packaging sydney humphrey
project one houseware/hardware product
01 pack ∙ ag ∙ ing noun the informational container that a product is stored or sold in.
what does a package need to do? a good package should protect present identify embody inform enhance
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considerations size
visual hierarchy
shelf space
presence
audience
legibility
effiency
accurate information
sustainability
placement
production cost
budget
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02 sustainable/ low impact packaging This week we started research on what makes a package sustainable. During this process, I quickly realized that there are many answers the this question. The most widely accepted definition of sustainable packaging was formed by the Sustainable Packaging Coalition (SPC). The SPC is an industry dedicated to a more robust environmental vision for packaging.
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according to the SPC, sustainable packaging must: ∙ be beneficial, safe, and healthy for the customer and the community ∙ meet market criteria for performance and cost ∙ be sourced, manufactured, transported, and recycled using renewable energy ∙ optimize the use of renewable or recycled source materials ∙ be made from materials healthy throughout its life cycle
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03 product category and context The next step in my research was to go shopping! I took my weekly trip to Target to get a better look of what packaging is out there. The mission was to find and photograph examples of good and bad packaging based on visual design and environmental impact. Even though it was hard not to wander off into the makeup section, I was able to gather the information I needed. My first example was the Squish collapsible colander. This product includes a sticker, tag, and a hang tab. This design is successful because the product has so much presence alone because of its bright colors. The packaging design is legible, clean, with just enough information. My second example was Chef’s Choice Professional Sharpening Steel. This packaging was not as successful because the bulky plastic surrounding the product is not sustainable. The overall design of the packaging is nice, however, the black doesn’t allow the product to stand out as much against its competitors.
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04 consumer persona Personas are fictional, but realistic representations of key audience segments that are grounded in research and data. They represent our major user groups and help us keep their needs and expectations at the forefront of our decision making. This week our class spoke with Kyle Vice via Skype. Kyle is a service designer at Phillips Design Healthcare and also Alumni of University of Louisville. This discussion was very helpful because we learned how his team uses personas in real world projects. Later that week we were tasked to create a persona in groups based on a few characteristics we chose randomly. Drew, Myra, and I were given an African-American male who is 65+ and married. From this, we created Omar. Omar is a 71-year-old man from Louisville, KY. He has been married to his wife, Shaletha, for 48 years. Together they have three children and five grandchildren. Omar is a retired mailman that now spend his time reading the newspaper, landscaping, watching Louisville Cardinal basketball, and playing with his grandchildren.
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Omar
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05 semantics differential scale Semantics differential scales are lists of 10-12 pairs of polar opposite adjectives that measure the connotative meaning of things and concepts. It also provides insight on how different users might perceive something. Before this project, I’d never heard of a semantic differential scale, so it was really interesting to research them and make one for my product.
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inkling semantics differential scale
young masculine serious standard expensive
old feminine fun unique affordable
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06 creative brief A creative brief is a document that details all of the required information for a designer when the project is first presented. Creative briefs are critical to the design process. It allows us as designers to think about the project in much more detail. In order to successfully solve design problems, we have to answer a few important questions. What problem is the project solving? What are the objectives and expectations? Who is our target audience? What is the overall look or tone of the product? A well-written creative brief will ultimately shorten the time it will take to complete a project. For my project, I decided to design packaging for gel pens. Being a pen-freak myself, I wanted to make a pack that other avid note takers and I would enjoy. With this in mind, I created iNKLiNG: Backpack Essentials, a new company that specializes in quality writing instruments. My first product will be a 3-pack of Quick Dry Gel Pens.
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project description Create new logo/identity Design packaging for gel pens
purpose The purpose of this project is to create a dynamic design for iNKLiNG: Backpack Essentials, a new company specializing in writing instruments. Inkling’s debut product is the Quick-Dry Gel Pen.
target audience Gender: Male and Female Age: 15 - 25 Occupation: Students and Professionals Personality: Trendy and Creative
price point The price of the Quick-Dry Gel Pen is higher compared to its competitors because of its quality and unique look.
look/tone Minimal, Unique, Clean, Firm, and Unisex
competitive edge iNKLiNG provides high-quality, simple, inventive and reliable choices in writing utensils. Inkling’s product line is more diverse, expansive and interesting than any other brand.
competitive environment Main competitors include Bic, Pilot, Zebra, and Paper Mate. This product will be sold in office supply stores such as Staples and Office Depot, as well as Walmart and Target. 17
07 concept sketches Before iNKLiNG was born, Leslie had us participate in a forced fit exercise. For this exercise, Leslie would give us 30 seconds to sketch possible designs based on a given prompt. I came out of this exercise with about 45 rough, thumbnail sketches. At this point in the project, I was designing a grill utensil set for Mr. BarB-Q. Ultimately, the sketches I generated didn’t help me further my process. I changed my product shortly after this activity. The sketching phase of my design process has always been the hardest. Once I have an idea in my head, I have to take it to the computer immediately. This isn’t a great habit but I do think the forced fit exercise helped me develop a new way of generating interesting concepts.
