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M k
When the brand icon is as ownable as this one is, the pack-
aging design can be wrapped in it and work successfully.
Seems like there’s not much to it—in a good way—and yet
the dimensional positioning feels especially interactive.
r W
Here again, a brand icon becomes the central device of its
entire communication architecture. Wrapping the package
with the stylized shape is somewhat intuitive but still nicely
executed, specifically in how it wraps around all six sides of
the box. I admit that I did not originally see the “H” inside
the icon, but it does not bother me. Sometimes it’s nice to
discover something unique inside an identity, kind of like the
arrow in the FedEx logo. I’m wondering why the the actual
hole in the top/side area could not have been punched with
the same distinctive branded shape! That would have just
completed the experience.
pr o d u c t Holeys Re-brand
de S i g n F i r M dossiercreative inc.
lo c at i o n Vancouver, Canada
cl i e n t Holey Soles Holdings Ltd.
M k
Breathtaking, sexy, and elegant! A simple, classic shopping
bag transformed into a powerful and evocative statement.
r W
This package is perhaps as precious as the products it
contains. The reinterpretation of shoelaces as closure
is quite brilliant. The subtle touch of color coming from
the teal ribbon adds dimension. The logo, on its own, is
worth note. I continue to stare at it. At first glance, I read
it immediately and accurately, but in detailed examination,
unless my eyes deceive me, it seems to be missing a
descender, or even two! I’m wondering if adding all the
proper vertical letterforms would actually have made
this elegant logo less readable? Here is yet another great
lesson for designers: Sometimes you may have to break the
rules—even in how letters are formed—to be most effective.
Great work.
pr o d u c t Jimmy Choo Bags
de S i g n F i r M Brandhouse
lo c at io n London, England
cl i e n t Jimmy Choo
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These ballet-style shoes are sold from vending machines
at nightclubs, oering female clubbers an on-the-spot
solution to stiletto-sore feet. Entertaining copy is placed
inside the shoes, creating a set of urban fairytales for
modern girls.
!!!
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B e
What works here is the idea in the logo—rather endearing,
softly feminine without being too girly—that’s neatly short-
handed for application on the innersole. This is particularly
pertinent as the brand is an impulse purchase from vending
machines in nightclubs, meaning the logo communicates
the product’s uniqueness as well as the brand feel. The
brand is then enhanced by the touching use of copy that’s
different each time. The idea of the modern fairytale fits
perfectly with the target market—girls who need to change
out of their stillettos at the end of the night.
M k
What a brilliant way to position these little slip-ons as high-
end, irresistible fashion accessories! I imagine pocketing
these little shoes in my handbag for those late nights when
your feet hurt and you just want to walk home barefoot.
The little black set-up box is classy and austere, yet the
rounded, contemporary logo is friendly, approachable, and
expresses the features of the enclosed product. Just visual-
izing the experience of opening the box to discover the gold
or silver Rollasole makes me smile.
pr o d u c t Rollasole Slippers
de S i g n F i r M Magpie Studio
lo c at io n London, England
cl i e n t Rollasole
S W
First off, why didn’t I think of this product? It’s brilliant! And
the package does it proud, from the logotype to the fairytale
copy on the inside of the shoe. I’ve always loved the h logo
with the roll that Paul Rand designed for the Helbros Watch
Spring, so I am happy to see this done so smartly. I hate to
have anything but good to say, but I wonder if such a lovely,
sturdy box was really necessary? What do you do with this
box in a club environment—stick it into your tiny clutch?
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pr o d u c t Kudos Collars
de S i g n F i r M Exhibit A: Design Group
lo c at i o n Vancouver, Canada
cl i e n t Kudos Collars
M k
This designer packaging for pet accessories fits within
the glamorous-doggie world without being stereotypically
cutesie. The packaging could have a second life as a treat
container. The photography perspective—from the viewpoint
of the dog—is smart, as is the dog-bone hang tag with the
cord peeking out from under the lid. The command on the
front of the label is quiet but effective. A fresh approach to
canine culture.
S W
Aww, the joy of walking your dog on a clear summer day,
grass green, sky blue. I didn’t realize a package could
capture that experience. Kudos does it by what it’s not—it’s
not cluttered with sell copy; it’s not even showing you the
dog—allowing you to imagine you and your dog in this place.
The message is clear: “Walk Your Dog.” The addition of
the dog bone–shaped tag gives you all the information
you need.
pr o d u c t T-Mobile Sidekick LX
de S i g n F i r M PhilippeBecker
lo c at i o n San Francisco, CA
cl i e n t T-Mobile
M k
Ooohh, ahh...positioned there like an oh-so-skinny celebrity
in the glow of the spotlight. This product is poised, onstage,
and commanding attention, with its brand name clearly
identifying itself and an image that reads “check me out.”
The matte black background and embossed, spot-varnished
identity exude high style and luxury.
r W
How smart and unexpected to showcase your product from
its side view! It certainly communicates its super-slim
product design. How nice are the black-on-black graphics
and the considered logotype? How effective is the use of
color to differentiate between product offerings—changing
the product’s halo clearly differentiates between identical-
looking devices? Stealthy and simple. But what does it do?
Perhaps this design has devoted itself to a simple aesthetic
at the expense of communicating the product’s function. I
thought that form was to follow function.
S W
Yet another saintly, glowing product! The difference is
that this package gives the product the proper graphic
space to be exalted and revered. Even the product name is
toned back in reverence to the product. This is an elegant,
sophisticated package. I like the silly upside-down “i” as a
playful contrast to this very serious box.
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pr o d u c t
Brockhaus Digital Encyclopedia
de S i g n F i r M Factor Design AG
lo c at i o n Hamburg, Germany
cl i e n t Bibliographisches Institut & F. A. Brockhaus AG
r W
This is glorious product design. Slender, elegant, sophisticated, simple,
and—with its sweeping cap serving as a pedestal—distinctively different! I
like the translucent sleeve revealing the black box—a nice piece of theater.
However, a couple important things concern me. First, I agree that the
product depicted on the outside needs to look like what’s inside. I missed
the red product payoff. Second, the structure itself, with its white-on-white
simplicity, its die-cut windows and zero-tolerance wells, looks way too
similar to Apple’s signature aesthetic. Imitation may be the highest form
of flattery, but when it goes this far, it intrudes on another brand’s equity.
Expect a call from Cupertino, CA.
S W
A beautiful merging of tradition, history, and modern technology. The
designer’s restraint with historical graphic embellishments on the package
is admirable. This is an expensive product, so the packaging needed to
feel monumental and duplicate the experience of purchasing the volumes
of encyclopedia books and cracking open the covers for the first time. The
overall size and structure of this cube does that well, without having to
dedicate an entire bookcase to it. I especially like the package after the
sleeve is removed—the type treatment on the matte black, then moving to
the all-white inside is academically elegant and tasteful. The thin rule lines
subtly suggest timelines.
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