Packaging & Form Follows Function
Jillian Warren // Objects and Space
Pre-Construction:
Dielines:
Physical Design:
The physical structure of the package is intended to house and provide protection for the wire skull sculpture, which is relatively fragile. The shape of the box was made to resemble a coffin, in a playful attempt to connect the package to its contents, considering that a skeleton would typically be housed in a coffin. The proportions are exaggerated slightly from the typical coffin shape; the walls are much taller and wider to adhere to the size of the sculpture. The interior of the package is made to snugly secure the sculpture in place. The interior pieces fill in the gaps of the box not filled by the sculpture, ensuring that it won't move out of place if transported. When closed, the lid is secured with flaps that tuck in to the side of the box, and it is further held in place by a tongue flap so that the overall package remains stable. When opened, the lid flips open remaining connected to one side of the box.
Visual Design:
In contrast to the rather dark theme surrounding the product, the visual design of the package creates a more lighthearted feel. The main repeating motif on the surface of the package is the skull line drawing, which was made to resemble the actual wire work on the sculpture stored inside. Since the actual product is not visible from the outside of the package, I wanted to give viewers some sense of what it looked like, without having to open it. To further draw viewers in, I made the front of the box rather playful with lots of ornamental details and colorful gradients. In terms of colors, I stayed with muted pastels with warm tones to keep the overall aesthetic calming rather than intense, and I used gradients on almost all sides of the box to create a softer look. I chose to use "Drop Dead Decor" as a sort of brand name which the sculpture would be sold under. The name is also meant to fit with the "death" theme, along with the coffin shaped box and the skull sculpture.
