Packaging and Merchandising Design / Exercises: Packaging Design Analysis

22/09/2025 - 27/10/2025 (Week 01 - Week 06)

Aveline Kristie / 0372310 

Packaging and Merchandising Design / Bachelor of Design (Honours) in Creative Media / School of Design

Exercise: Case Study - Packaging Design Analysis, Box-making Packaging

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Instructions

2. Tasks

3. Feedback

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1. INSTRUCTIONS

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2. TASKS

Exercise 1

Overview 

Choose FOUR (4) products (box, bottle, can, and tube) in the market that you believe have poor packaging design. Ensure the product is readily available for purchase.

Product Analysis

Conduct a thorough analysis of the existing packaging design. Identify the specific shortcomings and challenges in the current packaging. Consider factors such as functionality, aesthetics, sustainability, target audience, and branding when evaluating a product.

Market Research

Investigate the target market for each product and assess how the current packaging aligns with the expectations and preferences of the target audience.

Competitor Analysis

Research and analyze the packaging designs of competing products in the same category. Identify trends and best practices in packaging design within this product/packaging category.

1. Box - Win2 Potato Crisp

Fig 1.1 Win2 Potato Crisp Packaging, Week 2 (02/10/25)

Product Analysis

Win2 Potato Crisp faces several design challenges. The packaging is very crowded with graphics, text, logos that makes the design has no focal point, leaving no clear hierarchy. Branding is also weak, the “Win2” logo is too small, palced in the top left corner that doesn't even look like a logo. This reduces  credibility compared to other snack brands that place their logos front and center.

Aesthetically, the design doesn't make the potato crisp look appetizing. The mix of clashing fonts, illustrations, and excessive claims creates a noisy and outdated look. Instead of looking modern, the design feels outdated and messy, which weakens appeal even for younger audiences. Functionally, the box is impractical. It is much larger than necessary for only three small packets inside, which can feel misleading for consumers and wasteful in terms of space. While the carton material is recyclable, the inner plastic packaging and oversized box reduce convenience and consumer trust.

The target audience seems to be children or teenagers who enjoy buying snacks. However, the weak hierarchy and lack of strong appetite appeal limit its capability. 

Market & Competitors

Fig 1.2 Tricks Potato Crisps Packaging, Week 2 (02/10/25)

In the snack market, buyers expect strong logos, bold flavour communication, and appetizing visuals. Current packaging trends lean toward minimal clutter, stronger product photography, and bold contrast colours that highlight the snack itself as the hero. Competitors like Tricks Potato Crisps deliver this better with clear typography, backgrounds, and stronger branding that emphasize boldness and taste. Compared to Tricks, Win2 feels outdated, cluttered, and less competitive in expressing its appeal.

2. Bottle - Tinge by Spritzer (Lemon Flavoured)

Fig 1.3 Tinge by Spritzer Packaging, Week 2 (02/10/25)

Product Analysis

The Tinge lemon drink packaging has some weaknesses. The lemon illustration blends into the colourful background, creating low contrast and making it harder for consumers to recognize the flavour quickly. Fruit visuals should be more clear and dominant, as they are an important cue in drink packaging. Functionally, the bottle is lightweight, portable, and has a curved shape that makes it easy to hold. Since the bottle is made fully from plastic, it is also convenient to carry and to throw away.

Aesthetically, the packaging uses bold, playful colours and patterns that attract attention, but the style feels more like soda drink rather than refreshing lemon water. For this category, consumers often expect cleaner, fresher visuals with light tones. The plastic is recyclable, but the brand does not highlight this at all. The playful design may appeal to teenagers or young adults as the targeted audience. The "tinge" logo is playful and modern but is not that strong.

Market & Competitors

Fig 1.4 Prime Packaging, Week 2 (02/10/25)

Flavoured water buyers expect packaging that feels light, minimalist, natural, and refreshing. Tinge’s confusing design makes it less aligned with these expectations. Competitors like Prime, known for its bold and modern packaging, use strong colour contrast, clear flavour indication, and minimal text to create instant shelf impact. Prime’s design focuses more on excitement and trend appeal rather than freshness. Current trends highlight minimal designs, suggesting that Tinge could improve by simplifying its visuals and emphasizing freshness more clearly.

