DC - Life Water

http://www.thedieline.com/blog/2013/4/18/milano-expo-2015-life-paper-made-water-container.html

DC - Eco friendly

http://www.thedieline.com/blog/2013/2/28/24-bottles.html

DC - Luxury Sausage

http://zoo.ad/index.php/projects/packaging#/Llonganissa-Hivern-Can-Duran

DC - Chocolate artist egg

http://zoo.ad/index.php/projects/packaging#/Ou-Codi-Ruben-Alvarez-Aula-Chocovic

DC - Sav Sparkling

Source: http://www.stockholmdesignlab.se/en/projects/sav-2/packaging/

A Sparkling Elixir Reminiscent of Spring. From the Virginal Wine-making Region of Jämtland. Original recipe from 1785. Made of birch sap.

Stockholm Design Lab has created the total identity inspired by the birch and the northern Scandinavian pureness. Scope of work; brand name, graphic identity, photography language, packaging and web

DC - Founded Response

What is your current favourite food or drink packaging design and why?
Love the Ikea food packaging by SDL, it's very tough to do things so simply and still look great: http://www.stockholmdesignlab.se/en/projects/ikea-2/food-packaging/

Whats the most interesting and unique food or drink packaging you've ever come across? Please source if possible
The Mikkeller packaging by Bedow is lovely. Minimal, nice idea and changes by season. http://www.bedow.se/work/packaging-mikkeller-bedow-winter/

How important do you think the design of a food or drinks packaging is?
Extremely important, if your brand isn't portrayed correctly through your packaging then your product isn't going to be picked up off the shelf. Then it doesn't matter how great your Meat Balls are, they aren't going to be eaten.

Have stock and printing processes driven any of your packaging briefs, if so which and why?
No. The product and overarching brand should always drive the end result. You look to materials and processes to achieve your ideas which answer product's requirements. Sometimes materials and processes steer your idea in a slightly different direction, but to say a material or process drove a project is stretching it a little.

PS. Outside of food and drink, this is my favourite example of a great packaging range and should be everyone's benchmark: http://www.stockholmdesignlab.se/en/projects/askul-2/packaging/

Outside of food packaging:

Current favourite food packaging:

Interesting and Unique:

DC - Response from Gary at packaging formats

Hi Stephanie

Good to hear about your interest in the packaging side of the business and I will give you as much feedback as I can.

Most of my work is Presentation packaging and I don't get involved with the Food or Drink side as its so specialised.

My favourite food packaging at the moment is the Dorset Cereals range,really good graphics with cut outs to the front and

side so you can see what's inside the pack.They have also been clever with the printing as its actually printed on the reverse

side of a one sided board to give it a "textured recycled look" and then finished it off with foil blocking giving it a really high

end look which results in a high price, although I must say the contents are delicious!

The most interesting food packaging I have come across was some Christmas Fudge cartons from a couple of year's ago 

and I have attached some photo's to show how it folds from being flat to a 3 dimensional box, it still fascinates me every time

I fold it, and just by changing the graphics and the material it could be used for lots of other products, although it looks quite complicated, its produced from a flat sheet of board, printed, die cut and glued just like a normal carton, its the fold over top

that does it for me!

Both these show the importance of good design in packaging as they both could look really naff with the wrong graphics, if it

looks good from the outside its usually good on the inside!

All my packaging projects are bespoke and are driven by different stocks, print processes, and unique materials, but the most important thing before I start coming up with ideas is to find out the budget as this will determine which route I go down, its pointless designing high end packaging if the customer hasn't the budget.

Once I have an idea on unit costs I can then design the packaging to suit the budget, so it could be a simple corrugated mailer

that's screen printed costing £2.00 per unit right through to a paper covered box with hidden magnets costing £30.00 per unit.

Hope that helps with your project

Gary

DC - Just in case packaging range

http://lookslikegooddesign.com/just-in-case/

Although not entirely food packaging design, I tihnk it would be good content for my publication as it shows how food and drink can work with as a set with other items, alongside a concept pulling them altogether.

DC - Nudge Branding - Cork lidded packaging

Source: http://lookslikegooddesign.com/branding-nudge/

Here, I really like the concept of using food like packaging for the candles, using the cork top on a glass container. Although not a food product, it has been influenced by food packaging which I feel makes it appropriate for my publication as content.

DC - Winter Warmer

Source: http://serialthriller.com/post/40833275927/theoinglis-winter-warmer-by-exeter-based

“Each year we send out a festive ‘Mulled Wine’ to clients and friends. Mulled wine is a traditional winter drink served warm, making it the perfect tonic to banish those winter chills…This year saw the birth of BUDDY’S ORIGINAL WINTER WARMER. The only sure and trusted way to ward off the icy claw of winter, and survive the manifold strifes of the festive season.”

This 'Winter Warmer' product is something which has been designed to look of a certain age, to look like a vintage wine - this has resulted in it looking very high end, but essentially something cheap to produce, using just black on white, and a simple paper and sticker wrap for the outer packaging, but managed to retain a quality and fines about it.

DC - Response to Questions

Equator Design:

Hi Stephanie,

I hope you are well, I have answered the below questions in regards to your email to Vanessa Christian at Equator Design.

What is your current favourite food or drink packaging design and why? I would say Cadbury's Egg & Spoon (for Easter), really like the concept of having the design in an egg box:http://www.cadbury.co.uk/products/Egg-%27n%27-Spoon-Chocolate-Mousse-3518?p=3518

Whats the most interesting and unique food or drink packaging you've ever come across? Please source if possible: Ever? That is hard! Of the last few years, I would say this Puma bag: http://www.puma.com/cleverlittlebag Again, conceptually it is brilliant and it also considers sustainability.

How important do you think the design of a food or drinks packaging is? Very, imperative. If everything was in white packaging, which would you buy and why? I do look on the back labels of all the products I buy when making my choices, especially in supermarkets, but to say that I am not also influenced by the packaging would be a be a lie

Have stock and printing processes driven any of your packaging briefs, if so which and why? Yes, see our Equator Beer on our website. It's very unconventional for a beer label, but the minimalism of the design and the texture captures the imagination and makes it stand-out despite it being a part of a very busy marketplace.

Kind Regards,

Ben L


Sources: 

DC - Holli - Box ergonomic packaging

Source: http://lovelypackage.com/holli-molle/#more-4155

Holli has created a very high end, very simple approach to packaging it's content which I think would work really well with baking products too. They have produced very simple sticker like packaging on metal cylinder, heavy duty resealable boxes and sacks. The branding created works across a range of scales and products which is something I will need to consider.

DC - Cup for Cup - Re-sealable

http://lovelypackage.com/index.php?s=flour

A different format and approach - a resealable long life method. The idea of creating something which produces a standard serving size is something I would like to consider. I want the product to be easy and convenient to use, compared to the paper bags which are easily torn, to then spill.

DC - Williams Sonoma Pasta

Source: http://lovelypackage.com/williams-sonoma-pasta/#more-28480

Here, the designer has managed to make something different whcih strives away from the standard method of packaging pasta, to something which looks high end, with a very simple approach. A simple box, with a die cut revealing the pasta, and sticker giving the product details has come together to produce something beautiful yet simple, with a luxury appearance.