Hooked | Package Design
An attractive, functional and environmentally sustainable alternative to traditional fish food packaging.
The Problem
Plastic waste is one of the largest problems facing the environment and human health today. There are trillions upon trillions of plastic products in the world, both in stores and homes as well as in landfills and evidently our rivers, lakes and oceans. Plastic takes hundreds of years to decompose, sometimes even over a thousand, but even more concerning is toxins they release as they decompose and tiny fragments of microplastics that have entered the bodies of animals in almost every level of the food chain, including humans. In addition to threatening human health through the release of toxins within us and within what we eat and interact with, the growing presence of plastic in the ocean increasingly kills sea life through ingestion and entanglement. An interesting irony in this is that the majority of packing for domesticated fish food are made out of heavy plastics.
The Solution
The ‘Hooked’ fish pellets set is functional, sustainable alternative package design. It offers a paper-based alternative to commonly found plastic fish food containers that takes substantially less time to decompose and does not the dangerous chemicals found in plastic creation and decomposition.
Key characteristics of the packaging include its typography, visual layout and functionality. It was designed to meet the needs and interests of children as there is currently no space in the market that caters to them in particular.
A custom typeface mimicking playful handwriting was created for the project to complement other aesthetic choices made across the package and to appeal to children while retaining legibility. The colour palette and overall visual layout of the package promotes a connection between the package and children, mimicking popular pet store fish stocks and standing out among common fish food packaging. The functionality of the package offers better pouring control for smaller hands compared to cylindrical and bag like containers commonly found in pet stores and the back of the package offers an interactive aspect in the form of a daily feeding checklist. Promoting regulated fish feeding teaches children responsibility and can prevent the overfeeding and underfeeding of fish.