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When I started sketching for iNKLiNG, the first thing I had to figure out was the size and shape of the pen box. I wanted a container that would be unique but also sturdy and reusable. My first idea was a standard metal case with a informational band around it. Then I explored more options such as a matchbox style box, a rectangular cylinder with a lid, a book style box with two folds, and a cylinder that would resemble the game, Pick-Up Sticks. Once I met with my classmates to discuss these options, we decided the matchbox style container would be the best. My next step was to create a logo for iNKLiNG: Backpack Essentials. After a few iterations, I was set on a simple type logo in the typeface, Omnes. This wasn’t enough. I wanted to simplify it even further, and create a mark or icon. So I settled on a 1pt circle with the iNKLiNG “i”.
iNKLiNG 19
08 layout My package will consist of the pen box containing three fine point, retractable, black ink pens (of three different weights) and a soft cover notebook. The notebooks will come in four different colors and will come in plain, ruled, and grid paper. These items will be held together by a band containing more information about the product. The layout of the box sleeve will be black and will include the inkling icon and a short phrase (“Life is like a pen; You can’t erase your past, but you can cross it out”) that will be revealed when you remove the band. The inside (or “drawer”) box will have a fun, geometric design that will incorporate the iNKLiNG icon.
Drawer box design
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iNKLiNG
FiNE POiNT RETRACTABLE SQUiSHY RUBBER GRiP LONG LASTiNG BLACK GEL iNK
iNKLiNG iNKLiNG
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09 dieline A dieline is a placeholder for assisting in the proper layout of a document that will be diecut as part of the finishing process. It is usually placed into the computer file as a separate layer for sizing and orientation purposes. The dieline was probably the hardest part of this project. This process took multiple paper prototypes and little tweaks in my InDesign file. However, considering this was my first attempt, I think I was pretty successful.
my (very cluttered) workspace
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sleeve (outside)
drawer (inside)
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10 “client” presentation This week I finished my final prototype to present to the “client” (aka the class). This was very helpful because I was able to give and receive feedback on the small details before moving on to my final 3D comp.
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“Design captures you’re target audience really well.” “Love the logo!” “Pattern on the inside box is a nice touch.” “Love the size and feeling of the type on the front!”
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“I wish I could see the cool icon on the black box.” “The band makes the info on the back run off the the side.” “You could extend your system to other ‘backpack essentials’.” “Maybe put the iNKLiNG logo on the notebook too.”
Δ “How will these be organized in the store? Hung? Stacked?” “What’s stopping someone from stealing the pens?” “You could add a finger tab for easy opening.” “Make the line around the band bolder.” “Kind of want a secret surprise on the inside of the box”
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11 3D comp After my “client” presentation last week, I took the comments I was given and made little adjustments to my design. My biggest issue was modifying my band so the information easily fit across the surface area of the notebook. I did this by tweaking the size of my type and the spacing between the pen weights and the extra information. This took multiple prototypes to perfect. Once I corrected my prototype, I printed and sent my final design and dieline to Michael Winter at Material Print Shop. My final design was printed on 130lb. Neenah Starwhite paper. When Michael delivered it on Monday, I was very pleased. However, I could’ve made my message on the black box slightly bolder or bigger. Constructing the my final 3D comp, was easier than I thought it would be. I was so nervous considering I had ONE SHOT at constructing this box. Thankfully, I was able to build it with no problems.
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12 consumer feedback what appeals to you about this product? ∙ “I enjoy the simple and sleek design.” ∙ ”The ‘i’ reminds me of The Incredibles. I love it!” ∙ “The pattern on the box is a nice touch.” ∙ ”I love the simplicity of the box. I want more colors!”
are you likely to buy this product? ∙ “I would totally buy this product. Especially if it comes with designed notebooks!” ∙ “Yes! I wish more companies would bundle these types of products.” ∙ “Yes! I can see students all over campus using this product.” ∙ “Absolutely! I can see the iNKLiNG line expanded into other products like pencils, backpacks, and planners.
