Packaging & Merchandising Design: Exercises
WEEK 02 - WEEK 06 (07/09/2022 - 08/10/2022)
Adena Tan Sue Lynn (0345769) / Bachelor of Design (Honours) in Creative Media
Packaging & Merchandising Design
Exercises
DIRECTORY
LECTURES
Week 02 [07/09/2022]
Today, we had our first class as during Week 01, there was a public holiday. Mr Shamsul gave us an overview of the assignments & exercises we should expect during this module. Below is them:
Exercise 01: Packaging Analysis
Explore existing packaging design. Choose one existing package design & study on it, practicality, economics, carries brand image. Write short report.
Exercise 02: Box Making Exercise
-Making box based of two loose items. Loose item or an item which you feel doesn't have a good box design. Within certain size. Product shouldn't be larger than 30cm.
Project 01: Promotional Packaging for Happy Meal
Need to introduce new construction but the design should not be too far from original design together with fries. It should include educational information. Encouraged to use lasercut studio.
Project 02: Innovative Packaging
Will be the collaboration w School of Biosciences. On Fridays, they will brief w us on product (This is what the discussion section is for.
- Consult them on branding. Help them as well on that part.
- Required to submit both physical and digital as print and digital will be able to provide two different looks.
Week 03 [14/09/2022]
Introduction to Packaging
- Packaging is a critical part of our daily lives as it impacts the way we live in society.
- Packaging has to meet the demands & standards of changing consumption, locations & occasions.
Notes:
- In 1866, familiarity came with packaging which allowed for consumers to remember brands.
- In 1916, Coca cola used to be sold in pharmacies but expanded when there was heaping positive feedback.
- Barcode is used to keep track of stocks. It helps document all information for a store. When stocks are low, companies will then order more of the said product.
- Plastic bags aren't as durable as they are bio-degradable.
- Packaging has evolved over centuries as they are produced to meet a ned.
- The greater the need, the more energetic the response from consumers.
- The usage & aesthetic of packaging has become more sophisticated over time.
- Almost everything we buy today is sold in some sort of packaging to preserve freshness, prevent contamination or protect from damage.
- Packaging is a creative business which involved forms, structures, materials, colours, imagery, typography & design elements with product information.
- It is designed to contain, protect, transported, dispense, stored, identify & distinguished in the marketplace.
- Protects the contents/product from shock, vibration, compression, temperature, etc.
- An example is the egg box which is made of recycled & moulded card pulp.
Information Transmission
- Packages & labels communicate to consumers how to use, transport, recycle or dispose of the packaging or product.
- Example: Dutch Lady Milk @ the back showcases how to throw the product away using infographics.
- By law in some nations, some information is required to be on certain packaging.
- Example: The food products from USA have to follow the USA FDA regulations.
Transport
- To safely & conveniently transport the product from manufacturer to consumer.
- Gains function as the package helps transport, carry, ship & distribute the product.
- From the manufacturer, cardboard boxes are usually used as they are durable & strong & able to hold bulks of product. From manu to store, store to cust, etc. Manu>store is tertiary packaging which is a big brown box which can hold a lot of product. The package helps deliver to all around the world.
Communication
- Allows a product to stand out from competition, communicate an emotional message to the consumer and imprint itself on an individual's conscious.
- Reflects the brand
Display
- Displays an attractive image to gain sales
- To display of shelves due to shape. Can attract consumers. Will boost sales of product.
Marketing
- Encourages potential consumers to purchase the product
Mandatory Information for Packaging
- Brand Logo
- Company Logo
- Manufacturer Address
- Net content
- Benefits
- Weight
- Ingredients
- Usage/dosage
- Expiry
- Barcode
- Halal Logo
- Brand Logo: Coco Crunch
- Company Logo: Nestle
- Some products will only have the company logo
Packaging Design as Communication
- The core of packaging design is visual problem solving (Introducing a new product, improving the appearance)
- To solve a design problem, innovating solutions by conceptualising, rendering to 3D design, design analysis, technical problem solving are to be used.
- As a creative tool, packaging is a means of expression.
- A product’s expression, one that attracts a target consumer market, is achieved through a creative process in which physical and visual elements work together to communicate emotional, cultural, social, psychological, and informational cues to the target consumer.
The Design Process
Mission Statement: Write out the mission statement that states the purpose, goals, focus & motivation for the document.
Identify the market: Identify the target audience.
Questions to ask before starting a project:
- What is the budget?
- What is the purpose of your design piece?
- Who is the intended audience?
- What kind of information will your project include?
- What kind of image do you want to project?
- What are the printing specifications?
Extra Notes:
- Primary packaging: the one holding the product itself.
- Secondary packaging: Holds a product, or comes as a free gift alongside the main product
- Tertiary packaging: Holds secondary packaging & primary packaging to be transported.
Week 04 (21/10/2022)
Tools required by a packaging designer:
- Metal ruler
- Scoring tool
- Cutting mat
- T-square
- Adhesives
- Cutter/scissors
The four basic structures in packaging:
- Six-sided Box: Most common & simplest to construct, stack, transport & display.
- The pyramid: A more complex polyhedron.
- The cone: Presents special engineering issues and is uncommon in most fields except for ice-cream.
- Cylinder: Usually made from mouldable materials.
- Die cut
- Emboss
- Perforations
- Pop-ups
- UV Varnish
- Packaging needs to be create a mockup.
- If no scoring, you can use back of cutter.
- UV Varnishing = shiny
- Spot UV varnish, only on certain areas.
- Another layer has to be created to tell the printer where to apply the UV
- It is necessary to have a bleed. (excessive area for design)
- Line = crop mark for bleed
- Ensure that there is 3mm or 4mm bleed.
