Starpack Tea and Coffee: Packaging research

Brief specifications
- set of 3 or more 
- tins (made from metal)
- luxury packaging

Going on these specifications I have begun to look at some packaging for tins and also other food products.

fig 1

fig 2

The above packaging for tea does not incorporate metal into the design - however, the structure of the tins could allow the material to be changed. The structure of these requires 2 cylinders - one nesting inside the other. If I were to use this packaging style, the inner cylinder (containing the tea) could be constructed from metal and the outer sleeve which is placed on top could be made from card or even wood. The brief does state that the "core" element must be tinplate, so using wood may not suit the specifications. If this is true, then the outer sleeve could easily be made from tinplate too. The use of 2 components gives a sleek look to the packaging, and the inner sleeve (as in fig 2) could be an eye-catching feature, using either bright colours or embossing or even cutouts in the metal. 

Considering the contents is also vital to packaging design and the tea inside will need to be kept as fresh as possible. It will be sealed in foil bags (as per the brief) but extra protection may be needed. In this case, the structure could change from 2 sleeves to a round tin including a lid and a sleeve to be fitted over the top. The consideration here is that the extra sleeve would only be used for aesthetic reasons. This would be an issue in cost with manufacturing and could also be considered a waste of materials.

fig 3

fig 4

The shape of the tins for Platform T tea (fig 3) is interesting as it uses a square for the tin itself and a rounded lid. The contrast between these 2 shapes gives the tins a more traditional feel - if the lid had been square the tin may have felt more modern due to the angular nature of it. Also, a point to note is the colour and finish of metal in the packaging. The burnt orange colour hails to more traditional aesthetics, as opposed to more modern colours such as silver (in chrome or stainless steel). These metals would also have a very shiny finish - but this tin is matte which suits the colour of the metal well. I like the idea of using coloured metals for the packaging as it brings more interest to the design. Using a plain silver tinplate has been overused and adding the colour will help the tins to stand out. I will research into the coloured metals I could get as the range may be limited.

The white label contrasts against the dark orange of the metal and the text is very clearly laid out. What is interesting is on the back of the label (fig 4), information about the tea and instructions for brewing are simplified and arranged in an easy to read fashion. This would be handy for tea drinkers who want to know this information quickly - the caffeine level and steeping time, in particular, I find very useful to get the best out of the tea. Also, a nice feature on the label is the thin band of colour which runs around the bottom of the label to differentiate between each flavour of without distracting from the beautiful colour of the metal. The pared back design and delicate design of the label with the addition of pattern and the traditional feel makes the brand seem luxurious.

fig 5

A more simplistic design, these tins for a fictional brand Tea for Two (fig 5) were designed to evoke feelings of calm and tranquillity, similar to the feelings that are evoked "during the English ritual of making a pot of tea". This is done by using pale, harmonising colours and a running pattern through the design. The feature I like the most is the label with the information on - a sticker placed over the lid, fixing it in place. The use of text in a smaller size lets the negative space contrast against the pattern and simplifies the design even further. 

Another aim for these tins was to have a modern feel and try and entice a younger audience as traditional tea drinking is on a decline amongst young people. I think the design has worked quite well in marrying the traditional side of tea with a younger look and aim. 

fig 6

This Just Cook packaging (fig 6) is not for tea but instead seasonings for use when cooking. I decided to expand the range of tins I looked at so I would gain more ideas. 

Initially looking at the tins, my impression is that they look extremely modern, and I think this is due to the use of black as the core colour. Against this, the use of colour otherwise is limited to white for the main text and the features that change (the type of seasoning), the colours of which vary across the tins. The limited use of bright colours works cohesively to make the range look consistent yet it provides an obvious point of differentiation. 

The tin and the lid are also consistent, however, are interesting as they differ in appearance. Whereas the tin design is pared back and simplistic, relying on the use of black and limited text, the lid is busy with text. Again featuring all the brand and flavour information, the lid also contains extra text stating the place the brand originates from as well as slogan and tagline. While the overall effect is modern and well designed it feels very busy and does not have an air of luxury.