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average inkling semantics differential scale
young masculine serious standard expensive
old feminine fun unique affordable
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project two ethnic beverage
01 research For project two, I was tasked to design a series of labels for three flavors or varieties of a condiment or beverage. The twist is the package should project an ethnically authentic feel, while appealing to a broader market. After considering my options, I decided to focus my project on Greek coffee. I have always been fascinated with Greece and their beautiful culture. And let’s face it, I’m a coffee addict. I learned from my research that coffee is huge in Greece. Greek coffee is made with a fine grind of coffee that is boiled in a tall, narrow pot called a briki. It is served with grounds in the cup, and the grounds are allowed to settle as the coffee is slowly sipped. The relaxed pace of drinking Greek coffee makes it ideal for social gatherings, so it is not uncommon to see people conversing over a cup of coffee at a local cafe. Greek style coffee is often served to visitors and guests in Greek homes. One study showed that the typical Greek coffee break lasted over 90 minutes. Some gatherings even end with cup readings by interpreting the leftover grounds in the cup. This was more than enough research to begin my design process!
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A traditional Greek coffee setting
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02 life of a package designer My class was fortunate enough to talk to another designer via Skype about their process. Blythe Magnuson is a packaging designer at Kaleidoscope in Chicago and is also another Alumni of U of L. A typical project for Blythe includes multiple steps that I also use in my package design process. For example, after she receives her project prompt she starts her research by going to stores to find inspiration. She looks at typography, colors and other imagery she could use in her project. She calls these elements the package’s “category language”. The Skype interview was very interesting because we also talked about her time as a student at Louisville and life after college. It is exciting to see where my career could possibly take me in the future.
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Notes from our Skype interview
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03 mood board As designers, we are always looking for inspiration. If you’re like me, you’re constantly bookmarking designs you find online or you compile boards of inspiring work on Pinterest. Starting the design process with a mood board is always a good idea. Your board can include anything from photos, designs, illustrations, color palettes, and even textures. Gathering these ideas and inspiration before actually designing can simplify your process and cut down the time you spend staring at a blank screen. My mood board for this project included beautiful landscapes, ancient architecture, pottery, fashion, patterns, and textures. From my mood board, I was able to draw a lot of colors and patterns into my package design.
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04 visual inventory The next step in my research is to create a visual inventory. Kind of like a mood board, visual inventories give you inspiration but with real world package designs. This allows you to see what is in the popular in the market today. It also helps you strategize how to design so your package will compete with similar brands.
For my visual inventory, I focused my research on high-end coffee packaging. One thing I found consistent among most packaging is the simplicity of the design. Most designs just included the logo/brand name, roast, a short description and minimal color palette. I also found it interesting how many different ways coffee is packaged.
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05 “client” presentation This week I developed my approach to present to the “client” (aka the class). This was very helpful because I was able to give and receive feedback on the small details before moving on to a more refined label design.
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“I love the added Greek border and simple color scheme.” “Type and colors are great! The box-y style creates a nice hierarchy and makes you package easy to navigate.” “The simplicity is nice and the colors are great!” “I enjoy your typeface choice!”
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“I wish there was more type variations.” “I think the design would benefit from more colors and patterns.” “Everything feels really big/heavy. Maybe because everything is all caps.” “Body copy should probably have lowercase for legibility and hierarchy.”
Δ “Maybe give each coffee roast a name?” “Maybe eliminate all the dividers on the right side?” “Maybe use a little bean to indicate the roast?” “Nutrition label?”
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06 final comp After my “client” presentation last week, I took the comments I was given and made many changes to my design. My biggest change was adding a different floral pattern at the top of each label. I also added a secondary typeface (Garamond) to help with visual and hierarchy issues. The next obstacle I had to face was what container to use to package my product. At first, I wanted to use glass jars with swing top lids. However, after a lot of research on how coffee beans are preserved, jars weren’t the best idea. I ended up purchasing kraft paper stand up zipper pouches on Amazon to package my coffee beans. Once I corrected my labels, I printed them on Neenah label paper. The colors, type, and patterns printed very nicely. Overall, I believe I was very successful in producing an ethnically authentic brand and packaging.
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07 sprint During the last few studio classes, we were given the task to somehow expand our project in three hours. For my sprint, I decided to focus on FILOS. Over three days, I designed a series of three coffee mugs, a poster, tags for brikis, and a possible website for FILOS Coffee Company.
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This semester has been crazy to say the least. The past four months were filled with all-nighters in the library and endless cups of coffee. Packaging has been such a fun class! I can’t wait to take what I have learned in this course and apply it to my future courses and career. I want to say thank you to my friends and fellow designers. I don’t think I would’ve been able to keep my sanity this semester without you guys. I also want to say thank you to my professor, Leslie Friesen. You are an amazing designer and an even better professor.
s.h.
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