Sunday, January 13, 2008

It's Just A Cardboard Box, Right?



Wrong. Over the past month or so, we have been taking steps to upgrade the packaging of our cookies and so far, the process has been eye opening! I have never in my life had more artistic appreciation for the box that Cheerios come in, or the canister that holds my coffee.

We've decided to create boxes so we can package larger quantities of our cookies and provide retailers with a more shelf-friendly product. Since I don't have a formal education in art or graphic design, I've been learning so much about the various elements you need to think about when it comes to packaging.

Some examples:

1) I've had a crash course in packaging terminology. I am now comfortable using words like "auto-lock bottom," "double-tuck," and "viewing window" in real conversations.

2) I can probably tell you the RGB and CMYK formulas for the chocolate brown color we use for our logo off the top of my head.

3) I actually know what UPC stands for (Universal Product Code!) and have figured out how to get one for each of our products.

It's amazing how much you can learn just by asking questions. We have been working with a packaging company that has been great about providing us with information on the step-by-step process of printing boxes. Knowing that we are novices, they have also been patient and helpful in getting us price quotes and creating prototypes for the packaging that we're interested in. Something I've realized in the last couple months is that it's really important to find vendors and other business partners that you feel comfortable with, are reliable and will do their best to help you accomplish what you want to achieve.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Have you thought about adding some authentic indonesian flair to your cookie packaging design? i.e. how yogi tea has the body art swirls (can't recall the proper name) on the interior of the box? because besides the name, there isn't really any clue to those origins. though i suppose that since the products aren't specifically indonesian... just a few ideas.

Stephanie from Cupoladua Oven said...

That's an interesting thought. Yes, our baked goods aren't specifically Indonesian influenced though, so graphic design on the packaging in the Indonesian style probably wouldn't be as relevant. But we are working on a design that will convey the simple, all natural and healthy aspects of our baked goods!