Packaging and Merchandising Design Lectures and Exercises
Siam Siew Yong 0358399
Bachelor of Design in Creative Media | Taylor’s Design School | Taylor’s University
Bachelor of Design in Creative Media | Taylor’s Design School | Taylor’s University
Instruction
List of Content
- Lectures
- Exercise 1
- Exercise 2
- Feedback
- Reflection
Lectures
Week 1:
In this week, Mr Shamsul gave us the briefing of module information and what
we will cover in this semester. After that, he also mentioned us to bring the
four products with bad packaging in next week.
Week 2:
Mr Shamsul explained what the important of packaging and why the brand need
packaging.
He also explained the level of packaging, such as Primary packaging,
secondary packaging and tertiary packaging.
Primary packaging:
- is the first layer that directly holds the product.
- It touches the product itself
- Designed for use by the customer
- Focuses on protection, convenience, and branding
Secondary packaging:
- is the outer layer that groups primary packages together.
- Does not directly touch the product
- Used for branding, display, and easier handling
- Often removed before use
Tertiary packaging:
- is used for bulk handling, storage, and shipping.
- Protects products during transport and distribution
- Not meant for consumers
- Focuses on efficiency and durability
Week 3:
In this week, Mr Shamsul introduced the exercise 2, which we need to design a
money packet in a unique way. He asked us to do some research first.
Week 5:
Mr Shamsul introduced to the chapter of Label Design.
- A label is more than a sticker. It acts like a mini-poster and represents the brand.
- In stores, customers only look for about 3 seconds before moving on.
- Because of this, the design must be clear, simple, and easy to read.
Visual Hierarchy of the Primary Display Panel (PDP)
Tier 1 Brand
Identity- Shows who the brand is
Tier 2 Product Name- Tells what the product is
Tier 3 Hook / USP- Explains the main benefit (e.g. Organic,
Sugar-Free)
Tier 4 Weight / Volume- Shows technical information like size or net weight
The wrap around reality
For bottles, cans, and jars, people can only see about 40% of the label at
one time.
Important branding should stay in the center front area. Side areas can
include stories, instructions, or extra visuals. The back panel is mainly
for legal information, ingredients, and barcodes
The material of a label affects how the product looks and feels. Different
materials create different brand impressions and are chosen based on the
product type and environment.
- Uncoated Paper- absorbs ink easily and creates a soft, natural, handmade appearance. It is commonly used for artisan, heritage, or organic products.
- Coated Paper- keeps ink on the surface, making colors look brighter and text appear sharper. It is suitable for FMCG products and modern packaging designs.
- BOPP Film- is a waterproof and oil-resistant plastic material. It is often used for cosmetics, bath products, and chilled beverages.
Special finishes help packaging look more premium. Spot UV adds shine,
foil stamping creates a metallic effect, embossing adds texture, and
lamination protects the label from damage.
Packaging text is often very small, so readability is important. Serif fonts
may become blurry, therefore designers usually use clean sans-serif fonts with
slightly more spacing.
Packaging design must be accurate because cutting machines may shift during
production. Designers should use bleed to avoid white edges and keep important
information inside the safety zone.
Packaging must include a clear barcode, readable ingredient list, net
quantity, and manufacturer details such as address and country of origin.
Exercise 1: Packaging Design Analysis
Instruction:
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.
So in week 1, I prepared the four products that I thought was in bad
packaging.
Bad box packaging: NATRUE - oat milk product
fig 1.1 bad example of box packaging
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| fig 1.4 side 2 |
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| fig 1.4 side 3 |
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| fig 1.4 side 4 |
Product Analysis: The big title is making people feel annoying,
even it is really clean and stylish design. It makes someone who wants to grab
oat milk quickly feel confuse. The title "It’s Not Milk" at front with very
big size while the actual ingredient is barely noticeable just makes things
harder than they need to be. The actual product name—“Oat”—is much smaller and
easy to miss. This makes it harder for shoppers to quickly understand what
they’re looking at. A nice aesthetic is great, but I think the basic of
packaging is clarity.
Market Research: Natrue mainly targets urban Millennials and Gen Z
consumers who are drawn to “alternative” branding and clean, minimalist
design. This group tends to appreciate products that feel stylish and visually
appealing. But at the same time, they also care a lot about transparency,
especially when it comes to ingredients and nutrition. While the bold
“It’s Not Milk” slogan might catch their attention at first, it doesn’t fully
meet their practical needs. Most modern shoppers make quick decisions by
scanning for key information like ingredients or nutritional benefits. By
putting a clever slogan ahead of clear product identification, the packaging
can feel a bit frustrating.
