LJ Packaging Hite Art Institute
University Of Louisville This journal is a document of my process & reflections.
Packaging is more than just your product’s pretty face. - ENTREPRENEUR MAGAZINE
Research. Research. Research.
01 On the first day of the semester, we defined packaging and discussed its purpose. Simply put, packaging is the way a product is present to the public. It also... Protects, informs, and displays its contents quickly and effectively. The purpose of packaging is to convince the value of a product. Think PPIEx2: Protect Present Identify Embody Presence Position Inform Enhance There are many factors to consider when it comes to packaging. Remember these and your product is sure to fly off the shelves! • Efficiency- what small changes can be implemented to save time, cost, and space? • Brand essence- Make sure the design conveys the brand’s identity. • Differentiation- Packaging that blends in with its surroundings will be overlooked. • Special Attributes- What benefits would cause consumers to choose your product over others?
•
02
BAD PACKAGING
Ineffective display
•
GOOD PACKAGING GOOD PACKAGING
BAD PACKAGING
When the time came to research product packaging, it seemed easier for me to
BAD PACKAGING
decide if the design was effective, but then I had to consider the product’s materials,
BAD PACKAGING
sustainability, and after life- somethings that many consumers don’t think about. I
Clean logo
MOISTURIZER MOISTURIZER • Too much • Too much GOOD PACKAGING cardboard/plastic cardboard/plastic MOISTURIZER • Wasting space GOOD PACKAGING • Too much • Wasting space • Ineffective display cardboard/plastic MOISTURIZER Wasting space • Ineffective••display Too much •
headed to my local Meijer store and it did
• •
not take me long to find examples of “bad”
Ineffective display
cardboard/plastic Wasting space Ineffective display
This experiment showed me just how SPATULA
SET SPATULA SET • Simple design design • Successful color poor packaging. There is an abundance • Successful color SPATULA SET scheme of environmentally harmful materials • Simple design scheme • Clean • Successful color used and mostSET of them are cluttered with logo SPATULA scheme • Clean logo • Simple design However, I was able pointless information. many of our favorite products•haveSimple
•
Clean logo • Successful colordesigns when I to find numerous “good”
scheme
visited Bed Bath and Beyond. Walking into • Clean logo
packaging. The first one I found was Olay
that store was like a breath of fresh air.
Total Effects moisturizer. Let me start by
Since it is higher end than grocery stores,
HEADBOARD Clean Design example, a spatula• set by Ayesha Curry. I was attracted to the neutral color scheme, • Legs stored in bac clean logo, and airy patterns. Plus, the HEADBOARD • Eliminates extra • Clean Design minimal use of cardboard compliments the • Legs stored in back HEADBOARD products while keeping itspackaging impact low. The • Eliminates extra I felt like a kid in a candy store. I took me
pointing out the waste of cardboard. It’s like
no more than a minute to find my first
they purposely wanted their product to take up the most room on the shelf so customers would notice it first (Cop out). And have you noticed that they went with flat packaging for a non-hanging product? I would reduce the cardboard’s size by 50% and allow it to hang.
• Clean packaging way the next product kept its impact low
Design
HEADBOARD • Legs stored in back was• even moreDesign impressive. My last stop Clean • Eliminates extra HEADBOARD backthe Kendall was• At Legs Home,stored where Iinfound packaging • Eliminates extra • a hollowed Cleanback Design Headboard with that, wait packaging
My next rant will cover the design of the Sunbeam ceramic iron. The first problem I noticed was the amount of information on
for it, had a hidden • storage Legscompartment stored inforback
the front. Not to mention every phrase is
the legs and additional parts. The package • Eliminates extra
repeated and there are loads of unnecessary information. There are also hierarchy IRON • Too much info • Competing / Hierarchy issues • Repetitive
issues that seem unresolved and causes the information to compete. Okay, rant over.
Left: Olay Moisturizer Above: Sunbeam Ceramic Iron
IRON • Too much info • Competing / Hierarchy issues IRON • Repetitive • • •
IRON IRON • Too much info • Too • Competing / much info • Competing / Hierarchy issues • RepetitiveHierarchy issues
•
Too much info Competing / Hierarchy issues Repetitive
was simply a cardboard box with a sticker packaging showing a photo of the product and only the necessary information. This is an ideal example of innovative packaging that uses the least amount of materials necessary. It is by far the most successful example I found throughout my journey.
