingredients, lack of preservatives or additives, excellent quality, and category leadership, the brand had become tired and old. The solution was to provide consumers with information

to

appreciate the beer's exceptional craftsmanship. The range of helpful information included the firstever beer color scale which indicates the strength of the beer, information on ideal serving temperatures, first brew dates, a brew master's certification,

as well as

detailed writing and diagrams about how the beer was made. This artful display of information supports the brand's leadership position and helps consumers choose beers that are exactly right for them.

THE DESIGN PROCESS

65 The Art of Exaggeration Consumers become accustomed to design conventions through the architecture, art, fashion, design, and music of their time. When a design approach goes against those conventions, it can be very exciting. Color, size, shape, line, and proportion can be exaggerated to create intriguing effects, break away from popular trends and styles, and elicit powerful emotions.

Designers who

break the design rules of their era produce packages that stand out from their competitors ideas and feelings.

Project CD package design firm Sagmeister Design Designer Stefan Sagmeister Client David Byrne, Brian Eno The CD design approach was influenced by the folksy but darkedged music of David Byrne and Brian Eno. The already exaggerated album title, Everything That Happens Will Happen Today,

draws the listener into the tiny, 3-D,suburban diorama that comes with the CD. The exaggerated scale makes the viewer feel like a voyeur-the sense of waiting for some impending event to unfold is almost tangible as the viewer takes note of the slightly disturbing clues in the images and diorama. The entire experience of the CD packaging is certain to arouse curiosity, which can be satisfied only by listening to the music.

136 Packaging Essentials

and deliver new

Project Product line package design Designer Meeta Panesar Client Student project Pearl and Mabel are two British ladies who enjoy their daily tea and gossip. They have moved to the United States, and they brought with them their love of chat and a good cup of tea. The oversized speech bubbles on the organic tea tins highlight the tradition of drinking tea and chatting. Pearl and Mabel's gossipy stories can be read on the sides of the boxes and tins. Whether readers believe the validity of the stories or not, they are sure to be captivated by the exaggeration-filled

tales.

Project

Product package design Firm Pemberton & Whitefoord Design Consultants Designer Simon Pemberton, A. Whitefoord, Phil Curl Client F&EJams A singular focus on the contents of the package provides for a clean and simple design and highlights the product's promise of taste and quality. By using the fruits as iconic images and exaggerating the fruits' size, the designers communicate the jam's preservative- and additivefree nature and suggest its big, bold flavor.

137

THE DESIGN PROCESS

66 Fake It with Faux Faux means fake or imitation in French. When manufacturing faux objects or materials, an attempt is often made to create products that will resemble the imitated items as closely as possible. In some cases, faux is used to make an inexpensive object look more expensive.

Project Product package design firm Dossier Creative, Inc. Design Team Don Chisholm, Patrick Smith Client Vicor Canada The design for Ice Wine plays off the Naked Grape wine logo using a faux finish to heighten the "ice" in the name. The logo has an icy sheen and is enhanced by the translucent box that appears to have frosted over.

Project Product package design firm Michael Osborne Design Designer Michael Osborne Client Jack Daniel's Gentleman Jack is a whiskey of exceptionally smooth character. The faux metal finish on the box, label, and neck is appropriate for such a masculine drink. Fauxis preferable in this case because it is cheaper to produce and makes this whiskey look more expensive and exclusive.The faux metal finish is enhanced by black outlines around the embossing, which add to the impression of the weathered metal.

138 Packaging Essentials

Project

Product package design Firm Creative Pilot Design Team Chris Ford, Bill Concannon, Matt Osborne Client Nike Relying heavily on faux elements to deliver a limited-run, lobsterthemed running shoe,the designers created a witty and convincing effect using faux design elements. A mock wooden crate served as a shoe box, and a floating keychain, lobster crackers, and elastic bands around the toes of the shoescarried the theme across in a fun and playful manner.

Project Product package design Firm Design Packaging Designer Evelio Mattos Client Juicy Couture This cheeky box for Juicy Couture looks exactly like a well-read Bible, but has an interior cavity that holds a deck of cards,flask, and wallet. To achieve the worn look, a four-color processleather pattern was printed out of registration on Kraft paper with a distressedspot of UV varnish on top. The logo on the front cover was debossed and then hit with a distressed version of the same logo to give it its convincingly well-worn appearance.

139

THE DESIGN PROCESS

67 Achieving

Balance

Because packages usually comprise many elements,

Visual balance is achieved after the elements are placed

achieving a visual balance between all the various

in the design. The designer will use his or her intuition

elements is one of the primary goals of package design.

and experienced eye to make adjustments to the package elements so that all the positive elements such as photo-

An information

hierarchy is one of the main tools used

to establish balance and order. The designer must pre-

are in comfortable harmony within the negative space or

determine the relative importance of each element that

background.

will be included on the package in terms of communication requirements, visual impact, and mandatory information.

Project Product package design Firm strernrne Throndsen Design Design Team Morten Throndsen, Eia Gr0dal, Jarle Paulsen Client Dybvik Although the composition is asymmetrical, the design appears perfectly balanced. The design elements are carefully weighted in a visual hierarchy. As a result, each element feels equally present, despite not having taken equal space. The immediacy and brightness of the close-up photography are relatively heavy. Therefore, the photography is given less area so as not to overpower the type.

140 Packaging Essentials

graphs, illustrations, graphic forms, typography, and logos

Project

•

UMCCli axotic icE.

Product line package design Firm

crEdM

bold

bold A cold

colo

M.E. Design Designer Meg Eaton Client Student project This ice cream line with its unconventional flavors required an unusual design treatment. The asymmetrical placement of type is balanced by an image that displays the curious ice cream ingredients. The complexity of

o

7J

the photographic construction and patterned elephant is bal-

jalapENo dar chocolsia

o

PI

.11.3

anced with ample white space.

Project Product package design

JAUSCO J.1

J

Designer Robert Medkeff Client

JALISCO

opesodar

Student work This bold, modern design is asymmetrical, but it still achieves a sense of balance, The large R is sized in a way that balances the block of text on the opposite side. The result is a design that is visually weighted with balance and unity.

141

THE DESIGN PROCESS

68 Explore Pattern Well-executed patterns are an effective way to control the passage of the consumer's eye. A frenetic pattern can mesmerize the eye. Most patterns are based on repetition and periodicity, but a pattern can also be a nonmathematical, asymmetrical graphic device. Depending on how multiple products are stacked, pattern can also playa dramatic role on the shelf.

CHOCOLATE

r u u:

COOKIES Project Product package design Firm dbDesign Designer David Brinkmann Client Concept piece The classic North American stereotype of an aunt often includes images of knitting, sewing, and baking. Many aspects of this stereotype are applied in this package design approach, which suggests homemade quality. The paisley pattern creates a feeling of nostalgic elegance and upscale style. The colors within the pattern recede and optically push out the label information

for easy

identification.

142 Packaging Essentials

K

Project

Product package design Firm biz-R Design Team Blair Thomson, Paul Warren Client Heron Valley Organic This meandering, asymmetrical illustration

of nutmeg on the

vine suggests the quality of the organic mulling spices that are contained in the package. The resultant pattern creates a dynamic between the negative and positive space of the package area and draws the eye to the written information on the package.

Project Product package design Firm Skeem Design Designer Geoff Weiser Client Skeem Design These beautiful patterns are silkscreened directly onto glass jars. The design approach and color palette suggest the scent of the candles. After the candles have been fully exhausted, the jars can be repurposed for other uses.

143

THE DESIGN PROCESS

69 Rules and Lines Lines help to separate and structure content. Lines are a functional

element with which information

can be high-

lighted. They can be straight or curved, heavy or light, rough or smooth, continuous or broken. Lines can be used as a purely aesthetic element that creates an emotional response: horizontal vitality; curved

= calm; vertical = dignity;

= grace.

Project DVD package design firm Wee See Design Team Rolyn Barthelman Client Wee See This DVD collection of bold, blackand-white animation is designed to provide gentle sensory stimulation for the young child. The packaging speaks of the DVD content with geometric lines placed in a stimulating

use of

white space.The lines also suggest the playful animation and music content inside.

144 Packaging Essentials

eo

diagonal

=

Project Product package design Designer Meeta Panesar Client Student work Inspired by the colors and designs of Joseph Alders and the op art movement, this wine package design is an example of the visual power of line. The beauty and simplicity of the use of line result in a high art feel that is modern and high end.

Project Product package design Firm Mucca Design Design Team Matteo Bologna, Christine Celic Strohl, Lauren Sheldon Client Etiquette of Chocolate The subtle lines used to create ETiOUEITE

CHOCOlAtE

this package design are symbolic of the connection made between people as they share a common experience. The lines also support the high-end feel of the luxury quality chocolates that are most often given as a gift or shared with others.

145

THE DESIGN PROCESS

70 Painting and Drawing The departure from reality that paintings and drawings afford allows the viewer's mind to wander. Whether the style is a surreal, fantastical drawing or an abstract sea of red paint, it can create a unique, inviting atmosphere. The designer can target an audience with a fine art style that might appeal to an older, more sophisticated crowd, or a graphic, cartoon style that appeals to teenagers.

