"Having been asked by Bill’s Dairy Farm in South Africa to create carton graphics for their new range of milkshakes, ilovedust created a distinct design solution.
Featuring strawberry, chocolate and vanilla flavours, each individual graphic features its own character and specific colour palate. The fun, candy shop style packaging is designed to appeal to a young target market remit of 12 – 25 year olds."
Gorgeous etched wine bottles for Reyneke Reserve. Designed by New Zealand based Anthonly Lane.
"One of the design objectives was to comunicate the idea of an efficient, detailed dental care range, thought to solve real problems and, at the same time, different from the most important brands offering a similar image of quality.
We have used a typographic solution, which is very functional because it can be read easily and comunicates clearly the utility of the toothpaste. The overlapping of the letters and their transparencies provide the necessary graphic richness to personalize the range, to show the quality of the products and to suggest the care for details which they have been produced with."
Design: Lavernia & Cienfuegos
What draws us to the business of branding? What makes us choose to dedicate our lives to design? We are artistic, usually intuitive people. We are people who are impressed by an eye-catching billboard layout and who feel a thrill at the sight of a particularly well-designed toaster. Simply put, we value the medium as much as the message.
Yet these days we ask more of ourselves than just the possession of a good eye, a formidable portfolio and well-honed Photoshop skills. The days of design for design’s sake are gone, and rightfully so. Today, any design agency worth its salt completes a strategy phase before a single designer puts stylus to tablet.
And this is good. Indeed, our work has much more value when grounded in sound business strategy. But, lest the pendulum swing too far in the other direction, remember: our discipline is not all science. The magic we bring is in fusing design with business. Yes, our work must be rooted in the left brain: gathering background information, doing competitive research, interviewing key stakeholders. Doing this homework well results in a rock-solid design brief—a document that will keep everybody, including our clients, on track. But with the design brief in hand, the next phase of work begins, and this is work of a different kind: expansive, playful—decidedly right-brain.
We all know that inspiration often strikes from the intensely personal, and yet we often try to bury this fact in strategic validation. I’m suggesting that this personal inspiration is, in fact, an exciting and irreplaceable part of the design process. We must inject ourselves into what we do, revel in the moments of creative self-expression that drew us to this work in the first place. That doesn’t mean embracing whatever pops into our heads. Rather, we have to develop skills that support our design process, guiding our creativity down constructive paths. Here are four tips for harnessing the personal creative energy in your work and creating excellent results:
1. Be curious.
Albert Einstein said, “The important thing is not to stop questioning,” and this is certainly true for the best designers. Always ask “what problem are we trying to solve?” and “is this the best solution?” Question your decisions along the way. This will ensure that you never accept the status quo or take the easy way out.
Curiosity drives us to be insightful observers… of everything. Look outside your frame of reference. Literally, get away from that computer and outside. Watch people, observe nature, read literature, go to a soccer match. One never knows when or where the flash of insight will come. When we are mulling over a design challenge, our senses are attuned and our designing minds are open to the input the world has to offer.
2. Remember your own past.
Our memories shape us as people and as professionals. What are the events that have made an impact on you throughout your life? Connecting with these stories and understanding how they fit in with your daily life—your actions and choices, the things you do, the things you eat, the things you love—is one of the most valuable tools you have for understanding human behavior. Now, think about how this might relate to a brand story. It should be every bit as detailed, nuanced and tangible as your own personal history. It should speak to the intellect and the heart. Above all, it should resonate with the real people who are your audience.
3. Put yourself in someone else’s shoes.
Empathy is yet another way that our personal skills support our design work. It’s not enough to know your target customer, to create a collage detailing her age, income and favorite brands. We have to try to imagine ourselves in her place. Like an actor preparing for a role, we must think about what her needs are, what drives her, what excites and empowers her.
This exercise gets us out of our heads and prevents us from falling in love with our own designs. Always remember it’s about your consumer. By shifting your perspective, you will create the potential for the brand to truly connect with her. Like any process, this will become easier with practice. And over time you will develop an amazing capacity for anticipating consumers’ needs and thinking of what they could want in the future. From there you will be in a position to create trends, rather than follow them.
4. Like your mom always said: tell the truth.
This one is easy, at least on paper. Translated for the purposes of our design work, the basic point is this: Know your consumers and communicate with them with honesty and respect. In other words, let trust and authenticity guide whatever you do. Ultimately, that package on the shelf needs to reflect the brand in a truthful manner—what it stands for and why people should care. Without that, you’re just a pretty box on a shelf.
A final word of wisdom: When your work is done and it’s time for the big presentation to the client, no egos allowed. You’ve poured yourself into your work, but you can’t get too attached to your vision. It’s time for you and the client to judge the work based solely on your mutually agreed-upon brief. And it’s time for you, the designer to stand back and let you, the strategist take over.
About Will Burke and Brand Engine
Will Burke is the founder, CEO and Chief Change Officer of Brand Engine. He draws on more than 20 years of experience in branding—uniquely bridging strategy and design—to solve complex issues with great insight and straightforward solutions. With a focus on consumer brands, his expertise is introducing new brands and repositioning existing brands to engage today’s consumer. Formerly with Landor Associates, Lister-Butler, and Axion Design, Will’s background includes major branding and packaging programs for Citicorp, MasterCard, Shell Oil, Hewlett-Packard, Intel, Logitech, Palm, Foster’s, Frontier Natural Products, Nestlé and Tropicana. Under Will’s direction, Brand Engine’s work has been recognized in globally renowned competitions and books. In addition, Will’s thought leadership has been featured in various trade & industry publications, and he is involved with several brand advisory boards, a speaker on branding and design, and judge for design competitions.
Molton Brown is a London based luxury skincare and beauty line designed by JKR. More images after the jump.
The John Varvatos men's fragrance collection includes "Vintage", "Artisan" (top), the original John Varvatos, and the limited edition "Rock Volume One" (after the jump).
A nice selection of work from some design students at PACKLAB:
"These are the education student work and four of these design students now work at the PACKLAB. Partners, which is a packaging and brand design consultancy based in Finland. It's sort of an over spill from the department activities, a partnership that is lead by our lecturer Ian Rooney...a team that is very passionate about developing holistic and innovative packaging.
See more photos and full text explanations after the jump.
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