Repetitive
Top Left: Ayesha Curry Spatula Set Middle/Bottom Left: Kendall Headboard with genius storage.
03
04
Once we were able to identify “good” and
We then learned about customer personas
This exercise gave us a chance to explore our
“bad” packaging, it was time to explore
and why they are so beneficial when it comes
product from a totally different side; that
sustainability.
to packaging design. Personas are fictional,
of the customer. It helps to put yourself in
yet realistic representations of key audience
the customer’s shoes and ask, “what am I
Our task: Research sustainable/low
segments that are grounded in research and
looking for in a product, and what kind of
impact packaging and answer: what makes
data. They are treated as a real person with a
design and packaging will appeal to me?”
packaging sustainable?
name, age, ethnicity, marital status, and any other information that might be important
Sustainable packaging consists of many elements such as:
when it comes to your product or service.
• Is safe for individuals and communities
Personas can be used to:
throughout every stage of its life cycle • Meets consumer standards for both performance and cost • Relies on the use of renewable or recycled
• Build empathy & develop focus • Communicate and create consensus • Make actions, then defend them • Measure and track effectiveness
source materials • Is physically designed with materials and energy in mind
To get a better understanding, our class divided into groups to create a customer persona with information such as sex,age, ethnicity, gender, and marital status. My group created Jennifer Li, a 35-44 Vietnamese-American women. A widowed mother of three living in Washington, DC, Jennifer is embodied with a single quote that not only represents her as a person, but what she searches for in a product. Composing a quote is crucial because it not only helps us further connect, but really understand who this person is and what their top priorities need to be. She says, “It’s hard being a working, widowed mother of three, but I’m making it work. With my busy life, I rely on high quality and convenient products to get things done efficiently so that I can spend more time with my kids.”
Project One
05
Creative Brief
I guess now would be a good time to tell
Nope. I quickly learned that the preparation
Company/Product
Price point
you about my very first packaging project.
does not end after creating a persona,
• Multipurpose utensils with
• Slightly higher price point- Multiple parts
Our task was to create and construct the
because next comes the semantics
packaging for a house ware or hardware
differential scale. Don’t know what that is?
product. We could design a sleeve or
Don’t worry, I was lost too. But it’s actually
hanging package as long as it had a low
not as scary as it sounds.
interchangeable heads. Project Description • Design working prototype • Design sustainable/low impact packaging
environmental impact. A differential scale is simply a way to
Purpose of project
After doing some exploring, both online
measure a products traits and qualities by
• Introduce new product to market
and in stores, I decided to focus on kitchen
comparing your product to a trait and its
• Present possible solution to existing
products; more specifically spatula sets.
opposite. For example, my first comparison
I came across a set with interchangeable
is between boring and fun. I want my
heads (I know, genius) from a company
product to come across as neutral since it
Competitive environment
called Quirky and I decided to choose it
is designed for a wide demographic and not
• Rachel Ray, Williams Sonoma
as my product. I had decided on what I
meant to be too child-like or too bland.
• Retail- on shelf, mail-order (web), grocery
would package, nowSEMANTICS I get to jump right DIFFERENTIAL into
SCALE
stores.
designing, right? Boring Confusing High Quality Efficient Non-durable Mature “I want it”
Fun Clear Low Quality Inefficient Durable Youthful “I need it” Complex
Formal
Informal
Sloppy Disposable
Uncreative Classy Reusable
competition • Cost more to make Target audience(s) • Parents- Mostly moms aged 27-38. Watches HGTV and tries to be the picture perfect party host. • Young adults aged 19-24 living on their own for the first time. Busy with work or school- looking for efficiency. • Adults aged 35-46 looking for a gift for their mother who enjoys baking and
• Bed Bath and Beyond
spending time in the kitchen. Not sure
• Target
what brand they are looking for- will be
Competitive edge; Strengths/
persuaded by design.
