It Starts With a Product and a Client
Potential clients were pitching their ideas to the Graphic Designers, and we had a spread of products to choose from. The client for this teapot emphasized an Asian theme and desired the look of the package to match that of a Bibelot store. With these requirements and some out in the field research, I provided the client with sketches in our next meeting.
Lions and Tigers and Sketches, Oh my!
Of all the rough sketches and ideas that were thrown against the wall, these were the ones that stuck and were well received by my client. In my research phase I came across an image of a Shinto Shrine, which became the basis of my package. I was determined to test the limits on my first package design. On the left is the first sketch of the package design, which was unfeasible in the world of packaging. To combat this, I sketched as a mock dieline and focused on how everything folded and fit before I tackled visuals.
Package Design is a Completely Different Way of Thinking
With the deadlines looming, I had to learn a new program in just under a week. The software provided was Esko ArtiosCAD, and although there were similarities, it did not have the same functionality to the Adobe products. Every measurement had to be perfect to fit the product and all folds had to have a buffer to allow for the thickness of the cardboard or the design would not work. After a significant amount of trial and error, I reduced the amount of components in my package two just two solid pieces.
This is My Design Paradise
Thinking in the production environment mindset and to save cost on manufacturing, pantone colors were used for a large portion of the design. All of the assets were created to reflect the asian theme, from color to illustrations. The design also includes all required information standard on all packages.