3. Can - Kickapoo Joy Juice

 

Fig 1.5 Kickapoo Joy Juice Packaging, Week 2 (02/10/25)

Product Analysis

Kickapoo Joy Juice faces some key design challenges. The name says “juice,” but the product is actually soda, which creates confusion. The label also claims “citrus flavoured” but doesn't show any lemon or lime illustrations, so the flavour is not recognizable. Functionally, the aluminium can performs well. It is lightweight, easy to carry, keeps the drink cold, and is highly recyclable. This makes it practical and consumer-friendly, even if the visual design does not communicate effectively.

Aesthetically, the green colour with bubble motifs suggests fizziness, but not strongly express citrus freshness. The graphics feel decorative rather than refreshing. For sustainability, the challenge is less about materials and more about lifestyle impact. The bright, flashy graphics encourage a “fun” image but do not reflect mindful or balanced consumption. Today’s consumers, especially teenagers and young adult, are more aware of sugar intake and healthier choices. A design that highlights portion control, natural energy, or a lighter lifestyle could make the drink feel more responsible and relevant in the market.

The target audience seems to be younger drinkers. However, health-conscious buyers or those looking for clear flavour cues may not find it appealing. The logo is not so strong and the lack of citrus illustrations weakens flavour communication and brand clarity.

Market & Competitors

Fig 1.6 Sprite Can Packaging, Week 2 (02/10/25)

Citrus soda buyers expect bright colours, lemon-lime visuals, and a fresh, clear look. Kickapoo does not meet these expectations. In contrast, Sprite uses green and yellow tones with simple lemon-lime icons, instantly showing freshness. Current trends focus on clarity, fruit imagery, and minimal clutter. Compared to Sprite, Kickapoo looks outdated and less effective in expressing flavour.

4. Tube - Azarine Calm My Acne Sunscreen

Fig 1.7 Azarine’s “Calm My Acne” Sunscreen Packaging, Week 2 (02/10/25)

Product Analysis

Azarine’s “Calm My Acne” sunscreen faces several design problems that affect clarity and impact. Aesthetically, the biggest weakness is legibility. The thin white logo against the green background is almost invisible, while the yellow text blends in and becomes hard to read. On a skincare shelf, this lack of contrast is a serious issue because shoppers cannot immediately spot the brand or key information like SPF 35. The sunburst background shows energy, but it clashes with the product’s "calm” marketing. Instead of looking soothing, the design feels loud and unmatched with its acne-focused purpose.

Functionally, the packaging works well. The plastic tube is lightweight, portable, and easy to squeeze, making it convenient for daily use. Since it is fully plastic, it is also simple to finish and dispose of, which fits into the fast-paced routines of many young consumers. For sustainability, the trend in sunscreen nowadays is less toward packaging and more about the skincare benefits. Buyers now care about features like non-comedogenic formulas, blue-light protection, or reef-safe claims. Highlighting these on the design would make the product feel more relevant to today’s concerns.

The target audience is mainly young adults, especially women with acne-prone skin. While the brand has strong recognition, the weak logo visibility and cluttered graphics reduce its professional and clinical appeal.

Market & Competitors

Fig 1.8 Anessa Sunscreen Packaging, Week 2 (02/10/25)

In the sunscreen market, buyers expect clear SPF hierarchy, simple layouts, and a clean, trustworthy look. Competitors like Anessa use minimal graphics with bold contrasts that highlight protection and quality. Current trends also lean toward “clean beauty” visuals, calm tones, clear typography, and emphasis on skin benefits. Compared to this, Azarine feels playful but less serious, making it harder to compete with stronger international brands.

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Exercise 2

In this exercise, we were instructed to choose an item  that do not come in traditional box packaging. So after searching, I finally chose the cookies that I've bought in the store, since the size is 15cm per cookie.

Task Description:

Item Selection: Choose a non-boxed item from your daily surroundings. The size of the item is between 15cm t0 20cm. This items should not come in traditional box packaging but should be relatively small in size.

Justification: Provide a brief justification for your selection of these items, explaining why custom box packaging would enhance their presentation and functionality.

Box Design:

Box Structure: Create detailed diagrams or sketches of the box structure for each item, including dimensions, flap designs, and closure mechanisms. Ensure that the proposed box is functional and secure.

Prototype: Create physical prototypes of the custom boxes for both selected items. You can use cardboard or other suitable materials to bring your designs to life.