weaknesses
Current audience perception
• Interchangeable heads:
• Currently search for something cheap
• One handle • Efficiency • Space saving • Low impact • Competition’s weakness • Low quality • Take up too much space • Do not last
Simple
Innovative
problem
offer complete utensil set. • High quality- will last longer than
because they assume it will not last anyway Desired audience perception/ project tonality • Innovative, sleek, easy to use, effective • This product makes more sense than using 10 different utensils that take up space and do not last
07
QuirkyUtensil UtensilSet SetDesign Design Quirky
08
Lauren Jones Lauren Jones
I was excited to begin our concept sketches because creating a persona, differential scale, and creative brief had given me
There was no way I could even think
uirk yy uirk
smart kitchen smart kitchen
plenty of ideas. But instead of taking my
Utensil Set With Utensil Set WithHeads Detatchable Detatchable This Set Includes: Heads • 1 Handle This Set •Includes: 1 Slotted Spatula head • 1 Handle • 1 Slotted Mixer • 1 Slotted • 1Spatula Standardhead Flat Mixer • 1 Slotted Mixer • 1 Standard Flat Mixer
usual approach to sketching, the class was
uirky uirky
Utensil Set With Utensil Set With Detatchable Heads • 1 HANDLE Detatchable Heads • 1 SPATULA HEAD • 1 HANDLE • 1 SLOTTED MIXER • 1 SPATULA HEAD MIXER • 1 STANDARD • 1 SLOTTED MIXER • 1 STANDARD MIXER
uirky uirky
about packaging until I took care of the 1 Handle monstrosity logo. The Utensil Set that With is the•• Quirky 1• Spatula head 1 Handle • 1 Slotted Mixer Utensil Set With Detatchable Heads 1 Spatula head • 1• Standard Mixer • 1 Slotted Mixer Detatchable original seemedHeads like it belonged • 1 Standard Mixer to a child’s
play kitchen, so right away I knew that some
introduced to a totally new method. We
modernizing would help the brand appeal to
practiced Forced Fit Prompts, a way to “jolt
a wider age demographic.
our brains out of a rut.” We were presented a series of random words that forced us to make random connections to our products. We then spent about a minute letting our brain wander and sketching anything and
Snap On Heads! Snap On Heads!
Snap On Heads! Snap On Heads!
Similarly, the design needed to be neutral, Snap On
Heads! yet sleek Snap and On embody a sophisticated look.
Heads!
Since one of the goals is to keep it low impact, I chose cardboard for the packaging,
everything that came to mind in relation to
which can be easily recycled. To help with
the word. Not only was this exhilarating,
brand identity, I wanted to fi nd a way
but it forced me to sketch without thinking.
to emphasize Quirky’s “Q.”Th is way the
I often begin sketching with the expectation
customers would recognize the brand by
that my fi rst sketch has to be my fi nal design (I know, I know, that’s exactly what I’m not supposed to do), so this helped me to
seeing a single letter.
• 1 HANDLE
not take sketching too seriously. And guess
• 1 SPATULA HEAD Utensil Set With • 1 SLOTTED MIXER Detatchable Heads • 1 STANDARD MIXER
what? It actually worked! I was able to take
• 1 HANDLE • 1 SPATULA HEAD • 1 SLOTTED MIXER • 1 STANDARD MIXER
little ideas from each sketch and combine
Current Quirky Logo: Current Quirky Logo:
uirky Utensil Set With uirky Detatchable Heads
them to fi nd the best structure for my design. But don’t be fooled, it took plenty of patience and cups of coffee before the useful stuff appeared.
Slip on heads will save you time & space!
Slip on heads will save you time & space!
Utensil Set With Detatchable Heads This Set Includes: • 1 Handle
• 1 Slotted Set SpatulaWith head Utensil • 1 Slotted Mixer • 1 Standard Flat Mixer Detatchable Heads
This Set Includes: • 1 Handle • 1 Slotted Spatula head • 1 Slotted Mixer • 1 Standard Flat Mixer
Redesigned Logo: Redesigned Logo:
uirky uirky
Top : Original Quirky logo Bottom: Redesigned logo
08 cont. My fi rst design concept features the Quirky logo, displayed rather large on the front of the box. Its white color helps it stand out from the background, which in this case was a make-shift cardboard texture meant to resemble the real thing. The “Q” that I
uirky
Transform your kitchen utelsil in seconds with Slip Grip technology. Our products are designed to make cooking easier. Simply slide the head off of the handle and replace it with any of Quirky’s head designs.
