The purpose of this project was to introduce us to the processes and techniques involved in designing product packaging. The focus of the project was on the design and setup of the packaging nets with an emphasis on creating strong integrated visuals based on a creative concept.

 

Our task was to design packaging and artwork for a range of Lumaco light bulbs. The range consisted of four typical light bulbs, each having a unique shape and size. We were to design the packaging net as well as the two-dimensional graphics, ensuring that they all visually integrated as a series. The brief required the packaging to be three-dimensional and constructed from card with at least two of the packages needing internal support for the protection of the product.

 

The concept behind my packaging was innovation; using minimal cardboard to create both the external structure as well as the internal structure holding the light bulb in place. An additional benefit to this minimal design was that the manufacturing process became more efficient. Due to the clean and open design, the process of opening the packaging and retrieving the light bulb became smoother.

 

I developed my initial concept sketch significantly to improve stability and strength, as well as adding a thin sleeve for security, protection and design purposes. I used brown card with a full-colour printed paper interior as my main packaging stock. This served two purposes: to increase the overall strength of the structure, and to introducing key colours to create a visual link to the sleeve design.

 

The main purpose of the outer sleeve was to create a barrier to prevent the larger light bulbs from tipping sideward. The sleeves were kept small to ensure the packaging remained easy to use for the consumer. I wanted the visuals to be minimalistic with a large amount of white space to create contrast and balance with the brown card.

 

The packaging was intentionally designed to have an open structure allowing buyers to see the light bulbs and fittings. From my experience working in a hardware store, I have seen many customers returning bulbs after purchasing one with the wrong fitting. The open design allows customers to see exactly what they are buying, resulting to a better shopping experience, less frustration for the customer and fewer returned products to stores.