Project Product package design Firm J6rg Peter, Designer AGD Design Team .Jorq Peter, Annette Wessel Client Ecofina GmbH This organic chocolate wrapped in artwork pays homage to the fine art of chocolate making. The painterly, dramatic feel of the images provides an emotionally charged sensation that translates to the contents of the packaging.

Project Product line package design

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Firm

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The Design Shop Design Team Dionysis Livanis, Maria Kefala Client Hellenic Candle Company The design team used handmade boxes with a unique illustrative style to communicate the special nature of the handmade candles, which are made from quality ingredients and pure essential oils. The illustrations are imaginative, light, airy, and colorful, which conveys the idea of natural ingredients and aromatics.

146 Packaging Essentials

Project Product label design Firm Pati Nunez Associats Design Team Pati Nunez, Kike Sergurola Client PSI An artistically

rendered ink

drawing is the central visual element of this elegant wine label. The illustration capitalizes on the moody and mysterious qualities of ink and brings out similar qualities in the black glass of the bottle. The atmosphere of the label is established almost exclusivelyby the drawing. The type treatment is understated so as not to detract from the image.

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147

THE DESIGN PROCESS

71 Iconography

and Symbolism

A form of illustration

or informational

and symbols are high-contrast

design, icons

images produced with

an extremely simplified drawing style. Icons or symbols allow for a quicker interpretation the abstraction

An example of an icon with equity is the happy- and sadfaced masks, which is the icon that conveys the two sides of theater.

of imagery because

of the image is simplified to its most

Symbols are marks that represent something else by

important parts. They also allow for easier shelf recog-

association, resemblance, or convention. An example is

nition at a distance.

a recycling mark, which is almost universally recognized. Symbols can also be used as a decorative element.

Icons convey meanings or messages. The most important icons are those that have equity in their meaning.

Project Product line package design Designer Yvonne Niewerth Client Student work Recognizable iconic diagrams show the tools required for making this pudding. The simple, bold icons encourage consumers, showing them how easy it is to make the pudding. Also, the old-fashioned milk pitcher and sugar bowl suggest the goodness associated with old-fashioned cooking, an association that is attributed to the pudding.

148 Packaging Essentials

Project Product package design firm The Design Shop Designer Dallas Maurer Client Student work This packaging contains a T-shirt that is being sold to raise money for local zoos. Instead of showing an animal on the package, the designer showed the cause that the sale of the shirt was supporting. The icons quickly deliver a message about the cause. The food tray design symbolizes food for the animals and the tag is an iconic steak shape. The resultant package image is bold enough to be visible from afar.

Project Product package design firm DOCCreative Lab Designer Igor Mospanov Client Georgievskoe Distillery Intended as a party drink, Non Stop premium vodka is positioned as a basis for cocktails. Numerous fun, ironic pictograms decorate the bottle and describe the life-

NON STOP SILVE

VODKA

NON STOP URE

VODKA

NON STOP VODKA

style of the vodka-consuming audience. Easy to recognize and associate with, this vodka's packaging has all the ingredients for a

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O,SL

O,5l

party that never stops.

149

THE DESIGN PROCESS

72 Woodcuts and Drawings Woodcut is a relief printing technique that originated in 6th century China, and involved carving designs and lettering

out of the surface of a block of wood.

Designers use a woodcut effect as a drawing style to look like cut wood. The level of detail can vary, giving different

effects that range from rough and obviously

chiseled to fine, sophisticated,

Project Product package design Firm The Grateful Palate/R Wines Designer Alan Aldridge Client The Grateful Palate/R Wines The packaging for Green Lion Wine speaks for itself with a bold, woodcut image of a green lion head that covers the box. Not only does the illustration convey the name, but the woodcut illustration also speaks of handmade artistry and attention to detail, yet delivers the messages with a contemporary

take.

150 Packaging Essentials

and artfully

crafted.

Project Product package design Firm Moxie Sozo Designer Leif Steiner, Patrick Creyts Client Red Dog Candy The exaggerated, Elizabethaninspired design style delivers an involving and unique character for these obviously strong mints.

Project

Product package design Firm Moxie Sozo Design Team Leif Steiner, Nate Dyer Client Fruta del Diablo Salsa The moody, archaic feel of the woodcut skeletons with horns emphasizes the spiciness of the salsa. The illustration,

inspired

by Mexican artist jose Guadalupe Posada, works well with fewer colors given its subject. It might be cheaper to print, but the result is a tactile, handcrafted style that is fitting for the gourmet salsa. The type is incorporated into the woodcut illustration, but still attracts attention through the framing device and addition of color.

151

THE DESIGN PROCESS

73 Photography For the designer who wants to convey a specific idea, photography provides a high degree of control. Photography can cover a wide spectrum of roles, from descriptive to the creation of mood. It can playa dominant role or a bit part in your design. Project Product package design Firm

r

Studio Kluif Design Team Paul Roeters, Sander Teilen Client Hema Food is consumed with the eyes as well as the mouth. Mouthwatering photography helps the consumer anticipate the taste and texture of the product within. The photography helps the consumer imagine the taste of the food, and as a result. encourages the purchase.

Project Product line package design Firm Pemberton & Whitefoord Design Consultants Design Team Simon Pemberton, Barry Crombie, A. Whitefoord Client F&EWater Photography is used in this example to capture the fresh fruit flavors that have been added to the products. The photography conveys the real fruit taste of the water while heightening the product features.

152 Packaging Essentials

c

s f

Project

Product line package design Firm The Creative Method Design Team Tony Ibbotson, Andi Yanto Client Guzman y Gomez This store brand line of Mexican saucespairs photos of the facial reactions of store employees who are sampling the product with their relationship with the product stated in their own words. The strength of their reactions reflects the potency of the sauce while cleverly introducing each member of the staff. Black-andwhite photography tied the product to the store's overall look, and created an ideal platform for appreciating the everyday visual characteristics of the store employees.

Project Product line package design Firm Moruba Design Team Daniel Morales, Javier Euba Client Matsu Wine and human beings have something in common: the aging process. An analogy for the age of wine is created with portraits of three generations of men who devote their lives to caring for the vineyards. Through photography, the character and age of the men's faces are captured and, by implication, are attributed to the wines.

153

THE DESIGN PROCESS

74 Retro Design Given the swell of aging baby boomers, particularly

in

North America, packages that incorporate design from cultural history often get bonus points. The association made between a product and a fondly remembered occasion or ritual is a powerful one that registers deeply in the consumer's conscious mind.

Project CCpackage design firm Design Has No Name Designer Lucas Davidson Client Concept piece Nostalgia is a strong motivator, and the old Nintendo cartridge shape has the potential to ensnare consumers of Beck's main demographic, even if they've never heard of Beck's music. There is an instant recognition of that 1980s gaming world and the music associated with it.

154 Packaging Essentials

Project Product package design Firm Juli Shore Design Design Team Juli Shore-Sonke, Paul Kagiwada, Ian Dingman

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Client Sundance Catalog The vintage typewriter package uses retro label and sticker shapes with stylized typewriter typography to create an authenticity that conjures up a nostalgic 1940s office feel. The package for the Kodak Brownie ornament uses the original Kodak color palette in combination with a retrostyled illustration and type to re-create a minicamera box. The approach creates an alluring sense of nostalgia for any photography buff.

Project Product line package design Firm The Grateful Palate/R Wines Design Team Beth Elliott, Mr. Keedy Client The Grateful Palate/R Wines The wines behind this packaging style are value conscious and friendly, and have wide appeal. The design is reminiscent of the innocence and well-meaning nature of a retro candy box.

155

THE DESIGN PROCESS

75 Tactical Use of Color Color is a powerful design tool that influences the mood

Red, orange, yellow, and brown shades are warm colors,

of consumers a nd their response to a package and the

whereas greens and blues are cool. Generally, brighter

product it contains. Color is the first thing a consumer

colors will appear larger than darker colors in bars of

notices about a package and is one of the most important

the same size. A yellow circle tends to move or radiate

motivators behind a purchase decision. Color can influ-

outward, while a blue circle conveys inward movement.

ence perceptions such as size, quality, value, and flavor. Process red and yellow convey low price, and subtler

Color is associated with moods, feelings, places, and things.

colors suggest product refinement and quality.

People often convey their emotional state with the metaphorical use of color. We say we are feeling blue, saw red, are green with envy, had a purple rage, or are in a black mood.

Project Product line package design Firm Turner Duckworth, London and San Francisco Design Team

Project

David Turner, Bruce Duckworth,

Product line package design

Mark Waters

Firm

Client

R Design

Liz Earle

Designer

These elegant skin care boxes

Client

use a subtle background color

Selfridges & Co.

Dave Richmond

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R~NY IfOt.JEY

WITH

HONEYCOMB

that is overlaid with a Mandelalike photographic image of sea

A predominance of black and a

holly. Bright flashes of complemen-

selective use of bold color provide

tary colors contrast the soft jewel-

a high-end feel for this line of

like image of the holly. The effect

food products. The elegant black

is completed with a brightly color-

labels, white logo, and brightly

ed organza ribbon that matches

colored typography draw the eye

the inside color of the box.

and tie the range together visually.

