Descriptive Geometry
PACKAGE DESIGN
Package Design Goals
Package Design
“It is the pervading law of all things organic... Of all true manifestations of the head, of the heart, of the soul, that
life is recognizable in its expression, that form ever follows function.”
- Louis Sullivan, architect
Protects
the
product
Contains
the
product
Displays
the
product
PURPOSE of package
design
Package Design
When Form does NOT follow Function
Package Design History
“Histories make men wise; poets, witty; the mathematics, subtle; philosophy, deep; logic and rhetoric, able to
contend.”
- Francis Bacon (1561-1626)
Package Design History
Package Design Common Materials
Package Design Common Materials
The majority of container work uses paperboard / cardboard because:
• Its base (wood pulp) is a renewable resource
• It can be recycled / reused
• Cost-effective
• Environment-friendly
• most accessible medium
• Easily manipulated by hand
• Endless design opportunities & potentials
Package Design Paradigms
paradigm:
1. A typical example of something; 2. an example that serves as a pattern or model
from something, especially one that forms the basis of a methodology or theory.
Package Design Paradigms
BOX
Package Design Paradigms
PYRAMID
Package Design Paradigms
CONE
Package Design Paradigms
CYLINDER
Package Design Processes
“When we approach a new package project, the first question we ask ourselves is, ‘How can we do this
differently?’ We’re not looking for the obvious solution. We’re looking for the creative one.”
- Sol Lang, Creative Director Crayon Design Group
Package Design Processes
DIE CUTTING
•Adds depth, texture and information
•Draws audience into the contents
•Compelling visual element that brings negative space into the design
When designing:
Is the die cut necessary?
Does it create a strong element within the overall design?
Does it engage the viewer in a way not possible without the cut?
Does the cut reveal relevant & interesting information inside the package?
Be sure the cut does not compromise the strength of the package
Package Design Processes
POP-UPS
•Called “paper engineering”
•An interactive section that adds a sense of surprise & fun
•Labor intensive & costly
•Adds a 3-D aspect to communicate more information than static images
When designing:
Learn from “reverse engineering” (by disassembling examples)
Requires trial & error investigations
Pop-up CD Design
Package Design Processes
SPECIAL CLOSURES
•Adds to the visual & tactile experience
•Has a tendency to elevate the craft
When designing:
The variations are limitless
Design by Jessica Baechle
Package Design Graphics
“The front fights for out interest while the back reassures us that our choice is a sound one.”
- Chuck Groth
Design Principles
Package Design Steps
Consider the
contents &
Develop a
design
concept.
• Is it fragile?
• Durable?
• Oddly shaped?
• Is it a solid,
liquid, or
powder?
Design
the basic
form.
Add more
detail to
appropriate
surfaces.
• If appropriate,
add die-cuts, etc.
Map the
graphics.
Sketch all ideas at every stage of the design process!
Create the best
development
for your
particular
design.
• So that graphics
are continuous,
etc.
Package Design Examples
Design Concept
Package Design Examples
Package Design Examples
Package Design Examples
Design by Jose Soto Gregeda (Mexico)
© Mark Weisz Design, Clifton, NJ
Package Design Examples
© Hornall Anderson Design Works
Design by Daniel Shinn
Packaging Design by Crayon
Design & Communication,
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
(Produced for MSC International)
Package Design Examples
© Hornall Anderson Design Works
Design by Jessica Baechle
Package Design Examples
© Rob Wright, Redwood Design (South Africa)
© Brewer Riddiford, London
Package Design Examples
© Tridgimage / 3D Packaging Image Design
Design by Dmitry Paperny
Package Design Examples
Design by Bradford Klemmer (Photo by Tadashi Isozaki)
Design by Jessica McEntire (Photograph by Tadashi Isozaki)
Sources
Groth, Chuck. Exploring Package Design: The Art and Techniques of
Designing Exceptional Packaging. Thomson Delmar Learning, 2006.