Saturday 4 February 2017

~ Starpack experimentation ~

The starpack brief is mainly focused on creating a clever and innovative packaging solution for a healthy fast food brand - health in a hurry. But I want to completely brand the concept so that the packaging can coherently work together with a well informed aesthetic. My initial ideas surrounding the brief are...

INSERT INITIAL SKETCHES

- Creating a hexagon shaped packaging



The design of the actual packaging needs to be innovative and effective - not just your average. I wanted to completely avoid the typical GRAZE box rectangle style design as it has been done time and time again. 

Instead I thought using a hexagon would be effective.
- Visually it stands out from standard rectangle and square format packaging.
- It can be stacked and packed tightly next to one another for ease of transport and effectiveness of using space.
- It can be spilt into a multitude of different shapes and sizes.

My idea is to create a hexagon shaped package out of many smaller possible shaped boxes. Each shape and size has a potential purpose. Larger for main meals, medium for snacks and the small triangles for carton packaged drinks. The idea ensures that no space is wasted and the customer can customise their order to their tailored needs/wants. For example they could potentially order 2 main meals or three drinks and a main or a main, snack and a drink - the possibilities are endless. 

With this idea I will then need to figure out a way of keeping all the Segments together within their hexagon shape, wether that be by using a larger box to house them, a belly band style design or something else. 


Once I had decided on a basic shape and concept for the packaging I decided to focus on the branding for the company its-self to ensure it could be easily transferred onto my nets once designed. 

One problem I addressed early on with the design process was how complicated things could get for the people actually having to pack and fill the boxes with food. To solve this problem I wanted to devise a system that would in theory make this process much simpler.



My solution was to create a numbered system like you see used in Chinese takeaways. The numbers could appear on stickers and be matched up with labeled boxes and the set meals according to their specific numbers. This idea became an integral part of the branding process as the stickers and numbers for the packaging would need to be a consideration. 


The use of colour was something that is important. The brief specifies the main material used should be carton board which is characteristically brown. This meant to be bold and visually appealing colour needed to be added on top of this stock. This consideration into contrasting colour effected my colour decisions within the brand identity development.




One idea was to create a unique gradient for each product/meal. The colour of the gradients would be informed by the colours of food/ingredients used within each. The gradients could be used upon each label and also within the web branding used when customers wanted to order their food. Each product would then also have a number to further identify them. I experimented with different shapes of label, simple web layouts and mocking up what the labels would potentially look like when placed onto the hexagonal packaging itself. 


The brown carton board stock will look more recycled than white stock. This recycled aesthetic will be appealing to a health conscious audience as it shows consideration into environmental impact. In theory someone who is more health conscious is also more likely to be environmentally conscious also. 

This consideration is something I thought about when experimenting with colours and alternate brand identities. 


I experimented with adapting the hexagon as its an identifying factor of the packaging that will be key and needs to be memorable. 

I also experimented with some very simple type based logos, using the green colour as it has connotations of health and nature making it informed by the product itself. 


I experimented with the actual physical shapes that my packaging would take form in. I created a diagram using the simple thin line aesthetic previously used when doing simple website mock-ups. I was experimenting with this idea as if it was incorporated within the branding/logo it would be very obvious and apparent from the get go that what you see is what you get with this product. 






 From this I experimented with some initial, very basic mock-up designs of how the UX of the website would work. This is key in tying the packagings concept together and making it clear how the order system would work. 




Fluorescent green is a possible consideration in terms of brand identity. Green being iconic of healthy food and the brightness adding a bold and contemporary twist to the design that would definitely be memorable. 




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