156 Packaging Essentials

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Project

Product line package design Firm The Grateful Palate/R Wines Design Team Beth Elliott. Mr. Keedy, James Jean Client R Wines A limited color palette was used to achieve the moody, subdued character for this line of Grenache wines. The muted earth tones create a dark-edged harmony that is brightened with small hits of vibrant red in the border. Overall, the effect is a dynamic and slightly disturbing balance of color.

Project Product line package design Firm Bulletproof Design Team Nick Rees,Tony Connor Client Knowledge & Merchandising This cosmetics line features unisex products for day or night. The use of icons and traditional ornaments in pattern, along with the unique color palette, support the brand personality and express the notion of opposites. The color within the positive and negative space highlights the many contrasts embodied by this product line.

157

THE DESIGN PROCESS

76 Lack of Color On a shelf that is laden with a sea of products covered in graphics, photographs, and bright colors, one way to make a product stand out is to downplay color. Whites, monochromatics, and a simple black-and-white design can provide a powerful contrast. Less color often translates to elegance and sophistication.

Project Product package design Firm Stockholm Design Lab Designer Stockholm Design Lab Client Askul The package's white graphics convey the cleanliness that the product delivers. A visual polish that was achieved with varnishes results in a subtle and ultraclean impression.

Project Product label design Firm Feedback Marketing Designer Raiyon Benach Client Caves Ferret An abacus is an Asian device that uses sliding beads to make mathematical calculations. In the case of this wine label, the abacus symbolizes the individual grapes and the methodical care that is taken with eachof them. The label's simple pattern of embossed circles within a grid represents the abacus beads, and the light color scheme further heightens the Asian reference.

158 Packaging Essentials

,

Project Product package design Firm DDCCreative Lab Designer Maxim Danilyan, Igor Mospanov Client Georgievskoe Distillery The snow-covered Russian winter and purity of this premium vodka were the primary motivators for for the bottle's all-white color palette. A monochromatic Russian Khokhloma painting style was used as the dominant design element. A matte frost effect over the motif further conveys the concept of cold and winter.

Project Product package design Designer

I RUSSIAN I SEASON I

Igal Hodirker Client Student work This design allows the product to speak for itself through the textures in the soft, breathable package material.

159

THE DESIGN PROCESS

77 Abundance of Color Color is a powerful device for eliciting an emotional

Early-childhood theorists suggest that infants can perceive

response. This is because color is so strongly associated

only black and white. Children start to distinguish

with moods, feelings, places, and things. As color is a

at six weeks to two months of age. After two months

powerful attractor and detractor, marketers study color

of age, they can perceive bright colors. Many children

theory carefully to ensure that they are taking full

younger than ten prefer red and yellow, but after age ten

advantage of it.

they tend to prefer blue. Color preferences are also closely

red

connected with gender, with young girls favoring pink and purple and boys favoring black and other dark colors.

Project Product package design Firm Moxie Sozo Design Team Leif Steiner, Stephanie Shank Client Probar An intense, energizing, and bright color palette conveys the benefit of these meal replacement products. The design team purposely chose an abundance of color to contrast the typically dark, hightech colors of other bars found in the energy bar category.

160 Packaging Essentials

Project

Product line package design Firm Moag Bailie Design Team Anne Moag, Kim Ford Client Woolworths (South Africa) Color is used in this packaging example to attract children to the underwater-themed

bath line.

Bright. saturated hues of every color of the rainbow are used.

Project Product package design Designer Meeta Panesar Client Askul This concept is inspired by the colors and designs of Joseph Alders and the op art movement. The designer used bright colors in a simple format that is reminiscent of the style of optical illusion art. By using colors of a similar tonal range, the designer achieves a chic and sophisticated look.

161

THE DESIGN PROCESS

78 Don't Hide the Substrate Raw materials are beautiful in their unembellished state. Their tactile nature can establish an immediate connection between a product and a consumer. If handled appropriately in the design process, raw materials will position a package as edgy, budget conscious, and sensible. Possible substrates

include gray board, paperboard,

silver film, plastic, and Kraft paper.

Project Product package design firm Stromme Throndsen Design Design Team Morten Throndsen, Linda Gundersen Client Natural This product, which is handmade from locally grown organic foods, is well represented in this simple package design. The approach helped the new product stand out as an alternative to the brightly colored, mass-produced pizzas found in the frozen foods section.

162 Packaging Essentials

Project

Product package and brand design Firm Funnel Design Team Eric Kass Client Green Genes Green Genes is a Chicago-based baby and children's boutique with ecofriendly

values. The

design of the bags, cards, and boxes uses raw paper materials with minimal printing, reflecting the boutique's upscale feel.

Project Product package design Firm Hatch Design Design Team Katie Jaln, joel Templin Client Peace Cereal The small detailing on the cardboard uses a minimal amount of ink, which allows the cardboard texture to function as a design element. This approach provides authenticity and believability for the brand.

163

THE DESIGN PROCESS

79 Minimalist Design Today's consumers rarely carry a shopping list. They scan the aisles seeking good price values and innovative products. In the seven seconds a product has to catch consumers' attention,

it must convey a message that

motivates the purchase decision. Reduced visual stimulation in an environment

filled with cluttered graphic

designs and contradictory messageswill attract consumers' eyes and draw them in.

Project Product package design Firm stockholm Design Lab Design Team Stockholm Design Lab Client Askul The ASKUL brand is distinguished by its clean. minimal aesthetic. Batteries are sold in a simple onecolor box. Inside the box. a prominently displayed numbering system distinguishes the size and type of battery. In addition to providing a unique and bold shelf presence.the system is easy for battery consumers to use.

164 Packaging Essentials

Project

white without sugar

Product label design

firm Ruiz + Company

Designer David Ruiz

Client

white

Chocolate Factory

Austere luxury is the oxymoron that drives this minimalist approach.

design

Oversized type and

color blocks distinguish each bar's contents and provide only essential and relevant bold simplicity a powerful

information.

The

of the design is

draw for the eye and

delivers a feeling of pure, highquality chocolate.

l

Project Product label design

firm Ruiz + Company

Designer David Ruiz

Client Trossos del Priorat

The most noteworthy

character-

istic of this wine is the earth in which the grapes are grown. The label calls attention to this feature with a line that follows a landscape profile and wraps around the bottle. The visual emphasis on the black, earthy mass creates a powerful

shelf effect, and also

draws the consumer's tasting

notes.

eye to the 165

THE DESIGN PROCESS

80 Consider All Sides The designer must think like a sculptor and consider the full dimension of the package before designing it. Consumers pick products up and examine them from all sides. They read the ingredients

and manufacturing

information. They view the package from all perspectives using emotion, logic, and all five senses. Whether it is a box, a bottle, or a bag, product packaging must work on every side.

Project Product package design Firm Maass, Kreativer Designer Volker Maass Client Rubysense GmbH This artfully provocative, ultrafeminine design surrounds this fragrance box with punk, baroque, rock-and-roll references and the Virgin Mary. Fine paper adds dimension to the box and suggests that the consumer keep it for other uses.

166 Packaging Essentials

Project Product line package design Firm Pemberton & Whitefoord Design Consultants Design Team Simon Pemberton, Liway Skelding-jones -

----

Client

--

I

I~

I

Tesco The design approach for Tesco's smoothie carton supports its brand position of healthy goodness. The real estate on the side panel delivers product and manufacturing information in a fun, lighthearted manner using an illustrated story style.

~I

---

Project Product package design Firm Caracas Client Orlait Orlait's milk is pure and has no added vitamins or antioxidants. The pure-milk message was communicated with an illustration of a cow that wrapped around the entire package. Half of the cartons were printed with the head of the cow on the front. The second half was printed with the back end of the cow on the front. The result was an engaging product message and shelf experience. Retailers could arrange the cartons and create the whole cow by placing the cartons side by side.

167

THE DESIGN PROCESS

81 Hierarchy and Dominance In Western society, people read information

from top

The population contains a significant number of people

to bottom and left to right. They also tend to see large

who are functionally

first and small second. They see black first, then white;

should wear eyeglasses when shopping but don't. Text

color fi rst, then no color. To communicate

and typography

effectively,

illiterate

and a large number who

should be selected with these facts in

designs need one dominant element to stand out from

mind. Dominant typography

must be readable from a

the others. This dominant element should be obvious

distance of several meters from the shelf.

by its size, brightness, and share of visual space.

Project

'~I

Product label design Firm Mr. Keedy Designer Mr. Keedy Client The Grateful Palate/R Wines Funky detailing and contrasting colors establish a visual hierarchy for this winery's namesake series. The small label acts like a frame and punctuates the oversized type. Dingbatlike ornaments create an intriguing background and denote the Australian appellation of this winery. Their small size and simplified design style provide visual interest without overpowering the most important components.

168 Packaging Essentials

lR aSE

Project Product label design Firm Feedback Marketing Designer Caimon Benach Client Caves Ferres This wine is named after the volcanic (igneous) rock that is present in the soils where the grapes are harvested. The visual area that carries the earthy wine's name is a dominant aspect of the label design. The free-form patterns that recall the movements of the Earth create a secondary design element that supports the name of the wine conceptually and visually.

