Starpack Tea and Coffee: Tin design

The shape and structure of the tin is my first consideration when designing the packaging as this is the core element. My initial idea of using tesselation within the packaging was something I wanted to experiment with further and so I created some sketches.

I initially started sketching (fig 1) using octagons and decagons as opposed to hexagons - I felt the shapes were less basic and the shape of them looked smoother. After sketching them placed together in patterns, it was evident that they didn't perfectly tesselate. As their interior angles do not add up to 360, there will be gaps in the pattern. I thought the decagon looked the smoothest of the shapes, however, has the most irregular gap between the shapes when placed together. 

The hexagon tesselates together perfectly but I think the shape has been overused, so instead I have decided to use the hexagon - the gap between all shapes when placed together is a small square, so does not look odd. When stood on their base, the tins in this shape fit together well. 

Making paper prototypes of the tins allows me to visualise the shape and structure of the tins more vividly. I chose to make a taller and smaller octagonal tin to compare the two and see which height works best with the shape. 

After creating these models and sketching out some ideas for the labels I have decided not to carry forward with the idea of octagonal tins. The shape I feel is too "hipster" and angular, which doesn't correlate well with luxury. On an octagonal tin, I don't think the label would be clearly displayed, changing the shape of the tin would solve this problem. Additionally, I did not feel that the octagonal shape had any real relevance to the brand. I could use this idea on a more modern and young feeling brand. 

I have experimented with the composition of the tin, in terms of lid and structure. I have taken inspiration from my research in some designs, using the idea of an inner tin and sleeve placed over the top, leaving some of the inner tin on display. 

Again creating paper models of the tins allows me to visualise them as well as go on to create labels in the right size and shape for the tins. I have chosen to make tins in a more regular, square/rectangular shape, as I think this meets the luxury requirement of the brief.

I particularly liked the design on the far right, where the packaging is composed out of an inner tin and an accompanying sleeve. The sleeve is slightly shorter than the tin itself - so the bottom of the inner tin will be on display and not covered by the sleeve.

The inner tin will be 100mm x 100mm x 100mm.

The sleeve will be 102mm x 102mm x 85mm (to allow for the tin to be displayed at the bottom of the design). The extra 2 mm on each face is to allow the sleeve to slot over the tin for a tight fit.

Another thing to consider is the sealing of the tin. As the contents of the tin are food, the tin needs to be sealed to prevent the tea from contamination and keep it fresh.

In research, I discovered that most food packaging hermetically sealed to keep the packaging airtight and stop the food from going off. However, if the contents of the tin is sealed within a foil or plastic wrap this is not needed. 

Because of this, I can just create a simple lid that fits into the tin, adding only a few mm to the height of the overall packaging. The top of the lid will be flat.

The tin plate will be electrolytically coated in colour and given a matt finish.