All wrapped up in packaging

How often do we think about packaging design, beyond the ooooh-that's-niiiiiiiiiiice facade?

Apart from fulfilling the basic functions of housing a product and administering its contents, perhaps one of its most important roles while being simultaneously overlooked, is its use in differentiating products. As the Design Council puts it, how would you be able to choose one shampoo from another without its packaging?

In terms of aesthetics, the prevalent trend for contemporary packaging design seems to be more pared down and minimalistic, for eg. Selfridges, with clear, strong typefaces and block colours being the predominant look, and where possible, revealing the product as well – a style which seems to mark a return to a more functional form of design.

The combination of simple yet striking illustrations is also a popular trend (see references below), although who can resist witty solutions to packaging? I really like the singular thought behind Scanwood wooden kitchen utensils and the concept for Hanger Tea.

'Green packaging' though, is likely to be the benchmark for the future of packaging design, given the spotlight on sustainability, with issues such as excessive packaging impacting the environment and the recyclability of the materials used. Additionally, the Design Council points out that palette maximisation in transporting goods needs to be considered – the amount of air that is shipped needs to be minimised while maximising the number of products per pallet, besides having packaging that is able to last throughout the life cycle of the product.

Championing socially responsible design

As designers are encouraged to be socially responsible in their approach, what do the professional bodies have to say about this?

"Social responsibility has economic and environmental dimensions. This broad perspective is often described as a commitment to “sustainability,” which has become a term-of-art for advancing economic activity while ensuring that we can sustain our activities in a sometimes fragile world without harming the future’s potential." – Richard Grefe, executive director AIGA (the professional association of design)

More Associates are loyal to this cause, and have formulated their design approach around 4 main principles; namely user-centred design, sustainable design, evidence-based design and interdisciplinary design. Research here seems to be key to their operations and in collaborating with academics, scientists, designers and engineers, 'form and function' definitely seems to be the order of the day. What strikes me as truly heartening is their pragmatism; they acknowledge that "conflicts" and "bad habits" need to be worked around while still benefiting the bottom line and yet, are able to marry this in aesthetically pleasing solutions.

Commissioned by Foster and Partners to communicate the benefits of the solar roof on Bishops Square, More Associates came up with a novel LED panel that 'rained' energy (related to the amount of solar power being generated by the roof panels), which also relayed information on energy use. The animations were designed to minimise the number of LEDs that needed to be lit up and ensured that the power requirement corresponded with the energy production by the solar roof.

And to prove that they practise what they preach, even their stationery has been carefully produced so that a single print run is able to produce business cards, postcards and posters with the use of 2 different weighted stocks.











At IDEO, they've summed up their "approach to innovation" as Design Thinking, also drawing from a range of different disciplines in a "human-centred, iterative and practical approach". Discovering the breadth of speakers (IDEO Voices) they have on issues from aging to education, mobility and user interface design is simply mind-blowing.

What I find truly inspiring is how their work seems to defy boundaries, and why shouldn't it, seeing that they've whole-heartedly embrace Design Thinking in such a holistic manner? From brand identity and packaging design for Pangea Organics including a compostable bar soap box made from 100% post-consumer content, to crafting a cool-to-the-touch kettle and a clothes hanger that uses heat to remove wrinkles, IDEO also apply themselves to cultivating user experiences such as that of the American Red Cross Donors'.