Project

Product package design Firm Ruiz + Company

II

Sw •

II

Swell

.....,...

Swel

..00 .

Designer David Ruiz Client

the

truit:

bottle of

fruit

the

ottl. of

ruit:

,

0

•

Envasados Eva

the

bott

of

fruit:

This package design needed to balance the concepts of purity and premium quality, so the designer gave dominance to the photographic fruits and ampersand. Their isolation on the white field of the bottle surface draws

&

&

the eye and delivers a message of simple, pure ingredients. The type plays a secondary role and reinforces this notion with language.

169

THE DESIGN PROCESS

82 Type Basics Type is an essential element for almost all package designs.

The following considerations are important when deciding

It conveys practical information

on typography for a package:

and ideas. The basic

fonts can be classified as serif and sans serif. Serifs are the small, decorative extensions at the ends of a line.

• Elaborate script fonts can be challenging

to read.

For most packaging purposes, sans serif fonts are prefer-

Relatively simple script designs in a larger size are

red. Serif fonts with their fine lines can fill in during

more legible.

printing, particularly

with reversed-out printing of text.

Project

• Type treatment

should be kept to a single typeface.

The italic and bold versions of a font add variety.

Product package design

Legibility is another major concern-it

Firm

must be easy for

• Avoid using large amounts of light type on a dark back-

the consumer to read. Display fonts were intended for

ground. If reversed-out type must be used, increase its

Designer

limited use at larger sizes, to catch readers' attention

size and select fonts with wide strokes.

Scott Larritt

-they are not intended for long passages of text. Hand-

Client

written and script fonts fall into this category as well.

Swear Words Pty. Ltd.

Jacqueline Evans

They can be difficult to read in small sizes.

• Avoid using text over illustrations

do not have enough contrast to make the type readable. • Avoid long stretches

of small type. The optimal line

length for easy readability

The design for this skin care line

or color areas that

is about thirty-nine

char-

acters. Use columns to break up long lines.

capitalizes on bold colors with minimal ornamentation. A classic

• Avoid end-of-line hyphenation.

central alignment. with a clean.

• Bullets or numbers improve readability and retention.

restrained type treatment. com-

• Uppercase does not necessarily make a message easier

plements the design environment.

to read.

The result is a contemporary look

• Text and illustrations

that feels luxurious and trust-

seams may be difficult to register.

worthy. and delivers the brand messages of purity. quality. and honesty.

• tACOUlL''''

"A.., .

ARGAN & ROSEHIP MOISTURISING CREAM

..

CASTILLE CREAM CLEANSER

..

170 Packaging Essentials

that cross over package joints or

ROOIBOS FACIAL TONER

•

• UCOUllU.(

, .., •••

JOJOBA & CAMELLIA BALANCING CREAM

...

• "&C'O"ClIJiU: (, .... , •

CHAMOMILE & WALNUT SCRUB

..

Project Product package design firm biz-R Design Team Blair Thompson, Tish England, Paul Warren, Jo Pitson Client Project

Clive's Organic Bakery

Product package design firm

A brand refresh for Clive'sincluded

Public Creative

a combination of hand-drawn

Design Team

type with a soft, modern typeface.

Paul Lipscombe, Peter McDonald

This design conveyed a forward-

Client

thinking, modern attitude without

Howard Park Wines

alienating Clive's more traditional vegetarian consumers. A visual

WESTERN

AUSTRALIA

A retro 1960s poster look captured

hierarchy was established through

the West Australian surf culture

variations in size, color, and font.

that inspired this range of wines. The display font selected for the logo is stylistically appropriate and unique, yet still legible. The secondary levels of information are conveyed with one font. Color, weight, and spacing ensure that the eye is drawn to the name of the wine.

171

THE DESIGN PROCESS

83 Fonts Create Mood and Character In 1493,Johann Gutenberg created the first typeface. Today, hundreds of thousands of typefaces exist that fit into different categories, among them serif, sans serif, display, script, slab serif, handwritten, and black letter. Fonts can be used to deliver information or emotional impact. Project Product label design

When working with type, designers must keep in mind the

Firm

following two primary considerations:

The Creative Method Designer Tony Ibbotson Client Saint Clair Family Estate

• Respect the integrity of the font; it has been designed with a specific purpose and function. • Do not stretch or distort the font; consider the aesthetics of the typeface.

The name of this wine refers to a sharp bend on the Clutha River in the region where this wine is produced. It also refers to the bend in the elbow when one takes a drink. The simple typographic treatment illustrates the concept with a visual bend.

Project Product label design Firm BVD Designer Susanna Nygren Barett Client Pernod Ricard Mordic Glagg is a Swedish spiced wine that is mulled or heated and consumed in the winter months. Each year, Blossa releases a new Glagg flavor and design, and the design must capture the essence of that year's flavor while maintaining consistency with the brand series. The bottle shape is always consistent, as is the prominent number of the year.

172 Packaging Essentials

Project

The Kitchen Firm Design Friendship Designer Sonia Day Client The Kitchen Born out of a new culinary retail concept in the United Kingdom, The Kitchen uses its space to educate consumers about how to create great food. Michelin Star Chef Thierry Laborde and his team show customers how to prepare the packagedfoods right in the store. The identity for this product line is influenced by traditional woodblock handset type. Seven different typefaces representing different ingredients make up the logotype.

173

THE DESIGN PROCESS

84 Handmade Type Despite the wealth of fonts available today, some designers opt to create their own. They design them for the creative challenge or they design them for a specific purpose. Hand-drawn typography is often very intricate, but the outcome is unique.

Project Product line package design Firm The Creative Method Designer Tony Ibbotson Client Saint Clair Family Estate The need to convey a handcrafted feel, a sense of history, and the individuality of the wines led to the creation of a series of handmade typographic stamps. Along with the application of actual brushed handwriting, the labels were inked and stamped and then scanned. The final artwork was printed onto a natural-color stock to continue the pioneer sensibility.

174 Packaging Essentials

Project Product package design Firm Peter Gregson Studio Designer Jovan Trkulja Client Project

The Manual Co.

Product package design Firm

Stark-white handwritten type

Felix Lobelius

covers black boxes and almost

Designer

completely overpowers the photo-

Felix Lobelius

graphic images of the bags that

Client

are contained inside. This obses-

Kaffe

sively scrawled type is a tribute to consumers who will go to

Coffee lovers are often loyal to

any length to obtain designer

a single brand or style of coffee.

leather bags and accessories.

This handwritten design approach illustrates the personal connection that people have with their favorite type of coffee. The inscription on the shopping bag reads like a personal invitation to the devotee of each coffee variety. The coffee bags have step-by-step instructions, similar to a handwritten recipe, on how to make the perfect cup of coffee.

175

THE DESIGN PROCESS

85 Type as Imagery Type usually communicates

a written

idea. It can be

designed so that it is highly legible or with the intention that it is read in layers. It can serve as a support to the label information

or purely as a background element.

Type can also function as a design element with the positive and negative space in letterforms visual statement.

Project Product package design Firm The Creative Method Design Team Tony Ibbotson, Andi Vanto Client Saint Clair Family Estate This design solution is a typebased treatment that cleverly uses the Saint Clair mission statement as an image that wraps around the box. On its own, a single box is an elegant piece, but when paired with others in the series, the resultant effect creates an intriguing visual puzzle.

176 Packaging Essentials

making a powerful

Project Product line package design Firm R Design Design Team Dave Richmond, Steve Sheffield Client WH Smith Handwriting is often seen as a means of self-expression. It provides insight into the author's personality. In this instance, handwriting is used on art material packaging to convey thoughts about the materials and their use and to deliver a personal messagefrom the product to the consumer.

- -

•lilt

70L Project Product package design

45L

Firm Stockholm Design Lab Design Team Stockholm Design Lab Client Askul Askul's brand is conveyed through package design with a clear graphical approach. Since the design concept communicates at such a basic level, it ensures effective communication with audiences regardless of their language or cultural orientation.

177

THE DESIGN PROCESS

86 Adapting from Other Languages Translation is different from adaptation. Translation

If a designer is designing a product for a foreign market,

is a word-for-word

it is important

restatement of a text in a different

to test the name and design with an

language. Adaptation requires that the writer under-

expert who is familiar with the language and customs of

stand the intent of the text and then write it in a new lang-

the country in which the product will be sold. Sometimes,

uage in a culturally and linguistically sensitive manner.

it is necessary to work with a mixture of different alphabets such as Greek, Cyrillic, Japanese, German, and English. When working with two or more languages on a package, it's important

to leave space for lang-

uages with longer words or sentence structures. Project Product line package design firm Glenn A. Davis Design Team Jeff Davis, Jeff Boulton, Mark Roberts, Kai Muller Client X Games Energy A departure from the in-yourface style of most energy drink packages, designers for the X GamesEnergy brand took a more streamlined, graphic approach using silhouettes and a limited color palette. The package had to function equally well in English and French markets, so it needed to accommodate both languages. To ensure that the extra information didn't detract from the simplicity of the design, the two languages were placed one above the other, or in some cases, side by side.

