Farmer's Market
Packaging Design
Project Scope
There are way too many products that have more packaging than necessary, use plastic instead of recycled materials...the list goes on. So, the objective of this project was to tackle just that issue.
For this project, we had to redesign a product’s packaging to make it as eco-friendly as possible. I decided to take on the Farmer’s Market twelve-pack of cookies packaging because it's bulky and uses more plastic than necessary. See the original packaging to the right.
Purpose & Goal
The purpose of this project was to not only redesign a product’s packaging but to keep the environment in mind as well. Up until this project, we haven’t been thinking much about the environment and our impact on it, but keeping both of those in mind is a big part of being a designer. It was good practice to think about the materials we intended to use for the new design and I learned a lot about what goes into packaging.
The goal of this project was to create a new and innovative packaging design for the Farmer’s Market twelve-pack of cookies. Another goal was to print out my design and create a physical mockup for product shots.
Planning
The first step for this project was to do some research about the company and create a mood board to show the direction of the design. While already being familiar with the brand, I knew they had a rustic, cozy, homemade feel to their packaging. Their brand colours were black and beige with a pop of yellow and orange.
The only aspect I changed from their original branding is the typefaces. The typeface I chose for the headers was similar to the one they use with a fun, handwritten look to it. The body copy typeface used was a simple, sans-serif with a roundness to the letters that added a rustic touch.
Concept Sketches
After creating the mood board, I sketched out three different concepts. I planned on using recycled plastic and cardboard for the new design.
My first concept was a flip-top box for easy access to the cookies. My second concept was a sleeve box with a drawer and a cookie pull tab. Finally, the third concept was a donut style box so all the cookies could be nicely laid out to see.
Once I sketched out my concepts, I decided to move forward with the second one with the sleeve box and drawer. Before jumping into creating the die lines, I made a mini mockup to help me visualize the final product. It also helped me know if my die lines made sense.
The next step before heading to the computer to make the die lines was to get the measurements. I headed to the store to buy a pack of cookies and measured them to see what size my box would have to be. After getting the measurements and eating a cookie or two, I was ready to start the die lines.
Process
Die Lines
After creating the mini mockup, I started working on the die lines. I was worried it would be hard to figure out how my box would look flat but the mockup really helped visualized it.
The main challenge I remember facing was figuring out how to place the text so that it was the right side up when customers flip the box over.
Final Design
The final steps were to print out the die lines, build the mockup and take the product shot. In the end, the cookies fit perfectly in the new box and the design worked well.
For the product shot, I envisioned a cozy photo that emphasized the homemade feeling of these cookies. I added a cutting board and a towel to add to that rustic look. Overall, the shots turned out great and it was a great excuse to eat cookies!
Benefits
The benefits of this new packaging for the company are efficiency and sustainability. Since the new packaging is more compact and less bulky, it will be easier to stack on shelves. Also, since it's eco-friendly, more customers may be willing to purchase the product if that's important to them. Overall, the new look will widen the target market and draw in more customers with its new eco-friendly design.