Dutch Packaging Design

Wondering how far you can push your packaging design to the limit? Designer Ewan Yap presents his ”Big Brand Theory” on Behance with some major and iconic brands (think Heineken, Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Red Bull etc.). His beautiful work is an experiment in brand aesthetics, and also informs us on the cropability of  logos in terms of image cropability.
Check out the cropability of a brand (or the guts to leave things out).

An inspiring and interesting brand new book by Dutch publisher BIS Publishers out this month about ‘the essence of retail branding and design’.

”Retail mirrors society and as society is constantly changing, retail has to be able to anticipate these changes in order to maintain its right of existence. In short; act, react or suffer! This book covers all the facets of retail branding, holistic formula development and the essential one-to-one relationship with your customers.” -> Buy at BIS Publishers or view large and read at ISSUU

An international roundup of contemporary packaging design by Taschen: On sale soon!
Packaging is a highly underrated art form. As the first thing a consumer sees when looking at a product, the packaging can make or break a sale. Every year, the Pentawards celebrate the art of the package by presenting awards to designs from around the world. Featuring a selection of over 400 works from 30 countries, this book brings together all the Pentawards winners from 2011 and 2012. This well of inspiration is not just aimed at design and marketing professionals but anyone with an interest in the creative process of packaging.
The editor: Pentawards is the first and only worldwide competition dedicated to packaging design in all its forms, open to anyone associated with its creation and/or marketing. Aside from prize-giving, Pentawards’ mission is the worldwide promotion of packaging design among companies, media, economic and political authorities, and the general public. Further information: www.pentawards.org

Packaging products are designed to last as long as possible before recycling, where the vital process starts all over again. The importance of recyclable packaging is clearly recognised by all market sectors; either because the product itself is natural and eco-friendly or manufacturers wish to draw attention to the essence of the product. On the whole, awareness as regards the importance of recycled products is gradually increasing.

View pages and read more, or buy here.

Again a wonderfull asset for our bookshelf, “packed” with inspiration: THE ART OF PACKAGE DESIGN. A recent assembly of international designers is creating highly outstanding and savvy designs to complement the nature and function of a product. Editor Wendy Xu included the Atelier LaDurance Japanese Denim packaging in the publication that is about innovative packaging designs that functions beyond ‘simply product wrappers’. A creative treasure published by Gingko Press: www.gingkopress.com

crEAte is the-must-have book for every designer connected to the world of food and beverage. Six chapters:’Food Activista’, ‘Wholehearted’, Smart Food’, ‘Packaging’, ‘Food Spaces’ and ‘Typologies’ deal with different aspects of design within gastronomy. An inspiring book published by Gestalten, Berlin 2008

Looking for a great read that just hit the shelves? Check out ‘The Package Design Book’ written by Julius Wiedemann. This recently published book showcases Pentaward winners from the worldwide packaging design contest. Featuring a vibrantly yellow cover, the book itself is an example of eye-catching design not to mention having over 400 product pages. Each page has high quality images of food, beverage, and beauty products along with a short summary about the packaging design. The Package Design Book can be purchased at TASCHEN.