Evaluation
The brief I chose was to design a premium bacon packaging
for Danepak which asks the designer to change the way it is sold on the shelf
and to improve on the current conventions. I actually found this project really
hard, as when I was researching I realised that the current shape of it is
really practical and I had a lot of limitations in terms of how I could produce
the packaging. I tried thinking of so many ways that I could keep waste to a
minimum, while improving the usability and aesthetics of the product.
The brief asked me to consider how to keep the product fresh
for longer. I did a lot of research into this, as previously I didn’t know
anything about the different materials used in food packaging, particularly
meat. I realised something that is becoming more used is vacuum skin packaging,
which gives red meat a maximum shelf life, so this is the most appropriate form
of packaging I could use. Putting this into practice, I didn’t have the
facilities to actually create this, so instead I have used a vacuum sealer to
create a plastic bag for the bacon and literally sucked the air out using a
plastic tube and quickly sealing the bag up again. Although this doesn’t look
as good as it would if it was done professionally, the brief states I can use
any materials that would be suitable if I don’t have the means to produce what
I want to do.
In terms of aesthetics, I didn’t want to include photography
or a sticker label as this is used on the current packaging. I wanted it to be
clean and minimal to portray a premium brand, and by using only the necessary
information to keep things easy for customers to read. So I used different
typography to signify the different aspects of the product, such as the cut and
how many rashers there are. I also used an illustration of a pig to make it
clear to the audience what the product is – in hindsight I could have used a
butcher’s pig chart illustration, as Danepak sell a range of pork products and
this could have been used throughout the range to signify the variety.
The packaging itself covers the vacuum skinned bacon for two
reasons – one so that it doesn’t get damaged and two for aesthetic reasons so
that it will stand out on the shelf and encourage consumers to buy it. I put a
window in the packaging because people like to see the fat and colour of the
bacon, and this will allow them to do so.
Overall, I think the project went okay. I’m not very happy
with the design and don’t think it is very innovative. However, I have spent a
lot of time researching different materials and existing products and there has
to come a time where I had to stop working on it as I have other priorities,
and this is the best outcome I could produce. I think if I studied product
design and had a lot more knowledge about different materials and the access to
produce a highly finished product I could have a better resolution. However, I
don’t, and this has just taught me to pick briefs more wisely next time and
think early on about the limitations I will face.
Questions
- 1. Do you think this pillow box format works well? Or would a flat rectangle net be better?
- 2. Do you think it looks like a premium brand? If not, why?
- 3. Do you think I should use a bag which has a clear seal, or does it not matter that it is red/blue?
- 4. Do you think the back of the packaging looks realistic?
- 5. Is there any way you think I could improve the ‘bacon’?
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