UTENSIL SET
With Detatchable Heads
was telling you about is placed behind the
4 pc Set Includes:
logo and description, which looking back,
Universal Handle | Slotted Spatula Head Slotted Spoon Head | Standard Spoon Head
leaves the right side of the design bare and unbalanced. As for the back of the package, I tried to keep the “Q” going but it began coming off as too repetitive. The back is also extremely bland and boring, mostly because creating content is not my thing, so my
Transform your kitchen utelsil in seconds with Slip Grip technology.
goal moving forward was to fi x those minor issues to elevate my design.
Our products are designed to make cooking easier. Simply slide the head off of the handle and replace it with any of Quirky’s head designs.
uirky
UTENSIL SET
With Detatchable Heads 4 pc Set Includes: Universal Handle | Slotted Spatula Head Slotted Spoon Head | Standard Spoon Head
Questions/comments? We love feedback. 1-800-889-1185 www.quirky.com
Questions/comments? We love feedback. 1-800-889-1185 www.quirky.com
09 Th is project was my fi rst time ever creating a dieline, and boy was it intimidating. I am the absolute worst at creating accurate measurements, so I knew this was going to be a doosey. So much printing, measuring, folding, cutting, and gluing before I fi nally got it where I wanted it. I am surprised that I was actually able to pull off the idea I had, and to my surprise, it was actually kind of fun. Now that I have the fi rst one out of the way, I feel like a total pro. My goal to take on a more challenging dieline in the next project (*gulps).
The gray box indicated the front of the package, the dashed lines represent folding lines, and the solid lines are my cutting lines.
10 This project would have been nearly impossible to without giving the“client” presentations to the class. During this time, we each presented our working prototypes and received feedback including both positive and negative, as well as any suggestions for how to take the design one step further. Most of my feedback consisted of filling the back with more content. And despite all the “I’m basically a pro at dielines” talk you read earlier, I received a few suggestions on how to fix crafting issues. As for any kind of print design, I can’t stress how important it is to print prototypes to compare your digital design to the real thing. There were a lot of changing that needed to be done to type size, colors and even measurements. My final design on the next page will prove just how beneficial prototyping and receiving “client” feedback can be when it comes to success or failure.
11 *Long exaggerated sigh of relief.* I couldn’t be happier with how the design came together. It comes across as modern but still feels somewhat classic. I can easily see a college kid, new parent, or grandparent using these utensils. The front is not cluttered with unnecessary information, and the space has become balanced since changing the now famous “Q� to the right side and adding a white background to contrast the black utensil heads. The back feels very professional yet youthful, and seeing the fi nal composition makes me proud and excited to see what project has in store for me.
Project Two
01 Project 2 allowed us to choose between two
I immediately had a sense of which direction
packaging options. The first was “made-from-
I wanted to head with this project. Since my
scratch” packaging that included the non-
family is Greek, I chose the first option and
perishable ingredients and recipe for how to
wanted to make packaging for my favorite
make the dish, along with a shopping list. The
Greek dessert baklava. If you don’t already
second option was to create packaging for a
know, baklava is a pastry made of layers of
food or beverage product that must include
phyllo dough with a walnut mix in between
3 variations or flavors. The catch here was
the layers. It is then baked and topped with
that we had to represent an ethnicity within
a sweet syrup to give it extra sweetness
our approach. The goal was to “project an
and moisture. This dessert is special to me
ethnically authentic feel, while also appealing
because it is a recipe that has been in our
to a broader market than consumers from
family for generations. Growing up, my
that culture.”
favorite moments were spent in the kitchen with my Yia Yia baking our favorite Greek dishes. So what better way to honor that than by making my very own packaging that other families can enjoy as well.
02 The first step was to create my mood board and visual inventory. This is when I explored not only the Internet, but the art library, to find my inspiration. I came across many different patterns, textiles, architecture, and even people that gave me ideas. This step also gave me the idea to stick with one primary color for the design, which is the classic blues that the Greek culture is known for. I wanted to capture a feeling of an authentic Greek bakery- a feeling that used modern patterns, but still gave off the classic feeling. A favorite landscape of mine is Santorini’s (I mean, whose isn’t?). The way those beautiful blue and white buildings sit on the coast is just breathtaking. So I also wanted to find a way to bring the simplicity of blue and white together with a modern look that incorporated that landscape.
