Why Are Package Designers Rethinking the Box?
Season 4, Episode 4
Do you keep your iPhone boxes or toss them? Earlier this year, the simple question sparked a heated Twitter debate that, at its core, considered the role of packaging design in our everyday lives. Consumers around the world spent 900 billion dollars shopping online in 2020 – a trend accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, and one that is only expected to gain momentum. The way products are packaged plays a big part in the global shift to ecommerce, and designers are increasingly putting a lot of thought and consideration into this part of the user experience.
In this episode of Wireframe, Khoi Vinh, Senior Director of Design at Adobe, explores the creative challenge of successful package design. How does design shape the way we interact with the boxes that arrive at our doorsteps? And how do product designers craft the perfect unboxing experience, while being conscious of the environmental footprint of their work? Looking at products ranging from iPhones to coffee beans, olive oil, and more, we examine how designers today are rethinking packaging that is not only beautiful and on-brand, but also takes into account a growing responsibility to create solutions that are both sustainable and cost-effective.
Featured in this episode
Actor and writer Bisserat Tseggai tells the story of the unexpected controversy that arose after he tweeted that people should toss their iPhone boxes. Photographer and creative director Sailey Williams heartily disagrees.
Brittney Swindells, design manager of the coffee shop chain Alfred, explains how creating a cheerful unboxing experience helped the company pivot to online sales during lockdown.
Stephan Ango, co-founder of the packaging vendor Lumi, and co-founder and host of the podcast Well Made, explains the differences between designing for physical and online retail.
Andrew Gibbs, founder and CEO of Dieline, tells the story of his reckoning with the environmental impact of packaging – and what he’s doing about it.
Ian Montgomery and Marisa Sanchez-Dunning of the packaging design firm Guacamole Airplane share their innovative packaging design for Hammerhead’s Karoo 2, and why sustainable design is about more than just the materials.
Listen to the podcast to hear the story, and click here to read a full transcript of this episode.
