I started reading the book Package Design Now to understand package design better.
MATERIALS
I found a casestudy that talks about the use of a material PLA - polylactic acid.
It says: 'PLA is a bioplastic with attributes that allow it to be perceived as natural, fresh and beautiful. It is made from natural resources - corn. It is a healthy plastic, something companies are looking for to show they are environmentally responsible. PLA is very versatile and can be injection moulded, formed as a sheet, or be made into a fabric, a thin film or a coating. It can also be embossed - clear or printed.'
What stood out to me about this material is that it is made from natural resources and how versatile it is. As one of our ideas was to have a reusable cup or refillable bag where people could bring it in to have their tea poured into it, and loose tea contained, this seems like an appropriate material to use for packaging as it fits with the green ethos. Because it is so versatile, it wouldn't restrict our designs either.
Here are some concepts where it could be applied to a varied range of products:
I then started researching it on About.com however, and found many problems with it. Although it is biodegradable in a landfill it could take between a 100 and a 1000 years to decompose because there is so much waste close together that it would be hard for oxygen to get near it. Also, because it is grown from corn, it cannot be recycled with other plastics because they are made differently, and can contaminate the recycling system. So there are a lot of alternative options to be considered.
SHAPE
Reading a casestudy by Dew Gibbins, and how they approached the branding of Boots Essentials range, I came across something which I thought could be useful.
They were considering the shape for the products to work across a range and said 'The 'soft-brick' seemed to us to be the perfect solution. It had a contemporary feel, it allowed for a large front face on the shelf (as opposed, for instance, to a cylinder which has poor shelf impact)'.
I thought this would be useful if we wanted to package our tea for supermarkets, as I thought about how Nando's now sell their exclusive sauces in supermarkets now so that people don't have to go to the restaurant. Although there is the option of buying loose tea in the shop itself to take home, this idea could be applied to selling the most popular combinations of tea perhaps in places where people don't have access to the cafes. It just made me think that the shape of the packaging, and how it is presented is just as important as the design on the packaging itself.
Here are the examples of 'soft-brick' shaped packaging:
CONTEXT
I read a case study presented by Charlotte Raphael, head of package design at Marks and Spencers, and how they rebranded the 'food to go area'. This included packaging for sandwiches, drinks and crisps. As our tea shop would also sell food, I found the study very interesting.
For the sandwich packaging they wanted to create a new design which would make eating easier and less messy, as the market these products are aimed at are for people on the go, and on their lunch break. Raphael says 'The innovative solution now features a unique, easy to open 'zip' that runs around the side of the pack. This allows for the pack to open into a flat ray creating your own little plate from which to eat your sandwich'.
As they also wanted to show their green ethos, earlier designs included quotes on the packaging such as 'we're rated No.1 retailer by Greenpeace' and 'please reuse me carrier bag* *made from recycled paper'.
Although recycled paper is obviously brilliant for the environment, when discussing the look and feel of the brand with the group, they wanted to stay away from the brown paper look, as it is seen everywhere, and wanted a more contemporary, fresh look.
COFFEE VS TEA
I read another case study on Design Effectiveness, written by the programme director of the Design Business Association, Hannah Paterson. The case study is actually about the branding of tea, as there is a 'relentless rise in the popularity of coffee' and 'how could a niche tea in a huge national market reposition its brand as a top-end product and fight the decline in tea drinking?' This is the exact issue that we are addressing as a group, so I was interested to see what their solution was.
The new design saw the tagline 'the thinking person's cuppa', and included information about where the tea is from on the packaging, whether it be a about a tradition or animal, therefore targeting at people who are sophisticated and interested in culture. The company also have ethical intentions, and after the rebranding, their 'export markets expanded from one to 23 countries. Crucially, this increased economic activity has improved the quality of life and prospects on the fair trade estates that supply the company, bringing fresh investment to communities.'
There are two markets we could target our tea at. It could be targeted at a specific market of tea-lovers, who already know and love tea and are interested in the ethos and blending options of the shop, or it could be encouraging people who perhaps prefer coffee, eat out at cafes on their lunch break and prefer to brew tea at home, because our concept is very unique, and allows the customer to have a special in-store experience.
Another way we could market our tea, is the fact that it is a lot healthier than coffee, as found out in Kirsty's research.
FIVE MAIN POINTS TO CONSIDER
A product designer, Taku Satoh, talks about the importance of packaging, and not just for the aesthetics of it. There are thought-provoking points that he raises, he says that there are five points to packaging:
- Protection of the Product
- Easy to Manage
- Clear Conveyance of the Contents
- Environmentally Friendly
- Awareness of Media
We had the idea of having a pick n mix container where you could scoop what tea you would like, and have it weighed at the till when purchasing the tea. Similar to how it works at Lush, where you pick the soaps you want, put it in a bag, then it gets weighed. However, we thought this might not be very sanitary, so we then thought that we could have a 'tea dispenser', so a similar container to pick n mix containers, but where you pull a lever or push a button so that a specific amount pours out. The concept of this is similar to that of bar optics.