178 Packaging Essentials

Project

Fashion tag design Designer Magdalena Czarnecki Client Student work Embossed information on clothing tags in stores results in an enhanced sensory experience for sighted shoppers, but also allows vision-impaired shoppers to gather information about the clothing. This symbol of empowerment creates a beautiful graphic element and communicates effectively to both audiences.

Project Product package and brand design Firm Koniak Design Designer Nurit Koniak Client 10ldelson Corporate materials needed to be developed in English and Hebrew for a fine patisserie located in Tel Aviv. The designer achieved design harmony between the two languages using stylized alphabets, noting, "To maintain the integrity of the design approach, it is helpful to look at the letters as shapes that need to feel right in terms of their graphic flow."

179

THE DESIGN PROCESS

87 Bar Codes and Important By the ti me a package reaches a consumer, it has been

Information . Nutritionals: Because of past scandals involving deceptive

scrutinized by many governmental agencies. Of course,

labeling, countries such as the United States and Canada

the depth of the scrutiny varies depending on the country

require most processed foods to have nutrition

facts

for which the package is being produced. As well, different

on the label. The formatting

must

product sectors will require different

conform to strict guidelines. The European Union (EU)

standards and

of the information

levels of compliance. Pharmaceutical and food packaging

equivalent is the slightly different nutrition information

standards tend to be the most rigorous, but regulations

table, which may also be supplemented with standard-

are applied to all segments of the marketplace.

ized icons indicating the presence of allergens . . Origin: The "Country of" designation can be made on

• Bar codes: Bar codes are an efficient way for retailers

placards, labels, signs, stickers, twist ties, and similar

to manage product pricing and inventory information.

items. Simple statements such as "Product of U.S.A."

Nothing is more critical to a retailer than a product's

should cover most applications. There is often a pro-

ability to be scanned properly and perfectly every time.

vision for labeling multiple countries of origin.

Because of this, all designed bar codes are put through

• Symbols: Many types of symbols for package labeling

a battery of tests before being released to a bar code

are nationally

printing or manufacturing

consumer packaging, symbols exist for product cert-

facility.

and internationally

standardized.

For

ifications, trademarks, proofs of purchase, and so forth. Some requirements and symbols exist to communicate aspects of consumer use and safety.

Project Corporate promotion design Firm Fifty Strategy & Creative Design Team Candace Ellicott, Megan Gough Client Internal project A bar code must conform to rigorous standards, but it is still a part of a package's visual experience. This direct marketing piece for a design company proves that even functional or purely informational elements can be rendered in a playful way.

180 Packaging Essentials

Project _

Product line package design

...Itt_

Firm Michael Osborne Design Design Team Michael Osborne, Beth Leonardo, Sheri Kuniyuki Client Matisse & Jack's All-natural, healthy, bake-athome snack packages needed to quickly communicate their nutritional values, along with the information

required by

governmental agencies. This design allows the consumer to appreciate the nutritional qualities while being wooed by the sumptuous food photography.

Project Product line package design Firm Established Design Team Sam O'Donahue, Felix de Voss, Jacob Wildschiodtz Client Purista Renowned mixologist Michael Hensel designed a premium cocktail mixer without additives or preservatives. Just enough label information

challenged

discerning bartenders to tell the difference between a cocktail made with the premixed juice and one they had made themselves. The legislated ingredient information

was

neatly organized at the bottom of the bottle, leaving most of the back available for the communication between Michael Hensel and his bartending audience.

-

181

THE DESIGN PROCESS

88 Shelf Impact Another significant retail challenge for the designer is

items. Individual products present an equally astonish-

how to make a product stand out on a shelf from its com-

ing number of choices. A typical supermarket

petitors. The modern retail establishment

upward of 100 different

choices. A supermarket

Project Product package design firm Internal Design Design Team Dianna Burmas, Deon St. Mor Client Mor Cosmetics These bold, custom-molded eggshaped tins inspire shoppers to pick them up off the shelf. The tin's obvious usefulness leaves little to the shopper's imagination and promotes multiple purchases of the body soap contained inside.

182 Packaging Essentials

is a sea of

can have upward of 16,000

may have

hair-care products, and about

fifty varieties of potato chips. Designers are challenged

products on display, each one clamoring for the consumer's

with not only getting the package noticed, but also

attention. Hardware outlets may have 30,000 to 40,000

influencing a purchase decision.

Project

Product package design Firm Arthur Schreiber Designer Arthur Schreiber Client Concept piece Plastic, glass, and a unique construction idea resulted in a totally unique package for Gin Greens. The upper part of the bottle is made from a highquality textured plastic that is attached to the glass base with a latch mechanism. The end result is a bottle design that is difficult to ignore on the shelf.

183

THE DESIGN PROCESS

89 Product Protection Many of the products we enjoy today would not exist

integrity

without the protection

which provides protection

that packaging affords. Shelf

were affected by the quality of the packaging,

life would be limited for most foods and medicines, and

moisture, corrosion, humidity, air, impact, temperature,

the contents would be subject to damage. Over the

and others. It is the designer's job to be knowledgeable

years, entire markets began to develop around certain

about the types of packaging and materials used for

types of products. Issues such as shelf life and product

different product sectors.

Project Product line package design firm Studio Bomba Design Team Leah Dent, Angela Mitchell Client Rewind Brightly colored, mix-and-match, vintage-inspired containers were designed to outlast the coffee they contain. These canisters are food safe, light safe, and stackable, and they come with a tightly sealing lid that allows coffee to breathe but not sweat. The design allowed the coffee to stay undisturbed through the thermal shrink-wrapping and transportation

processes.

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184 Packaging Essentials

against static electricity,

,

~..

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Project

Product package design Firm Dossier Creative, Inc. Designer Dan Chisholm Client Inniskillin Just before retiring, the celebrated ice wine maker Karl Kaise produced only three barrels of an incredibly rare special reserve Cabernet Franc. A multilayered cardboard package protected the wine, while allowing for a staged unveiling of the product after opening.

185

THE DESIGN PROCESS

90 Unpack the Package One way to reinforce a customer's purchase is to make

The designer must consider the interior of the package

the revealing of the product inside an enjoyable process.

as much as the exterior. Design considerations

The consumer's experience of the product can be

the following:

stretched through the depackaging process. The layers that eventually give way to the ultimate prize build

• Staging the opening process

anticipation

• The design of the package interior

and heighten the consumer's appreciation

of the product.

• Ease of access • Brand presentation • Wow factor

Project Product package design Firm Struck Design Team Peder Singleton, Eric Gray, Shayna Proctor Client Xango Pericarp Oil is a restorative skin salve made with naturally fermented mangosteen pericarp oil. To heighten the unveiling of this unique product formulated from an ancient Southeast Asian recipe, the design team created a sliding reveal box. To find the product in its inner sanctum, the consumer must slide the box lid up and off. The bottle is then revealed in a framelike structure that adds to the drama of the unveiling.

186 Packaging Essentials

include

Project

Product package design Firm The 0 Group Design Team Jason B. Cohen, Karin Satron Client Unilever/Cunning Communications This package was sent to prominent beauty industry influencers to introduce them to Dove's new skin smoothing product. Included in the box are a product sample, informational

guide, and USB

drive. A soft. pink acetate slipcase houses the box. When the slipcase is removed, the result is a visual transition from pink to white and the Dove mark is revealed. The box has a hinged top similar to a jewelry box, and upon opening, the promotional gifts are revealed.

Project Product package design Firm The 0 Group Design Team Jason B. Cohen, J. Kenneth Rothermich Client Diageo A special thank-you to the on-premises staff members who participated in a Crown Royal Reserve blend launch was delivered in a small suitcase-like leather box. The gold label and finish on the latch, handle, and stitching as well as the leather embossing created a lavish feeling of expectation. The box opened to display a bottle of Crown Royal Reserve on one side and a gold-colored cocktail kit on the other. Each side was draped in classic Crown Royal maroon velvet. as were fabric box liners and stabilizers.

187

THE DESIGN PROCESS

91 Functionally

Convenient

Design

Containers that have multiple uses have added appeal, especially those that simplify shoppers' lives. Consumers who are conscious of the environment appreciate being able to use a container

for other purposes after the

product has been used.

Project Program design Firm Juli Shore Design Design Team Juli Shore-Sonke, Paul Kagiwada Client Little Passports Little Passports is a company that is deeply committed to educating children about other cultures and improving the lives of children around the globe. Little Passports is a subscription-basededucational program that introduces kids to travel, geography, and new cultures. Each month, registered kids are mailed letters, information, photographs, and other

Project

items from a unique culture. After

Product package design

registering, each child receives

Firm

a small suitcase for storing his

Studio Armadillo

or her Little Passports mail

Design Team

packs. Although much of the fun

Anat Stein, Hadas Kruk

is delivered online, the suitcase

Client

packaging allows for imaginative

Concept piece

play outside the online experience. When assembled in a group of five, a detergent package does double duty as a stool. The detergent containers are designed so that they can be carried horizontally with the handle on top. This horizontal orientation allows for a variety of storage options on the shelf. The stool is a stable and practical design for garden or inside use.

