Packaging & Merchandising Design - Task 2 : Taylor's Coffee Cup Design

16/10/2024 - 30/10/2024 (Week 4 - Week 6)

Chong Wee Han 0368863

Packaging and Merchandising Design

Task 2 - Coffee Cup Design

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TASK 2 - TAYLOR'S COFFEE CUP DESIGN

In this task, Miss briefed us on doing a coffee cup design, this is a group project and we needed to design an 8oz size coffee cup that prepare for Taylor's open day, and our client is Taylor's Culinary Institute. Their objective is to create a visually appealing and functional coffee cup that promotes sustainability while enhancing the brand identity. 

Target Audience: Environmentally conscious, coffee enthusiasts, and young professionals and students.

Visual Elements:

Incorporate brand logo

Colour palette that reflects the brand's identity

Unique patterns or illustrations that resonate with the target audience

Functionality:

Comfortable grip and economical shape

Lidded option for on-the-go convenience

Inspiration:

Nature and sustainability themes

Minimalist design trends

Artistic coffee culture

Process 

First concept

Our first concept is more on nature and floral, and the colour choices we are considering are red, green and yellow. The red colour expresses the energy to start a new day by striving and working harder. It also refers to the hot drink, which is red. It reminds us of climate change, raising awareness of recycled waste, promoting sustainability and the most important thing is that it also represents Taylor's. In the illustration part, we want to use illustrations like veins in the leaves or tree rings and fingerprints. After we discussed the concepts, my groupmate Myra and I proceeded to the sketches.

Figure 1.1 Colour Palette (Week 4, 20/10/2024)

Figure 1.2 Visual references (Week 4, 20/10/2024)

Myra's sketches :

Figure 1.3 Sketches 01 (Week 4, 20/10/2024)

Figure 1.4 Sketches 02 (Week 4, 20/10/2024)

Figure 1.5 Sketches 03 (Week 4, 20/10/2024)

My sketches:

Figure 1.6 Sketches 04 (Week 4, 20/10/2024)

After showing Miss our work, he gives us a suggestion for developing the fingerprints into identity. Then, we started our second concept, particularly in how fingerprints related to Taylor's and the target audience.

Second Concept

The concept of the fingerprint cup design revolves around the idea of personal identity, uniqueness, and connection. The coffee cup symbolises daily routines, warmth, and energy, all essential for academic and personal growth. The fingerprint embedded into the design represents a symbol of enhancing and embracing a person's individuality that Taylor’s encourages. For students, it signifies that everyone has their own distinct path and experiences at Taylor's University. The fusion of fingerprints within a common object—like a coffee cup—suggests that despite these differences, students are united by shared experiences, forming a supportive and diverse community where each person's identity is valued.

The colour palette we also change into a new one, with a primary red colour, black as the lid, and the rest are for the logo and wording.

Figure 1.7 New colour palette (Week 5, 25/10/2024)

My sketches: 

Figure 1.8 Sketches 05 (Week 5, 27/10/2024)

The first design features a capital "T" with a fingerprint inside. The "T" stands for Taylor’s University - a place that embraces and accommodates the unique identities of all students. To further emphasize that we encourage and support environmental sustainability, the design also incorporates tree illustration. The tree symbolizes growth and represents how Taylor’s guides students to grow, just like a tree grows with people.

Figure 1.9 Sketches 06 (Week 5, 27/10/2024)

The second design features a human silhouette filled with fingerprints. The silhouettes represent different people, symbolizing diversity and individuality. The outer lines of the design depict multiple paths, encouraging the idea that everyone has the freedom to choose their own path in life. People embrace their own unique journeys and make choices that reflect their personal identity.

Figure 1.10 Sketches 07 (Week 5, 27/10/2024)

The third design’s fingerprint resembles a swirl, symbolizing that people sometimes feel confused and uncertain. However, in front of the swirl is the Taylor logo, representing guidance and direction. The person in the design is looking forward, symbolizing the belief that with Taylor's support, people can move beyond confusion and move forward toward achieving their dreams.

Myra's sketches:

Figure 1.11 Sketches 08 (Week 5, 27/10/2024)

The fingerprint-designed leaf wreath symbolizes individuality and growth for new students at Taylor's University. Each leaf, made from unique fingerprint patterns, represents personal identity, while the wreath signifies unity and collective strength. This design highlights how diverse student journeys come together to form a thriving, supportive community.

Figure 1.12 Sketches 09 (Week 5, 27/10/2024)

The fingerprint-filled coffee cup design represents individuality and identity in a unique, relatable way for new students at Taylor's University. Just as every fingerprint is distinct, so is each student's journey and potential at the university. The coffee cup, a symbol of energy, warmth, and daily life, mirrors the academic and personal growth experiences that students will have. This design emphasizes that every student brings their own identity and story to campus.

Miss approved our last design, but she reminded us not to overlap the Taylor's logo with the fingerprints. Finally, we proceed to the digital one in Adobe Illustrator and choose the most satisfying one as our final outcome.

Figure 1.13 Illustrator progress (Week 5, 29/10/2024)

SUBMISSIONS

Figure 1.14 Taylor's Coffee Cup Design, PDF (Week 5, 29/10/2024)

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FEEDBACK

Week 4 General Feedback: Make sure you have a concept that expresses the purpose. Make the design meaningful, and the client will pay for it. Specific Feedback: Miss approved our concept with fingerprints and asked us how to relate fingerprints to Taylor’s to express the meaning and enhance its value.

Week 5 General Feedback: Miss gave us the lecture on packaging design, some of the packaging is not suitable to make it too creative or fancy. Specific Feedback: Miss approved one of the designs, but she said that the logo must not overlap with the fingerprint.

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REFLECTION

Experience: In this task, we are having a real client in our project. The feelings and experiences are quite different compared to the previous task. I had gained some pressure when designing the coffee cup, but it was a new learning experience for me. This task is quite difficult for me, especially when brainstorming the idea but I have also learned a lot in this task too.

Observations: I observed that I had always considered and focused too much on the concepts that sometimes I missed the most important part which is the final outcome.

Findings: I found out that when having a client doing packaging design, the designer has to be focused on what the client wants and not what the designer wants.

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FURTHER READING

Link to article: https://www.boxmaker.com/blog/why-is-packaging-design-important

Figure 2.1 Further Reading (Week 5, 27/10/2024)

Effective packaging design can improve brand image, protect products, and increase consumer engagement. It’s not just about aesthetics; good design also considers functionality, reduces waste and costs, and potentially improves environmental impact. 

Well-designed packaging can reduce product damage during shipping, increase brand awareness, and meet the expectations of environmentally conscious consumers. Thoughtful packaging can create a memorable unboxing experience that influences customer loyalty and purchasing decisions.