These images are from my mood board. I spent a lot of time trying to find a balance between classic and modern while giving the consumer the sense of being in Greece.
03 My next task was to create a visual inventory for the structural side of the packaging. To begin, I researched different do-it-yourself baking kits, especially ones that only included the non-perishable ingredients. Yeah, that was nearly impossible. I was shocked at how few options there are in the real world. So I moved to plan b- find dessert packaging. Of course there was your standard cake, muffin, and cookie mixes, but those only included powder. I found the most success in the already made desserts, which lead me to the conclusion that a folding type of bag would be my best bet for package design. I liked this option because its triangular shape stood out from the standard box, yet was still able to stand up on its own. I was also a fan of the folded over sticker label (bottom right photo), which would add more shelf appeal.
04
Creative Brief
Since we were already familiar with a
Company/Product
Price point
differential scale, we did not have to make
• Yia Yia’s Baklava: A “Made-From-Scratch”
• Cheaper than others due to non-perishable
one for project 2. However, we did still create a creative brief for the project to help us get a sense of what kind of audience we were targeting. I am a firm believer in creative briefs because it acts as a helpful guide to constantly look back on; almost like a check list that helps me make sure I am hitting
Recipe Package Project Description
Target audience(s)
• Design working prototype
• Young adults who were introduced to
• Design sustainable/low impact packaging
baklava from the Mediterranean Cafe
• Tasty dish that isn’t highly processed or
down the street. Its their new favorite
full of preservatives
my goal. The most important categories for
Purpose of project
me are my competitions weaknesses, target
• Approachable and convenient product
audience, and desired audience perception.
• Present possible solution to existing
That way I can look back and make sure I am beating my competition and meeting the specific needs of the consumers to make them life-long buyers of the product.
ingredients that tend to be simple/cheap
problem Competitive environment • Hello Fresh
dessert and they want to be able to make it whenever a craving hits. • Busy moms who enjoy baking but don’t always have time to do it. They would use this as a fun activity to do with their children or save it until their next dinner party where other women will awe in how cultured she is.
• Retail- on shelf or in grocery stores
• Overall age range: 18-34
• Kroger
• Primarily Female
• Walmart
Current audience perception
• Whole Foods Competitive edge; Strengths/ weaknesses • Fewer ingredients • Efficient • Space saving • Low impact Competition’s weakness • Too many ingredients • Ingredients are perishable • Time crunched to beat a deadline
• “What’s baklava?” • Takes too long/too much work Desired audience perception/ project tonality • Modern look to timeless recipe • The food tastes yummy based on the packaging • “Those Greeks make some delicious desserts!”
05 Now that I had done my research, knew my target audience, and had a sense of direction fro the design. I started creating the content for the package and labels. I manipulated a picture of a Santorini landscape and added a blue watercolor overlay to give it a Mediterranean feeling. The picture you see is the design I used to print on the sides of the bag, to give the customer a surprise when they pick the package off the shelf. I also decided on a diecut to use and spent close to two days getting the measurements just right for the contents that would fit inside my bag.
Yia
06
yia's
A M ADE-FROM-SCR ATCH BAKL AVA RECIPE KIT
Next I designed the sticker labels. The front label (bottom), would be placed over the
NET W T 19OZ (538G)
front fold. The back label (right), contains the ingredients that need to be purchased, as well as a nutrition label, ingredients list, and allergy information. As you can see I used the
Yia
yia's
A M ADE-FROM-SCR ATCH BAKL AVA RECIPE KIT
same watercolor effect that was used on the
NET W T 19OZ (538G)
side of the bag to keep the design cohesive. The design needed a Greek typeface, but I chose to use one that was more subtle and modern because I didn’t want it looking too obnoxious like a lot of other Greek inspire type. I paired it with the scripted typography of the “Yia Yia” logo and I believe it feels both authentic yet modern. Lastly, I added an
This kit includes the dry ingredients needed to make 24-36 pieces of baklava.
appetizing photo of baklava to the front of
Inside you will find:
the bag so the customers would immediately
· · · · ·
know what the product is before reading the label. I think the image I chose really took my design to the next level.