188 Packaging Essentials

Project

Firm

Mistura Tropical

Internal Design

Tropical Mixture

Product line package design

Sultana Preta

Amendoa Caramelizada

Design Team Antonio .Joao Policarpo Client Boa Boca Gourmet This product line promotes a mixand-match approach to snacking. When opened, the dried fruits and nuts box functions as a convenient snack dispenser. The box opens in the middle to maketwo compartments, each roomy enough to hold a package of nuts or dried fruit.

Project Take-out package design Designer Ashley Buerkett Client Student project The sushi-filled

lunch box is

carried to the eating destination, and then the handle converts to chopsticks, which are used to eat the sushi. This innovative idea cuts out the need for a paper wrapper for the chopsticks and a carry bag or box for the sushi container. The wooden chopsticks increase the aesthetic appeal of the packaging and make it look more expensive and authentic.

189

THE DESIGN PROCESS

92 Packaging Several Products In many instances, it's wise for the manufacturer

of a

series of branded products to package and sell them as a single unit. For example, marrying an established

Project Product line package design Designer Amy Sprague

item, such as bar soap, with a new liquid soap is a great

Client

way to introduce consumers to the new product. Similarly,

Student project

producing a package with a series of branded products will enhance the consumer's brand experience.

Each fragrance in this line of perfumes is designed to suit a different mood and situation. Eachscent has its own personality, but also complements the others. The perfume bottle labels provide hints for how the fragrance should be used. The perfumes are packaged together in a beautiful decorative box, ensuring that the consumer has the opportunity to try the entire line of scents.

190 Packaging Essentials

Project

Product line package design Firm YinYing Lu Yin Ying Lu Designer YinYing Lu Yin Ying Lu Client Nootie The top portion of this packaged duo contains dog shampoo. The bottom portion contains a spritzer that moisturizes and maintains a fresh scent between shampoos. The bottles snap together for convenience and to save space. It's also a great way to get shampoo-buying customers to try another product in the line.

Project Product package design Firm Turner Duckworth, London and San Francisco Design Team David Turner, Bruce Duckworth, Chris Garvey, Ann Jordan, RebeccaWilliams Client Popchips Popchips are a new brand of potato snack that are not fried or baked, but popped. The minipack carton is subtly branded with eye-grabbing text that plays off the popped-product idea. A snacker's credo on the back of the box exalts the practice of snacking and reinforces the wise decision to buy in bulk.

191

THE DESIGN PROCESS

93 Decorative

Packages and Collectibles

Consumers will feel rewarded by the purchase of a pro-

To encourage this consumer behavior, the materials and

duct they truly enjoy. That reward is magnified if the

design should be evocative,

product package warrants keeping. A decorative design

themed, or part of a story that continues over a product

treatment

line. Collectible packaging extends the brand experience

or package shape alone is often enough to

convince consumers to keep a package. If the packaging

purposefully

decorative,

and keeps it on display longer.

varies, consumers will want to collect the series.

Project Product line package design firm Public Creative Designer

Project

Peter McDonald

Product line package design

Client

firm

Vinaceous

Studio Kluif Design Team

Circus characters adorn the

Paul Roeters, Yeruen Hueojes

bottles in this wine series deve-

Client

loped for the U.S. market. The

Vrumona

slightly macabre personality of the classic circus design style

Joy is a drink that is available

made the bottles ideal for collect-

in two flavors: chocolate and

ing. The designer also produced

fruity. More than thirty cartoon

a poster series that also became

characters were created for this

a collectible.

drink, so each time a bottle of Joy is purchased, a new character is introduced. The characters were also used in a comic book and on a TV show that served to increase the consumer's desire to collect the whole series.

192 Packaging Essentials

Project

Product label design Firm Paul Davis, Studio 6 Designer Paul Davis, Stephen Coates, Beth Elliott Client The Grateful Palate/R Wines The designers created twentyfour individual labels for one wine as an exploration of the concept of permutation. Each label features a unique set of Paul Davis's quirky sketches and meditations on wine and life's experiences. A mature equivalent of collecting cartoons, this wine

•

• •.• .

•

-.

•

•

label collection is for adults .

•

•

...

Project Product package design Firm Mr. Keedy Designer Mr. Keedy Client The Grateful Palate/R Wines Luxury-minded audiences and wine collectors are targeted with this premium Shiraz release-the product of a winemaker/grower dream team. As the wine is of exceptional pedigree, so too must the packaging be. Every aspect of the packaging was carefully considered. The elaborate ornamentation that spoke of meticulously rendered care was used on every surface, including the glass, cork, labels, and box.

193

THE DESIGN PROCESS

94 Bottlenecks,

Stickers, and Other Add-ons

Our human visual system is constantly scanning the enviro-

The marketing message can be extended with stickers,

nment and selecting certain stimuli to pay attention to,

tags, and folded booklets that hang from bottlenecks.

while acting as though others don't exist. Perception must

These add-ons provide extra room for product inform-

be selective-taking

in too much at once causes overload.

ation, brand messaging, or seasonal specials. In addition

If you have only seven seconds to convince potential

to extending the marketing experience, you can extend

purchasers to buy, a fun sticker or artful tag might be

the packaging theme by adding decorative elements

enough to catch their attention.

such as ribbons or unusual ties.

Project Product line package design firm Internal Design Design Team Dianna Burmas, Deon St. Mor Client Mor Cosmetics The sumptuous papers for this hand-wrapped soap collection were designed in-house. The sensation of luxury is heightened by the use of ribbon wrapped and held with a wax seal that's branded with the Mor crest.

Project Product line package design firm Hartung Kemp Design Agency Design Team Stefan Hartung, Devon Adrian, Carisa Flaherty Client Route 29 To revitalize this slightly tired candy brand so that it could compete more successfully on the shelf, the designers came up with a contemporary and sweet illustration and design style that was totally appropriate for the product and brand. To be sure that the package would be picked off the shelves, they created fun, tactile details such as the pearl-like handle that no girl could resist.

194 Packaging Essentials

Project

Product line package design Firm The 0 Group Design Team Jason B. Cohen, Marites Algones Client Ruby et Violette Packaging for Ruby et Violette, a high-end Manhattan cookie shop, was inspired by chic Parisian boutiques. A vintage sensibility combined with a sophisticated simplicity speaks of handcrafted, luxurious cookies, but in a modern context. Subtle graphical ornamentation,

such

as stickers and ribbons in deep rich colors with delicate textures, create a sensual experience that begins well before the consumer bites into a cookie.

Project Product package design Firm Turner Duckworth, London and San Francisco Design Team David Turner, Bruce Duckworth, Sarah Moffat. Rebecca Williams, Britt Hull Client Vinet Ege Distillery This French-made, customdesigned bottle was inspired by the swirling cloudy patterns that form when absinthe is mixed with water. A hangtag booklet tells the story of the drink as a way to inspire consumers with both traditional and new ways of serving absinthe. The secondary label contains the legally required information.

195

THE DESIGN PROCESS

95 Breaking the Rules Sometimes, a broken rule is exactly what is needed for a product to stand out from the busy conventional competitive environment. Only when designers are confident that they have mastered the design rules should they contemplate breaking them.

Project Product line package design Firm Company Designer Alex Swain Client Sheila's The design brief for this packaging called for a homemade look for the jams. The designer used a number of small labels that looked like they came from a label maker, and applied them to differently shaped jars with different type treatments and colors. To further imbue the homemade feel. the logo was used only on the lid-a daring move given that the product was launching and had no history to support shelf recognition. This break from a traditional label guarantees a strong shelf presence when it is juxtaposed with more conventional design solutions.

196 Packaging Essentials

Project

Product line package design Firm Mr. Keedy Design Team James Jean, Mr. Keedy, Beth Elliott Client The Grateful Palate/R Wines This collaborative project between illustrator James Jean and designer Mr. Keedy resulted in a triptych that was inspired by imagery and stories of the American South. The triptych was applied in thirds to each of three wines in a series that is especially complementary with Southern cooking. When the three bottles stand side by side, the triptych is assembled. The label fronts feature only the illustrations. The logo and all other identifying text are printed on the back.

Project Product package design Firm Asprey Creative Design Team Peter Asprey, George Margaritis Client Pizza e Birra Restaurant In a market where house wines are the norm, Birra is a house beer sold exclusively at Pizza e Birra restaurants in Melbourne and Sydney, Australia. Birra is packagedin a typical beer bottle, but features a silk-screened label that is reminiscent of a wine label. This break with tradition elevates the beer to a level similar to that of a house wine.

197

ACCESS AND REVIEW

96 Proofing and Making Alterations The printing process rarely goes exactly as planned. Even

• Is the trapping correct?

if there are no unforeseen surprises, sometimes just

• Are the images as they should be? Are the screens

seeing the computer monitor image reproduced on a printed sheet of paper is a shock. The designer should receive a color proof before the final print run. This is

correct? Are the photos aligned? • Are there flaws or imperfections such as broken type, pinholes, mottling, hickeys, or ghosting?

the designer's last chance to make sure the design will look exactly as it is intended. Color proofs a re made using Ink-jet printers, toner, dyes, or overlays. At the press proof, there are a few things to look out for:

• Fold the sheet to check the backups, gutters, cuts, and scores. • Verify that bleeds extend beyond the trim marks. • Verify that the finishing elements such as foil

• Check the sheet against the original copy, ink, and paper swatches to be sure everything

is as it was

intended.

stamping, diecutting, embossing, drilling, and perforations

are properly indicated.