The second point discusses customer safety and accessibility to the product. For example risks such as 'injury to the hands' should be considered, and how easy it is to open the packaging. I thought this could apply to the material considered to be used for the packaging of the loose tea. A paper bag could be used, with a sticker to seal it so that it can tear open easily, a reusable bag with string, so it can be untied, a tin which can be brought back and refilled... there are lots of possibilities to package it which would be safe and easy to understand.
The third point is Satoh's view that 'design should make a connection with the product', and eliminate any 'unnecessary elements in the design' so that the customer can't misunderstand the purpose and message of the product. This would fit in with James' style of design as he is very interested in modernism. I will raise this with the group tomorrow, about what we think should be the essential information to be included on the packaging, spatial design etc.
I think the fourth point is one of the most important, to think about how the packaging affects the environment, and a good point is to question 'why packaging is necessary', before creating an elaborate design with multiple components which might not contribute to the protection of the product.
The final point is to consider using the actual packaging as a way of advertising, and how it is important to remember that we only know about products through advertising first.
EXISTING TEA PACKAGE DESIGN
Stick Tea is clever because of the design of the tea infusers. They are disposable, and is perfect for the pre blended idea we spoke about, having packaged tea in supermarkets of customers favourite combinations. However, because they are disposable, this isn't the most environmentally friendly design, so it could be worth looking at tea infusers, and perhaps selling them in the shop.
Although I don't like the packaging, as I think it is bland and dated, it is clever how it works when stacked together on a shelf, as the design works across multiple packages.
EXISTING FOOD PACKAGE DESIGN
Thinking about how Marks and Spencer's created the sandwich packaging to fold out like a plate, I saw how Waitrose has a similar concept, but the food is already on a plate, with cutlery and a drink holder. I like this idea, because in the cafe, the idea is to sit down and have some lunch with the tea, and because there is a drink holder included in the packaging, it is relevant to our product range. Also, for cold food the tray can be taken straight to the table, but hot food (i.e. paninis), can be warmed up behind the till, and taken over to a table by a member of staff. The trays can be cleaned and reused, making the idea very sustainable, as there is nothing to throw away. Having a clear cover allows the consumer to see the food, and as for type, there could be a label on the shelf saying what the product is, rather than printed on the tray. I think this could be a really good idea, because of the waste reduced. The only issue that I see with the Waitrose one is that the plastic cutlery might not be as practical as having stainless steel ones, because of the durability of them, but this is something which could be addressed.
What I liked about this range of products is that even though they are all different shaped crisps, they look consistent within the range because of the style of illustration used on each packet, and they play on words. What our group need to consider is because we have a limited colour range and lots of different flavours of tea, we need to think of a way to make each flavour look individual enough to be distinguishable, as well as working with each other. It has worked well on this design because of varied illustrations, so pictograms could be a good idea for each flavour.
By including transparent packaging, the product can be seen easily which helps with the limited colour palette, as it can help with a colourful and varied approach. As the tea is sold loose, this could be exposed through clear dispensers, and the food can be packaged with windows and clear boxes.
The Package Design Book
I then began reading The Package Design Book to find out some more information.
The Kleenex Slice of Summer packaging is very clever I think for its shape. Each package is a segment of a fruit, and when they are put together they make a full fruit. I think that this shape idea of combining multiple packages is good because it is thinking more about its shelf presence and how it could be stored at home. I think a a polygon shape would be good for our concept because if people are buying multiple flavours, they could stack them above one another at home for example, or for display purposes in the shop.
p30 What is great about this packaging is that only two colours including stock are used, but it doesn't appear to restrict the design in anyway. It still communicates everything it needs to - the brand name, and the summery illustrations represent outdoors, cooling down, relaxing etc to encourage people to drink it.
New Packaging Design
This caught my eye because the design of the biscuit packaging relates well to the biscuit shop, creating a consistent look and feel for the brand, which is what we need to have.
This packaging protects the product in three ways, which is something we would have to consider with the loose tea. The case study says 'The wound-card tube provides a strong container that prevents the contents being damaged by impact while the inner polythene bag both reveals the rice and protects it from moisture. The environment is also protected - by a frugal design approach to materials and production. Off-the-shelf tubes and caps are recyclable and reusable'.
Tea Infusers
I wanted to look at the design of tea infusers, to see what they traditionally look like and what components are necessary for them to work effectively.
I noticed that a tea infuser has to have holes, which are big enough for the tea to infuse with the water, but small enough so that the leaves don't get out. Also, a handle is needed so that it is easy to pull out without getting hands burnt or wet. And it has to be an enclosed case so that the leaves don't fall out, and is small enough to fit into a mug/cup.
SUSTAINABLE MATERIALS
Here are some of the products they use
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