Competitor Analysis:
Good box packaging: OATSIDE - oat milk product
fig 1.5 good example of box packaging
Oatside also fits the minimalist design, but it don't include any
misunderstanding information. Unlike brands that makes people confuse,
Oatside puts 'Oat Milk' right where people can see it, and also emphasis their
ingredients like Nutri-grade and those essential vitamins like Calcium, D, and
the B-complex with the right colors.
Bad can packaging: Kimball - tomatoes sauce product
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fig 1.6 bad example of can packaging
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fig 1.7 side 2
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Product Overview: Kimball is a well-known brand in the
condiments and cooking ingredients market, especially across Southeast Asia.
Its Tomato Puree, typically packaged in a tin can, is a familiar and
reliable option that often see on supermarket shelves.
Product Analysis: This design feels a bit off, especially when
it comes to color and clarity. They use colors like yellow and green which
normally help make food look more appetizing, but the way they combine and
balance them just doesn’t work that well. Instead of looking fresh or
appealing, it ends up feeling a bit messy and not very satisfying to look
at. It also lacks of distinct information on the front. While “Tomato Puree”
is clearly shown, there’s nothing on the front that really tells you what
makes this product special. There’s no clear mention of quality, texture, or
any standout feature compared to other competitor brands. Because of this,
the product comes across as quite generic and easy to overlook.
Market Research: Kimball mainly targets budget-conscious home
cooks and larger families who are looking for affordable, practical options.
Price is still a key factor for this group, but their expectations are
starting to shift. With the rise of the “home chef” trend, people now look
for products that not only save money but also feel reliable and good
quality—something that fits into a more intentional cooking experience. In
trend now, many modern shoppers are drawn to designs that look clean, fresh,
and slightly more premium, as these visuals often signal better ingredients.
Because Kimball still uses a more outdated and cluttered design, it can come
across as “cheap” rather than “value for money.”
Competitor Analysis:
Good can packaging: Hillfield - tomatoes sauce product
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fig 1.8 good example of can packaging
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Hillfield is a really good example of how to keep things clean and still be
clear about what they selling. It looks premium, but at the same time,
people don’t have to guess what’s inside. Putting “organic” and the London
origin right on the front makes it feel more trustworthy straight away. What
works especially well is how they layer the design. The white background
separates the text from the product image, so everything stays easy to read,
but people can still see the actual chopped tomatoes clearly.
Bad bottle packaging: Fairy - dishwashing liquid
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fig 1.9 bad example of bottle packaging
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Product Overview: Fairy is one of the most recognizable
household brands, especially in the UK and Southeast Asia. Even though the
brand is strong, the design feels a bit stuck in the past.
Product Analysis:
For someone who’s never used the brand before, the bright green liquid
could easily be mistaken for hand soap or even a general cleaner. There
are also some practical problems with how the bottle works. Although the
squeeze design is meant to be convenient, it doesn’t give much control
over how much liquid comes out. Without a proper valve, it’s easy to pour
out too much at once, which leads to unnecessary waste.
The packaging is not very clear about what the product actually is. On
the “Original” version, the front label usually just shows the brand
name and the word “Original,” without clearly stating that it’s a
dishwashing liquid.
Market Research: Fairy’s target market is broad and covering
everyday households like busy parents to budget-conscious students, who
mainly care about efficiency and getting good value for money. They want
something that works quickly and lasts as long as possible. The current
packaging doesn’t fully support these needs. The dispensing design often
leads to using more product than necessary, which can feel wasteful and
frustrating, especially for consumers who are paying attention to how long
their products last.
Competitor Analysis:
Good bottle packaging: minim - dishwashing liquid
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fig 1.11 good example of bottle packaging
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This bottle has a great example of clean design. The green-yellow and
monochrome colors give it a nice eco-friendly look, and it
still keeps all the important information clear. They include
the informations like “food grade” ,“vegan” and “safe for sensitive skin”
at the front but without making it feel crowded. Everything is organized
in a way that’s easy to read. Minim also improves on usability.
Instead of a squeeze bottle, it uses a pump dispenser, which makes it much
easier to control how much product comes out. This helps reduce waste and
makes the overall experience more convenient.
Bad tube packaging: Clef - body lotion
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fig 1.12 bad example of tube packaging
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fig 1.13 side 2
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fig 1.14 box packaging
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Product Overview: Clef is a skincare brand that positions
itself as "Clean & Effective," utilizing a highly modern and
minimalist visual language.Their body lotion is typically packaged in a
sleek, squeeze tube that looks beautiful on a vanity or in a social
media flat-lay.