Week 05 (28/09/2022)
Type of Packaging Materials
-
Metal
- Typically the cans have a printed paper/plastic label glued to the outer of the can.
- Requires a lot of raw materials to make it.
- Carbon footprint to produce aluminium is very high, thus encouraged to be recycled as it is easier compared to other products - Carton
- Typically used to package eggs, milk & juice -
Aseptic
- Is a specialised manu process in which food, pharmaceutical or other contents are sterilised separately from packaging.
- Polyethylene is used in the barrier's inner and outer sides. The layers protect moisture entering or exiting the container.
- The film foil helps preserve the product by keeping light & oxygen out. -
Plastic
- Most common material, but it is also the hardest to dispose. -
Glass
- Ideal for foods, especially liquids
- Glass is quite expensive as it is inalterable & easy to recycle
Barcode
Background must be white but the positive space can be any colour. There are advantages that comes with them:
- Data entry is faster,
- Bar-code systems are accurate, as they are almost error-free,
- They are reliable as various forms of error checking built into the code.
Week 06 (05/10/2022)
Without colour, it is hard for products to resonate with consumers. Examples for setting apart products: Pepsi blue & Coke red. Packaging should relate to logo. Colours could give the wrong impression if used wrongly.
INSTRUCTIONS
Exercise 01
For this exercise, we were asked to choose a packaging that we wanted to analyse. Initially, I wanted to analyse Hello Panda by Meiji.
However, after doing a bit, I wanted to try doing it on another product's packaging which I preferred. So, I picked Too Cool for School (TCFS)'s By Rodin Finish Setting Powder which I had bought recently during the semester break.
I started writing my points separately in order to get clarity of my points before I put it into slides.
To study the packaging I chose, I also took some photos to analyse it further.
After compiling my notes, I found the slides I wanted to use from SlidesGo.
Then, I proceeded to create my slides using the information and observations I had made.
Exercise 02
For this exercise, we were instructed to show the items we want to use to create boxes for. For this, Mr Shamsul said we were also free to look at existing work online to create the best die-line possible.
Below are the two items+their original packaging which I had chose to create boxes for.
First, let me explain my process for the Axis-Y Mask Jar. I knew I wanted to make the box square, but I wanted to revamp it from the original packaging's box. Thus, I went to Pinterest and found inspiration.
I knew I wanted the box to hold the jar in a very protective way as to not shake it as the contents are liquid. Thus, I figured the hole that fits it would be the best option for it. Then, while I was thinking, I stumbled upon the below template.
Then, I drew a sketch in order to get some sense of form from my own hands rather than my eyes.
For my sketch, I had analysed the inspiration and found that one of the flaps was actually not necessary as it would been really awkward to maintain in the final. Thus, I got rid of it. Moving on, I did my dieline.
Now, I'll talk about creating the dieline for my Nintendo Controller.
Again, I looked at Pinterest to find inspiration.
However, since there was no set guidelines for my idea, I knew I had to use my brain even more for this.
For my sketch, I initially wanted to make it with a ribbon as the latch as I found that it was more convenient to open and carry. However, with Mr Shamsul's feedback, I decided to focus on the storage.
Now, the below will show me working on the both simultaneously.
First, I did my mockups. Below is the only photo I took during the process.
After I was good with my mockup, I decided to buy my materials for VisionArt in Bandar Sunway and proceeded to cut the material to allow it to fit into the laser-cut machine.
Then, I headed to my session for the lasercut with Ms April.
Once I got home, I took photos of the boxes I had made+with their items inside.
Then I used a SlidesGo template to showcase all my work together.
Please find my final slides in the Final Submission section.
FINAL SUBMISSION
Exercise 01
Exercise 02
FEEDBACK
Week 03
Ms April: She suggested for me to look into the details such as the embossing and pricing to understand why the brand had created the packaging to look as such. She provided more information such as looking at how the box is folded, and how the box is connected through the inside.
Week 04
Mr Shamsul: After showing Mr Shamsul my items and telling him my ideas, he recommended for me to make something which is more innovative for the Nintendo Switch controller (see below).
Ms April: After informing her about Mr Shamsul's suggestions and feedback, she told me to create a mockup to ensure that it works.
Week 05
Mr Shamsul: After showing Mr Shamsul my dieline, he instructed me to do a mockup. For my game controller, he stated another locking mechanism would be better as the ribbon idea would be too feminine for the end result. He also told me to consider the handles of the packaging since I was changing the locking aspect.
Ms April: She informed me of ways I could better my lines. She reminded for us to bring our material, AI file and mockup to the cutting session.
Week 06
Ms April: Since she helped me with cutting, she was able to provide me notes as to laser cutting so I know not to make the same mistakes in the future; the material can't be rolled or folded as it affects the laser cut, I need to ensure that my lines were all the 0.001pt as directed as I had forgotten it for one of my lines.
REFLECTION
Experience
The exercises have proven to be an interesting way to learn the basics of packaging. For me, I never knew how packaging was made, so the box making exercise proved to be helpful. As a total noob, mockups were really helpful to me and I got to experience what was able to work easier. That exercise also required more brain power than I think I have...
Observations
Through the exercise, I was able to be more aware of packaging around me. I got to understand that all boxes aren't built the same, with many having unique features which allow it to be more functional/aesthetic. I also got to learn how to make boxes properly, something which I had never considered before.
Findings
I found that there is a lot of math that goes into design! Measurements has never been my strong suit as I'm never confident with my own calculations, but the box making exercise especially has made me more aware and try to be more sure of my own work. It was hard but it was definitely a skill I needed to sharpen. Also, studying the makeup packaging was insightful as I had understood the multiple restrictions
