News

Tapping into society’s fixation with youth culture and the MySpace generation, Packaging News decided to find out what the designers of tomorrow think of the packaging that’s currently on our shelves. We asked design students at universities and colleges around the UK to nominate their favourite packaging designs.

As increasing numbers of students take gap years to travel abroad, the way items are presented in far-flung places is having an impact on their taste. One student at the Royal College of Art nominated a Colombian sweet (entirely legal, we are assured), which is served wrapped in plantain leaves and then placed in a handmade wooden box. These traditional craft-based methods of preserving food, which have all but died out in the UK, are still very much in evidence in other parts of the world.

Of course, the recent environmental backlash against ‘excess’ packaging has not been missed by students and many sought to highlight the benefits of natural packaging. Another student chose the banana as his favourite piece of packaging. He points out that it is distinctively shaped and an eye-catching shade of yellow. It is easy to open and uses colour coding to show when the fruit inside is ripe and then past its best. And finally, it is entirely biodegradeable.

The chosen packs suggest that students are as influenced by classics, which have stood the test of time, as they are by newer, more whimsical items. The designs vary from the pared-down minimalism of the Voss water bottle to the brash Pringles pot. The one thing that the branded designs have in common is that they have shelf standout, with unusual shapes and bold designs that set them apart from the competition.

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JONATHAN DAVIES
Leeds Metropolitan University, BA Design, second year
My favourite is the Pringles pot. They are the only crisps to come in a pack of that shape, which gives the product such a strong identity. The fact that they are in a special tube, unlike standard crisps, makes them feel like a treat and the lid means they are resealable – if you manage to stop eating them before they’re all gone. The primary-style colours of the original flavours and the smiling head on the logo give them a fun, party vibe, while the darker colours of the new rice Pringles are more sophisticated.

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TAMSIN OSBORNE
University of Derby, BA Product Design, final year
I think I have to nominate the Marmite jar. It’s such a classic. It has a consciously retro feel, using quite a traditional font, flat colour and a simple design for the label. The name itself probably comes from the French word for a large earthenware cooking pot. Marmite was originally sold in earthenware pots and the label incorporates this cooking pot into the design. The glass jars were introduced in the 1920s and the design has changed very little since then, despite advances in design technology. This gives it a nostalgic feel. Marmite stands out on a shop shelf, thanks to its instantly recognisable shape and the bold, bright colours of the design. The contrast of the dark brown jar and the yellow lid means you can’t miss it.

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MARGARET DORMAN
Wimbledon College of Art, Diploma in Foundation Studies (Art and Design)
My favourite packaging is shoe boxes. They are such a simple design, but they work, and work so well they are used by all shoe shops. They’re really useful for storing things once you have taken the shoes out. They are stackable, so they can be put on top of each other in the shoe shop or in a cupboard at home. They are strong enough to carry shoes, yet they are cheap to make and lightweight. They have several large flat surfaces for the manufacturer to decorate with their branding and product information. Despite being a very standard rectangular shape, they are so recognisable that US broadcaster HBO used a shoe box to package its Sex and the City DVD box set.

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ALEX MORGAN
London College of Communication, MA Graphic Design
I noticed Voss water in a bar and really liked the elegant simplicity of the bottle. It really stands out in fridges full of brightly coloured alcopops and lagers. Its tall cylindrical shape makes it look more like a large glass of water than a bottle. Voss is artesian water from Norway. It is expensive and the bottle makes it clear that it’s a premium product, and ensures that it won’t look out of place on the tables of exclusive restaurants. The sparseness of the lettering and the use of silver for the text and the lid signify the purity and natural qualities of the water. The bottle was designed by Neil Kraft (formerly a creative director at Calvin Klein) of the Frierson, Mee & Kraft design agency.

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SOPHIA MOSELEY
Goldsmiths University of London, BA Design, first year
When choosing perfume you buy it partly for the bottle. I like the design of Lolita Lempicka’s ‘L’ fragrance. The bottle looks like a precious jewel. The vivid aquamarine colour and the gold ‘netting’ around the top give it the appearance of a piece of treasure that has been washed up by the sea. It looks as though it ought to be owned by a mermaid. The shape of the bottle is unusual for perfume and it makes you want to pick it up and hold it in your hand. You feel as if you are buying something unique.