Product Analysis: The main issue with Clef’s tube packaging
is that it’s too minimal to the point where it doesn’t communicate
enough. It's only the brand logo and the scent, and no information about
what the product actually does or who it’s for. In a category like
skincare—where people are careful about what they put on their skin—this
lack of clarity is a big problem. Because of this, consumers have to
spend extra effort figuring out whether the product suits their needs,
almost like playing detective. While the outer box does include details
like ingredients and instructions, that information becomes useless once
the box is thrown away.
Market Research: Clef’s target audience is mainly skincare
enthusiasts, along with Gen Z and Millennial consumers who are quite
knowledgeable about ingredients and “clean” beauty. They tend to pay
close attention to what they’re putting on their skin and actively look
for clear benefits like hydration, barrier repair, or soothing
properties.This group expects more than just good design—they want
transparency. Ideally, the tube itself should clearly communicate the
product’s purpose and key benefits, instead of relying on the outer box
for all the details.
Competitor Analysis:
Good tube packaging: Target Pro by Watsons - body lotion
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fig 1.8 good example of tube packaging
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This tube packaging shows how minimal design can still be clear
and informative. The blue and white color scheme gives it a clean and
trust feel that suggests safety and reliability. What stands out
is how much useful information they include without making it look
cluttered. Details like “200% moisture boost,” “Ceramide Complex,” and
“fragrance-free” are easy to spot and understand. Even “Made in Japan”
helps build trust because most of people though Japan was pro in
making skin care products.
Exercise 2: Structural Anatomy of the Money Packet
Instruction:
Overview: In this exercise, we are stripping away the surface graphics
to focus on the architecture of paper. Our goal is to reinvent the money
packet through structural innovation. We will explore how a single sheet
of paper can be transformed into a functional, secure, and aesthetically
pleasing container through folding, interlocking, and die-cutting.
Deliverables:
- A set of two technical die-lines (1:1 scale) indicating cut lines, mountain folds, and valley folds.
- Two high-fidelity mockups using 160gsm–220gsm any color specialty paper.
- A 10-second video for each packet demonstrating the opening and closing movement.
- e-portfolio to show your process.
I found some research through Youtube and XiaoHongShu, sketched them
down and started to make some mock up that I can apply in the final
one.
The inspirations include:
- Pandan leaf/ketupat
- envelope
After I have the inspiration, I scrolling some video of folding paper,
and I started to sketch out the ideas on paper.
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| fig 2.1 sketch 1 |
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| fig 2.2 sketch 2 |
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| fig 2.3 sketch 3 |
I also folded it out with the recycle paper, and consulted the mock-up
with Mr Shamsul on week 5.
He approved the idea 1 and idea 2.
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| fig 2.4 idea 1 |
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| fig 2.5 idea 1 opened |
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| fig 2.6 idea 2 |
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| fig 2.7 idea 2 opened |
After getting the feedback by Mr Shamsul,
I started to sketch the die-line of idea 1 and idea 2 in Illustrator. I
decided to use A4 size of color paper to fold my money packet, which has
more option on color and thickness.
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| fig 2.8 materials |
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| fig 2.9 die-line of idea 1(side 1) |
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| fig 2.10 die-line of idea 1(side 2) |
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fig 2.10 die-line of idea 2(side 1) |
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| fig 2.11 die-line of idea 2(side 2) |
Here's the final mock-up for idea 1 and idea 2.
And the videos of for each packet demonstrating the opening and closing
movement.
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| fig 2.13 idea 2 mock-up |
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fig 2.14 idea 1 mock-up movement |
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fig 2.15 idea 2 mock-up movement |
Feedback
Week 1:-
Week 2: All the products chosen were accepted. Can start to make the
analysis more detail.
Week 3: Find research for ur exercise 2, innovate a unique money
packet.
Week 4: -
Week 5: the idea of sketch 1 and sketch 2 approved. Can start to do
the die-line sketches in Illustrator and choose the paper u want to
fold for final one.
Reflection
These past few weeks proved that packaging is not just aesthetics.
Analyzing bad examples for Exercise 1 showed that over-minimalism
backfires. When brands hide what a product actually is behind clever
slogans or bare tubes, it fails the "3-second rule". Shoppers shouldn't
have to play detective. Similarly, comparing a wasteful squeeze bottle
to a pump dispenser taught me that packaging is a physical user
experience; a bad mechanism destroys consumer trust, while smart
structure elevates brand value.
Finally, the Money Packet exercise taught me that paper physics can be
brutal; flat sketches easily warp in 3D. It's explore much of my
creativity.
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