• Check for character integrity, broken letters, and sharpness of type.

Give the sheet an overview: • Does it look as you expected it would? • Are the colors correct, including all spot colors? • Are all the copy and logos present and spelled correctly? • Is the sheet registering as it should?

Project Product package design Firm Campbell Hay Design Team Charlie Hay, Jonathan Baron, Yann Binet Client Lola's A branded delivery box is used to deliver Lola's handmade cupcakes right to the customer's door. To support the high standards of the brand, the box had to be perfectly produced.A challengewas presented by the fact that the box was made from a screen-printed Frovi Board.The absorbencyof the board meant that a slightly heavier dot weight was required to print the logo as it wasmeant to be.Proofing and detailed discussions with the printer allowed for perfection of this design approach with a minimum of costly experimentson press.

198 Packaging Essentials

• Confirm that all corrections from previous proofs have been made, if applicable.

--"'"

Project Product line package design Firm Campbell Hay Design Team Charlie Hay, Jonathon Baron, Yann Binet Client Found The proofing process for this cosmetics and skin care line involved the client throughout the process. The client provided approvals at the conceptual, initial art, and prepressstages.As well, wet proofs (machine proofs) were requested for the client to sign off on. A good relationship with the printer was essential, as the client's involvement was uncharacteristic and pushed past the customary time allowances for proofing.

199

ACCESS AND REVIEW

97 Gauging ROI Marketers increasingly recognize the influence of packag-

· What is happening on the shelf? Take note of what

ing in purchase decisions made at the point of sale.

happens as shoppers encounter

Consequently,

shelf context.

many are attempting

to measure the

performance of packaging - and to gauge the return

· What do consumers

on investment (ROI) from their packaging initiatives.

packaging within a

remember about the package?

Measure the packaging system's ability to communicate a single idea and the consumer's recall of that idea.

Here are some ideas to keep in mind when developing a research approach for determining

· How do consumers respond to the package as a whole?

ROI:

Take equal note of the strengths and weaknesses of the packaging system.

• Does the pack influence behavior? The evaluation of packaging performance

• Consider package performance throughout

gauges whether a packaging

the sales

process. Shelf visibility, aesthetic appeal, competitive

system influences consumers' behavior.

differentiation,

and personal relevance are all factors

that impact sales. Each should be measured.

Project Product package design Firm Pemberton & Whitefoord Design Consultants Design Team Simon Pemberton, Wes Anson Client Fresh Pasta Company

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The Fresh Pasta Company makes

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fresh gourmet pasta and delivers

............

it to customers' doors. The package

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redesign resulted in increased sales off the company Web site, and a word-of-mouth campaign resulted in distribution agreements with stores that are known for their high-end gourmet food products. Stores that now list the pasta products include Harvey Nicholls, Fortnum & Mason, and Whole Foods. Sales increased significantly with no advertising support.

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200 Packaging Essentials

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pIICQ

Project

Product package design Firm Strernrne Throndsen Design Design Team Morten Throndsen, Linda Gundersen Client Brynild Gruppen Dent is a gum brand that found itself struggling competitive

in the highly

candy and gum

marketplace. The design team repositioned the brand with an urban, edgy, and individualistic style that appeals to a younger market. The packaging featured strong, bold graphics and a unique, new opening mechanism. After the brand update and new packaging approach were launched, sales tripled in the first few months.

Project Product line package design Firm Pemberton & Whitefoord Design Consultants Design Team Simon Pemberton, Wes Anson Client Tesco Packaging for this new range of cooking ingredients encourages consumers to cook from scratch. The design approach literally took a leaf out of a cookbook to inform and inspire home chefs.The unique concept and limited color palette

_.o. ..- _.......

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1... _ ......

stood apart from competitors and their busy packaging. The product line was an immediate success and has now expanded to more than seventy products.

201

ACCESS AND REVIEW

98 Anticipating

the Brand Tomorrow

Timing is everything, and upcoming trends are a challenge to monitor. Industry prediction resources are available online and in print that collect expert opinions for industry leaders. Check on the local level, as well as the national and international levels. Understand which factors can affect trends. Real estate, the economy, and gas prices influence many industries.

Project Product line package and brand design firm The Creative Method Design Team Tony Ibbotson, Andi Yanto Client Marlborough Sun The design team was charged with developing a name, identity, and label for a new Marlborough Sun wine series. The design needed to take advantage of the global reputation of Marlborough Sun wines, but set itself apart from other wines produced in the area. As grapes were selected specifically for each variety in the new series, the design solution had to be flexible enough to address the individual characteristics of each year's batch. The creative newspaper-clipping approach provided flexibility for the communication requirements of the wine series as well as great shelf recognition through its unique look and sense of humor. Additionally, the news articles that were featured on the labels could be updated each year to reflect current trends and humorous news items.

202 Packaging Essentials

Project

Product line package design Firm Fifty Strategy & Creative Design Team Candace Ellicott, Asami Tanaka, Sarah Roncarelli Client

Rice Paper

Tai Fung The increase in cultural diversity

Callose Rice R1z de calrose

GaleHes de r1z

Tempura

of North American populations

lorPOIaOIrYe

in the past decade has exposed traditionally

minded North

American audiencesto new,exotic styles of cooking. This line of products targets non-Asian audiencesand urges them to try Asian cooking at home. The product line was named after the bamboo tree, which is of high economic and cultural significance in Asian countries. The faux bamboo background speaks of the strength, beautiful texture, and visual appeal of a bamboo jungle. The close-cut photographs

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of the perfectly formed products appeal to contemporary

and

adventurous North American food consumers.

Project Product package design Firm Studio Bomba Design Team Leah Dent, Angela Mitchell Client Silvana Coffee To attract new customers and retain current customers for the Silvana coffee line, the design team needed to create fresh, new, contemporary packaging without diminishing Silvana's seventyyear coffee-making heritage and expertise. The splash of orange color against the sepia-toned historical photography resulted in an intriguing blend of old and new design values that would appeal to both categories of audiences.

203

ACCESS AND REVIEW

99 Customer Research Recognizing key elements that influence purchase and

they ignore. This process also reveals what product

avoiding confusion at retail is the safest and strongest

messaging they read and what they miss.

course of action. Customer research can help designers stay on top of consumer behaviors. There are many re-

Advanced Focus Group Research Techniques

search tactics. Here are two that are particularly useful

Focus group testing allows groups of participants

for package designers.

express their opinions and illuminates behavior. Focus

to

groups are useful for gaining insights on a general trend,

Project

Eye-Tracking Research

strategic idea, or concept that relies on certain behaviors

In some instances, a design research technology such as

occurring in the retail environment. Focus groups are less

eye tracking is useful. Shoppers are asked to view all com-

useful for creative testing. Group dynamics can sway

petitor products and design systems on the shelf while

opinion. As well, the artificial

a camera tracks their eye movements. The results of the

environment

video recording show which packages they are attracted

retail behaviors.

nature of a focus group

is not an accurate place to test specific

to, what elements they see on a package label, and what

Product line package design firm Subplot Design Design Team Roy White, Matthew Clark Client Happy Planet Foods Prior to making strategic recommendations, the design firm conducted focus group tests to learn more about consumer

Project

attitudes toward energy drinks.

Product line package design

The team discovered that the

firm

ingredients in energy drinks were

Reach

not as healthy as they thought

Design Team

they should be. The research

Mark Rylands, Katie Clark

also suggested that the market

Client

would respond favorably to a

Grace Foods

healthy energy drink with natural ingredients. The design firm's

Econa wanted to update its chili

recommendations to its client.

sauce brand and bottle design.

Happy Planet Foods, included

Customer research indicated an

the design of a new drink, which

interest in products that supported

would be a mix of high-quality

adventurous culinary interests,

fruit juices,vitamins, and minerals,

so the desiqn team responded

but no preservatives, artificial

with a package that made the

ingredients, or sugar. As well,

most of the product's cultural

they recommended the develop-

heritage and reached out to the

ment of three new categories of

company'sadventurous customers

drinks for detoxification, glowing

with a best heat indicator

skin, and increased immunity.

device and information

about

the sauce's country of origin. Research was also used to deter-

After the sauce line launched,

mine how to modify the product

product sales increased by 16.8

package so as to bridge the gap

percent within the first month.

between Happy Planet's current

The Econa Sauces brand is now

"natural" market and the more

considered an icon and is the

contemporary, sports-minded

leading chili sauce in the United

energy-drink market.

Kingdom.

204 Packaging Essentials

ACCESS AND REVIEW

100 Celebrate a Successful Package Design Serious package designers should always be seeking out new package design information.

Visit packaging

and design blog sites where you can submit your work for peer review and find inspiration. Some blogs worth checking out include: www.thedieline.com lovelypackage.com www.packagingoftheworld.com The following packages won leading industry awards for their innovative designs.