16 oz chopped walnuts 1 tbs nutmeg 1 cup sugar 2 tbsp ground cinnamon Ground cloves
The following ingredients require additional purchase: · · · ·
1 lb phyllo pastry 1 cup butter 1/4 cup lemon juice 1 cup honey
For additional products and recipes visit yiayiaskitchen.com
This kit includes the dry ingredients needed to make 24-36 pieces of baklava. Inside you will find: · · · · ·
16 oz chopped walnuts 1 tbs nutmeg 1 cup sugar 2 tbsp ground cinnamon Ground cloves
The following ingredients require additional purchase: · · · ·
1 lb phyllo pastry 1 cup butter 1/4 cup lemon juice 1 cup honey
For additional products and recipes visit yiayiaskitchen.com
INGREDIENTS: WALNUTS, HAZELNUTS, PURE SUGAR, GROUND CINNAMON, GROUND CLOVES. THIS PRODUCT CONTAINS NUTS MANUFACTURED BY ZANNIS BAKERY EAST LANSING, MI
Allergy Information: Manufactured on shared equipment, may contain other tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soy, milk, or sesame seeds. May contain shell pieces. Questions or Comments? Call (502) 889-1185 for support
INGREDIENTS: WALNUTS, HAZELNUTS, PURE SUGAR, GROUND CINNAMON, GROUND CLOVES. THIS PRODUCT CONTAINS NUTS MANUFACTURED BY ZANNIS BAKERY EAST LANSING, MI
Allergy Information: Manufactured on shared equipment, may contain other tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soy, milk, or sesame seeds. May contain shell pieces. Questions or Comments? Call (502) 889-1185 for support
07 Lastly, I designed the packaging for two of the included ingredients, chopped walnuts and ground cinnamon. This design uses a white bag and similar sticker to the outside label to keep the system cohesive. I also included a recipe card with instructions for how to make the dish keeping that same color pallet. Overall, I am extremely satisfied with my final product. I worked extremely hard on this design and I feel I reached my goal of incorporating a modern design with a classic feel. I am hoping that consumers will instantly feel its Greek vibe. I have made so many incredible memories making this product in the kitchen with my Yia Yia and I hope this design inspires consumers to do the same with their families.
OUPAH ! Baklava is a Greek pastr y made of many paper-thin layers of phyllo dough with a filling of ground nuts. It is baked and then drenched in a decadent syrup.
Project Two Extensions
During the last few weeks of class we created three extensions for one of the projects we worked on this semester. I decided to extend Yia Yia’s baklava to create additional products and services for the brand. The first extension is a new recipe for the made-from-scratch kits. This tine, I designed the packaging for a kouloura cookie kit. Kouloura, pronounced “koo-lou-rah,” is a traditional Greek cookie that is typically twisted and topped with sesame seeds. It is a popular treat to enjoy while drinking your morning coffee. For the design, I stayed with the same shapes and images, despite changing the photo of the dessert on the front. However, I changed the colors to indicate the new flavor. My goal with this extensions was to change the original design just enough to inform the customer that this is a different recipe, but still a product of Yia Yia's.
My second extension was the home page design for YiaYia's website. It was important for me to use the same approach as I did for the baklava packaging so I kept the same color scheme and typefaces. The design also needed to incorporate the same amount of white space that was previously used. To accomplish this, I began by using large images of popular Greek food to convince the viewer not only of the quality, but also the taste of each dish. I then took advantage of the white spaces within those photos to place my text. Doing this created a nice balance of hierarchy within the page.
My final extension project is for a Yia Yia's cookbook and apron package. Each customer will receive a free apron when they purchase "Authentically Greek." As far as this design goes, I used a photo that should already be familiar to the consumer. And again, I have used the same colors and typefaces as before to instantly connect this book with the rest of Yia Yia's products and services. When it comes to the extensions as a whole, I think I was successful in creating a coherent system that begins with picking up Yia Yia's recipe kits and ending with purchasing a cook book and wearing the apron as you make your favorite ones.