Role
Research, Sketches, Illustration, Package Design
Duration
April 16 - 21, 2022 (Initial Design)
April 2 - 8, 2023 (Re-Design / Revisit Project)
April 2 - 8, 2023 (Re-Design / Revisit Project)
Programs Used
Adobe Illustrator
Adobe InDesign
Adobe Photoshop
Adobe InDesign
Adobe Photoshop
Project Brief
Prompt
"Choose a toy that was around 3 inches and design box packaging for it. You are allowed to use any text and illustrations as long as it suits the product and company."
About
I designed toy packaging for a MarninSaylor plush, also known as a "pastry pal". MarninSaylor is a small business based in Seattle, Washington. All of their cute products are handmade and dessert/pastry-themed. I examined their branding and tried my best to replicate it as much as possible into my package design. Please note that is a personal project and was only created for learning purposes; this is not an official packaging for MarninSaylor.
Why
Interest in Designing & Supporting Small Businesses ♡
Design Process
1. Research
Before I could start designing the packaging, I needed to understand their branding to make the design effective and "make sense". If this were to be a real client/business project, then I would most likely have the branding & assets ready to start my design. Since this is a personal project, I did not have that. As of April 2023, I also could not find any official brand identity publicly available from MarninSaylor. I examined their website, current product designs, and even one of their illustrators part of their team.
2. Understanding Brand Identity from Research
As a disclaimer, the colors and typefaces may not be 100% accurate to their official branding, but I did my best to replicate it as closely as possible from only observations.
The logo and pattern belong to MarninSaylor.
The logo and pattern belong to MarninSaylor.
3. Gather Inspiration & Image References
Keywords: Cute, sweet, dessert, bakery, cafes, comforting
4. Sketches
I experimented with different design aspects that can resemble a bakery. I also experimented with the shape of the box and how to apply the bakery window concept to it.
5. Template & Dieline Measurements
Although this is a personal project, I wanted to get some practice in creating the dieline and setting up measurements so that they are ready to be sent to printing production! (˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶)
6. Final Design
Using everything that I gathered and created from steps 1 to 5 - I finalized my box packaging design! I photoshopped MarninSaylor's plushes beside my package designs and in the background to go along with the company's playful, fun, and cute vibes.
First Design (2022) VS Final Design (2023)
When I created my first design for the MarninSaylor Mystery Plush Box (left image), it was my first package design project during my sophomore year. I went for a soft, pastel color scheme, but I did not know the importance of brand identity until the next semester.
By the time I re-designed this project, I improved as a designer. I have a better understanding of design fundamentals, so I fixed any issues with inconsistent margins, layout, typography, and a stronger color palette. Switching from a simple square box to a milk-carton-shaped box allowed me to creatively think and use the angled top to imitate a vintage cafe's roof. It also gave more space for the bakery display illustration and the text; it did not feel cramped anymore.
Overall, I made the packaging more visually-appealing and eye-catching, while also fitting the brand of MarninSaylor! It gives off that nice, warm feeling of walking into the bakery with the excitement of getting a pastry. (•⩊•)
First Design (April 2022)
Re-Design (April 2023)
Reflection
The creation of this project was a fun process. I found it interesting to create a design for an existing company by researching and analyzing its current brand identity and applying everything I learned in my iterations. It helped me better understand what it would be like working under a company where I had to follow a set of guidelines. Along with that, it helped me improve my creative problem-solving, layout, illustration, and package design skills.
Thank you for viewing this project! ‧₊
- Jenel Jyl Braza
- Jenel Jyl Braza