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Firm

Project

Designbolaget

Product line package design

Design Team

Firm

Claus Due,

Pemberton & Whitefoord

Henriette Kruse .Jerqensen

Design Consultants

Client

Project

Design Team

Moshi Moshi Mind

Product package design

Simon Pemberton,

Firm

Barry Crombie, Laurie Evans

A tongue-in-cheek product-

Container

Client

naming approach and playful use

Design Team

Tesco

of dots combined in a package

Brenan Liston, Jonnie Vigar,

design for a range of wellness

Todd Gill, Mark Evans

A Hawaiian shirt, sunglasses, and

products including teas, chocolate

Client

a fire extinguisher are a few of the

vitamins, and oils. The successof

O&M

accessories that are juxtaposed

the design was credited with a

with a classic Mexican bandito on

packaging gold medal in the 2009

This bottle design, reminiscent

this tortilla chip packaging. The

European Design (ED) Awards.

of a milk bottle, communicates

accessoriescreate a humorous and

Origina & Mineral's chemical-

inviting presence on the shelf

free and nourishing technology

while differentiating the tortilla

for hair. This unique design won

chip flavors. This package design

numerous accolades, and has

was awarded a platinum Pent-

been nominated for two categor-

award, the top prize in the food

ies in the 2009 Pentawards

packaging category in the 2008

competition.

Pentawards competition.

205

Contributors PRINCIPLE

NUMBERS

ARE

IN BOLDFACE

Principle 20, 47 2 creativo Principle 7, 22-23 Adam & Company Principle 23, 53 Alan Aldridge Principles 18, 45; 19, 46; 27, 61 Aloof Design

Principle 6, 20 Buchanan Design Principles 48, 103; 91, 189 Ashley Buerkett Principles 46, 98; 75, 157 Bulletproof Principles 39, 85; 43, 93 Buzzsaw Studios

Principles 31. 69; 71. 149; 76, 159 DOCCreative Lab Principle 29, 64 Death by Colour Principle 39, 85 Desdoigts & Associes Principles 10, 29; 38, 82; 100,205

Principles 26, 59; 37, 80 David Fung Principles 53, 113;78, 163 Funnel Principle 56, 118 David Gardener Principle 13, 35 GBH

Designbolaget Principle 13, 35 Amandine Alessandra

Principles 60, 127;83, 172 BVD

Principle 39, 84 Principle 83, 173

Danny Goldberg Design

Design Friendship Principles 10, 28; 34, 75; 35, 77 Anthem Worldwide

Principle 60, 127 Remo Caminada

Principles 59, 124;63, 132;72, Principle 74, 154 Design Has No Name

Principles 9, 26; 95, 197 Asprey Creative

Axygene

Caracas

Principles 16, 41;66, 139

113;54, 115;77, 161

Gopika Chowfla Design

Principles 70, 146; 71, 149

Principle 95, 196 Company

Moag Bailie Container

Principle 87, 181

Principles 12, 32; 22, 51;25, 57; 38, 83; 59, 125; 73, 153; 83, 172;

82,171

84, 174;85, 176;98, 202

biz-R

Principles 41, 89; 94, 194 Hartung Kemp Design Agency

Established

Principles 12, 33; 62, 131;68, 143;

Principle 57,120-121

Principles 66, 138; 89, 185

Principles 32, 71;50, 106; 61, 129 Big Fish Design

84,175

Harpun Dossier Creative, Inc.

Crave, Inc.

Principles 16, 40; 23, 52; 62, 130;

Principle 17, 43; 9 Desmania Design

Bananagrams Principles 9, 27; 31, 68

Gregory Bonner Hale

Peter Gregson Studio

Principles 11.31;100, 205 Principle 48, 103

Principle 45, 97

Principle 1,10 The Design Shop

Principles 30, 66-67; 36, 79; 53,

The Grateful Palate/R Wines

Principles 24, 55; 80, 167 Design Packaging

Principle 15, 39

150; 74, 155; 75, 157

Principles 35, 76; 78, 163 Hatch Design

Principle 18, 45 FAZdesign

The Creative Method

Principle 58, 123 Hattomonkey

Principles 25, 57; 76, 158; 81, 169 Principles 14, 37; 36, 78 Bloom

Principles 17, 42; 45, 96; 66, 139

Feedback Marketing

Creative Pilot

Principles 30, 67; 96, 198-199 Campbell Hay

Principles 43, 93; 46, 99 Principle 1, 11 Brahm

Principles 44, 95; 86, 179

Ferroconcrete

Magdalena Czarnecki

Principle 76, 159 Igal Hodirker

Principles 2,12; 24, 54; 27,60; Principles 24, 55; 59, 125 Braincells

Principle 86, 178 Glenn A. Davis

87,180; 98, 203 Fifty Strategy & Creative

Principles 3, 14-15;8, 25; 58, 122;88, 182; 91, 189; 94, 194 Internal Design

Principles 34, 75; 40, 86; 53, 112 Brand Engine

Principle 93, 193 Paul Davis, Studio 6

Principle 42, 90 Victor Fong

Principle 50, 107 jungeshachtel

Principles 25, 57; 42, 91 Braveland Design

Principle 68, 142 dbDesign

Principle 5, 18-19 Frost Design

Principles 81. 168; 93, 193;95, 197 Mr. Keedy

206 Packaging Essentials

Principle 86, 179 Koniak Design

Principles 15, 38; 61, 128-129 Korefe

Principles 90, 187; 94, 195 The 0 Group

Principles 18, 44; 90, 186 Struck

Principles 32, 71; 66, 138; 87, 181 Michael Osborne Design

We Love Jam

Principles 51, 109; 52, 111;56, 119; 91.188

LaboGroup

Principle 84, 175

YinYing Lu

Zoo Studio

98,203 Studio Bomba

Principles 32, 70; 62, 131;73, 152; 80,167; 97, 200-201; 100, 205

Principles 36, 79; 92, 191

Principle 9, 27 Principles 26, 59; 37, 81; 89, 184;

Meeta Panesar

Felix Lobelius

Do Art

Principles 8, 24; 65, 137; 69, 145; 77,161

Principle 69, 144 Wee See

Studio Armadillo/Studio Principle 12, 33

Principle 24, 54

Pemberton

& Whitefoord

Principle 22, 50 Studio Copyright

Design Consultants Principles 47, 101;48, 102; 49,

Principle 67, 141 M. E. Design

Principles 11,30; 26, 58; 80, 166 Maass, Kreativer

Principle 51. 108-109 Mads & Robert Principle 67, 141 Robert Medkeff

Principles 34, 74; 52, 110 Mor Cosmetics

Principle 29, 65

Principle 70, 146 Jorg Peter, Designer AGD

Principles 60, 126; 82, 171;93, 192 Public Creative

Principle 10, 29 Jop Quirinchongo

Principles 11,31; 75, 156; 85, 177 R Design

Principles 29, 65; 37, 81 Robot Food

Principles 34, 75; 79, 165; 81, 169

Principle 25, 56

Principle 65, 136

Moruba

Principles 64, 135; 99, 204 Subplot Design

Principle 57, 121 Sunhouse Creative

Principles 55, 117;82, 170

Sagmeister

Principles 3, 15; 64, 134 TACN Studio

Ruiz + Company

Principles 29, 65; 73, 153

Studio Kluif

Swear Words Pty. Ltd.

Daniel Morales

Morning Breath

104-105; 63, 133; 73, 152; 93, 192

Design

Principles 21, 49; 42, 91; 88, 183 Arthur Schreiber

Principle 17, 43 TDA Advertising

& Design

Principle 18, 44 Tea Forte

Principles 2, 13; 16, 41; 54, 114; 55, 116;67, 140; 78, 162; 97, 201

Strernrne Throndsen Design Principles 22, 51; 72, 151;77, 160 Moxie Sozo

Principles 15, 39; 31, 68; 41, 89; 74, 155; 91, 188 Juli Shore Design

Principle 44, 95 Trapped in Suburbia

Principles 4, 16-17; 69, 145 Mucca Design

Principle 68, 143 Skeem Design

Principle 21, 48 Truedot/truerender

Principle 71, 148 Yvonne Niewerth

Principles

8, 24; 47, 100; 92, 190

Amy Sprague

Pati Nunez Associats

40, 87; 44, 94; 46, 99; 52, 111; 63, 133; 75, 156; 92, 191;94, 195

Principles 14, 37; 23, 53; 28, 62-63; 41, 88; 43, 92; 70, 147

Principles 6, 21; 14, 36; 20, 47;

Principles 49, 105; 76, 158; 79,

Turner Duckworth

164; 85, 177 Stockholm

Design Lab

Principles 13, 34; 55, 117 Viidrio

207

About the Authors Candace Ellicott and Sarah Roncarelli are principles in

Candace and Sarah are experienced creative professionals.

Fifty Strategy & Creative, a design firm that specializes

They are also perpetual students of great creative and

in brand design and marketing. Candace and Sarah create

strategic thinkers, regardless of the medium.

logos, brand identities, and extensions for all media including broadcast, print, and Web for products and services from a wide array of market sectors.

208 Packaging Essentials