Fig 1.9 Chosen Item, Week 4 (13/10/2025)

Justification: I chose cookies since they are soft and fragile. Using only plastic for the packaging can ruin the cookies. I believe that using a box can help keep the cookies in good condition and more secure. It can also slightly increase the perceived quality.

A. Visual References

I always think about Cookie Monster every time I see a cookie. So, I looked for references for the packaging design. I want to make the packaging look fun, attractive, and craveable, but also simple and convenient.

Fig 1.10 Visual References, Week 3 (11/10/2025)

B. Sketches

After some research, I sketched my packaging idea. This packaging is simple, easy to open, yet still looks fun and playful.

The design represents a cookie monster with a hole as its mouth, eating a cookie. The inside has a cookie pattern so it blends with the item inside. My idea is to make packaging that fits three different types of cookie flavours.

Fig 1.11 Sketches and Prototype, Week 3 (11/10/2025)

However, Mr. Shamsul said that I don’t have to design the box since the outcome would be plain. So I removed the design and the hole representing the mouth, and made it plain but still convenient. He also said to me that the curved part doesn't have to be like a circle, since then I have to follow the size of the cookies. He suggested me to make the front part a little lower and not curved but I can still make the back part curved like the original.

C. Prototyping

After the consultation, Mr. Shamsul approved my sketch idea, so I can begin creating and assembling  the die cut on cardboard. Mr. Shamsul suggested that I use an art card or corrugated board for the material. I don’t have to make the box too thick since cookies are not that heavy, and to prevent cracks on the folding parts.

Fig 1.12 Digitized Dieline, Week 4 (19/10/2025)

After I was satisfied with my dieline prototype, I began to remake it in Adobe Illustrator. Since my dieline was quite big, I created a customized artboard size of 900mm x 500mm. Then, I remade the dieline using the actual size, where the box dimensions were 15.5 x 15.5 cm, and the thickness was 5 cm. I made the folding part 3.5 cm, slightly smaller than 5 cm, and the 1/4 circle had a radius of 15.5 cm.

Fig 1.13 Digitized Dieline, Week 5 (20/10/2025)

However, I felt that I could still simplify the design, so I removed some small parts and added a small hole to make it easier to open the box. This can be seen clearly later in the assembling section. After that, I finalized the dieline with 0,5 stroke thickness and exported the file as a DXF file before beginning the laser cutting process.

D. Assembling

Next, I inserted my file using a USB drive into the computer in the laser cutting lab. I adjusted the maximum and minimum speed to 100, and the power to 20, as suggested by Mr. Shamsul. I also removed the inner lines since I decided to only cut the outer part and fold the box manually later. Mr. Shamsul helped me adjust the laser cutting machine, and we began the first attempt. 

Fig 1.14 Laser Cutting Progress, Week 5 (21/10/2025)

I used thin white model card as the material for my box. Since it was my first attempt, I folded it without using a ruler or cutter, so the folding was not clean or sharp.

Fig 1.15 Laser Cut Dieline, Week 5 (21/10/2025)

Fig 1.16 First Laser Cut Attempt, Week 5 (21/10/2025)

However, because I had rolled my cardboard, it was not completely flat, which might have caused slight misalignment during the laser cutting process. Therefore, I decided to do a second attempt, it went great and very neat, but I forgot some details in my dieline. So, I decided to do one more attempt.

Fig 1.17 Second Laser Cut Attempt, Week 5 (21/10/2025)

For the third and final attempt, I revised my dieline in Adobe Illustrator and did the cutting again. This time, it was successful. I also folded the box more neatly than before. Lastly, I placed all the cookies inside, and they fit nicely in the box.

Fig 1.18 Final Laser Cut Attempt, Week 5 (21/10/2025)

E. Final Outcome

Fig 1.19 Final Cookies Box Packaging, Week 5 (21/10/2025)

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3. FEEDBACK

Week 1: -

Week 2: -

Week 3: (no class)

Week 4: Mr. Shamsul approved my packaging sketch. He suggested to add a bit gap between the folding part so when I do the folding, the cardboard is not overlapping. Next, I can begin to do the laser cutting process.

Week 5: Mr. Shamsul helped me to do the laser cutting step-by-step.

Week 6: Mr. Shamsul approved my box packaging and he said that my box looks neat.