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I discovered these nice additions to the Jones line at Panera this evening. I really enjoy the semi-brushy translucent illustrations. It communicates fresh and fruity without overdoing it. My only caveat is that the Jones Soda labels are so iconic in their DIY simplicity, while these are much more considered in their design. Do they feel truly Jones as a brand? I don't know. But nice design? You bet.
Some closeups of the illustrations after the jump.
Here's a follow up to the Furoshiki wrapping methods we featured earlier. The above image shows an example of Japanese packaged food products wrapped in the Furoshiki method. Several other examples can be seen here.
The source article for this post is featured on PingMag. This is a superb feature on Japanese packaging - showcasing eye-opening packaging principles that we hope will continue to influence US and European packaging design methods.
"To many Japanese it seems that Western packaging often appears ‘locked’, as if the contents couldn't escape. In contrast, Japanese packages are frequently described as ‘animated’ or ‘alive’, with a ‘spirit’ inside."
The above quote from PingMag highlights the key difference between Western packaging and Japanese packaging. I think there is a lot to learn from the Japanese in terms of packaging that is more accessible, takes less landfill space and is more a part of the product than simply a barrier to what's inside.
There are so many stylish new drinks on the shelves these days, with packaging and flavors vying for attention. Enter Wild Bunch & Co. Although I haven't tried these drinks yet, I have to wonder what will prove to be better: the packaging or what's inside?
UK-based Wild Bunch & Co. makes a line of fresh pressed power drinks. Interesting juices like Beet It, made from beets, are very healthy and definitely unusual. The spare layouts show off the beautifully colored contents in bottles that are so well-formed, they need no adornment.
Branding and packaging by Seed.
via ReubenMiller
Sawdust by Taylor Kunh
You know fonts are an important ingredient to designing great packaging, but how do you know what font to use where? It takes a lot of intuition about the 'personality' of the font, and a good understanding of typographic history to know which font will create the right feel. I discovered a great archived newsletter from FontShop featuring font usage for a variety of packaged goods.
Here's one example...
"Izze Beverage Co®. doesn't boast their nonprofit mission on their label, but the design’s simplicity hints that they are a different kind of company. Izze’s sales grew 450% per year over the first two years without any TV, print, or online advertising. Surely their success is due in part to the bottle — clearly branded with Trade Gothic™ caps and a clever use of a Caslon™ asterisk, emulating a cross-section of the fruit contained therein."
More insightful font-use examples at FontShop.
Cranky Pants by Valerie Courtney
Stony Grove by John Quijano
More designs from the recent FIT graduates:
Fruit Beer by Alosha Shkolnikl
Naga by Yaching Yu
I have been thinking about adding a student work section to the site for awhile now, then Kristin Kohlmyer, a recent graduate from FIT, emailed me with some amazing packaging work of about 11 of the 20 recent graduates. The packaging design program at fit is a 2-year intensive program with courses such as packaging design, production, sustainability, resourcing, model making, and portfolio. I will be featuring their work over the course of the week starting today. With great work such as this it is no wonder that most of the graduated already have jobs. Congratulations graduates!
akira by Kristin Kohlmyer
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