Packaging & Merchandising Design | Project 2: Innovative Packaging
10/11/25 - 30/11/25 (Week 8 - Week 10)
Kimberly Miaw Jya Nee | 0366836
Bachelor of Design (Honours) in Creative Media | Taylor's University
Packaging & Merchandising Design
Project 2: Innovative Packaging (20%)
[Table of Contents]
1. Instructions
2. Project
3. Feedback
4. Reflection
5. Quick Links
[Instructions]
[Project]
In this project, we are given 3 briefs to choose from which required
us to create a logo and design an innovative packaging solution that
aligns with the brand’s goals.
Group Members:
1. Kimberly Miaw Jya Nee (Leader)
2. Mah Sze Min
3. Aw Wen Chia
4. Nicco Chew Jin Xun
5. Muthiah Salsabila Harsono
Chosen Brief: Design Brief 2
Fig. 1. Design Brief 2
Company Name:
Smile Surprise
Product:
Miniature toiletry items (shampoo, conditioner, body wash, deodorant,
etc.)
Goal:
- Create a toiletry brand for young people who enjoy giving small, affordable gifts to their friends.
- Ensure the products feel thoughtful and environmentally responsible.
- Compete in a market where packaging often becomes the main selling point.
- Improve sustainability by focusing on the 3Rs: reduce, reuse, and recycle.
- Develop an innovative packaging design that can display the toiletries while still looking appealing on the shelf.
Deliverables:
- Logo / brand identity elements
- Label design
- Outer box design (graphics + structural layout)
- Inner tray/insert design
- Packaging dieline
Process Work
First, we brainstormed different types of toiletry items for this project.
We explored many possible set combinations, but we eventually decided to
focus on skincare products.
Chosen Products
1. Toner
2. Serum
3. Moisturiser
We bought the empty bottles from Shopee. The toner and moisturiser bottles
are plastic, while the serum bottle is glass. All of them are reusable
since the lids can be opened, which also makes the products refillable.
Pump Bottle Size:
30 ml: 12cm * 3.2 cm
Dropper Bottle Size:
30 ml: 10.5cm * 3.3cm
Brand Identity
Then, we moved on to defining Smile Surprise's brand identity. We
identified the specific demographic we wanted to target, the brand
personality, the overall theme, and other important factors.
A youthful, eco-conscious skincare gift brand that celebrates small acts of
joy through self-care and thoughtful giving.
Target Audience:
Target Audience:
Urban women aged 20–28 who value affordable, aesthetic, and sustainable
products that feel genuine and gift-worthy.
Personality:
Personality:
Warm, approachable, and effortlessly feminine, wants to make gifting feel
lighthearted, caring, and kind to the planet.
Tone & Style:
Tone & Style:
Cheerful • Gentle • Modern • Heartfelt • Eco-conscious
Theme:
Daisy Flowers
We created a
shared Pinterest board to gather our inspirations and in one place. This made it easier
for us to understand each other’s ideas since we could see the visual
references everyone saved.
Logo Design
We began brainstorming the logo by having each of us produce initial sketches. After the first round of feedback, we decided to focus on Sze Min's script or calligraphy style logo and incorporate a daisy element. We also worked on improving the legibility of the logo to make it clearer and more readable.
Fig. Logo Sketches (2nd Attempt)
After a few more rounds of feedback, we realised that the script and calligraphy-style logo was still not very legible. So, we switched to using Comfortaa font for the logo text and added a simple line art illustration of daisy flowers to maintain the original concept.
Fig. Final Digitalised Smile Surprise Logo
Label Design
Fig. Label Design Sketches
Nicco, Sze Min, and Avery were in charge of designing the labels for the
toner, serum, and moisturiser bottles. After sending the sketches to Sir
for feedback, he suggested that we proceed with Nicco’s design (the middle
option).
Fig. Label Design (Refined) Based on Nicco's Sketch
We actually printed the label design earlier in Week 10 (not shown), but the background colour turned out too yellow for our liking, and we also noticed a few errors in the layout. So, we refined the design again, as shown above.
Packaging Dieline
Fig. Initial Packaging Sketches
After receiving feedback from Sir, we decided to keep the packaging
practical by sticking to a rectangular box design and keeping the window
feature.
Fig. Packaging Structure (Without Dimensions)
Packaging Visual Design
After I was done with the packaging dielines. I sent a copy of my AI file
to Tya for her do add her visual design on.
Fig. Tya's Packaging Visual Design
Finalised Designs
I was in charge of printing the finalised packaging, inner tray, and
labels, so I double checked everything and made slight refinements to the
designs before sending them out.
Fig. Finalised Label Design (With Dieline)
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Fig. Finalised Packaging Design (With Dieline)
Final Outcome
Skincare Bottle Labels
Fig. Final Outcome: Skincare Bottle Labels
Material: PP Matte Sticker
Packaging Inner Tray
Fig. Final Outcome: Packaging Inner Tray
Material: Art Card 310gsm
Packaging Outer Box
Fig. Final Outcome: Packaging Outer Box
Material: Art Card 230gsm
Fig. Label, Inner Tray, Outer Box Dieline Compilation (PDF)
[Feedback]
Week 8 (10/11/25)
General Feedback:
This week, we decided which products we wanted to create packaging for.
We also started working on the Smile Surprise logo, selected a colour
palette for the brand, and explored the overall design style we wanted
to follow.
Specific Feedback:
After showing Sir our logo sketches, he commented that we should:
- Refine brand positioning first to establish clear tone and personality (friendly, approachable)
- Conduct more research on logo concept to align with brand identity
- Explore logomark + wordmark combinations with proper rationale
- Current script logo can be a starting point, but can explore more variations
- Choose and justify colour palette (e.g. pastels give a feminine impression)
- Consider a theme or occasion for the packaging to add meaning
- Make sure miniature bottle and tube sizes are consistent and proportionate
- Simplify the script logo, try other style as well (preferably not san serif)
- Explore further with colour palette that represents the brand personality well
Week 9 (17/11/25)
General Feedback:
We worked on the label design and box de
Specific Feedback:
Box Structure Sketches
- The box design must consider practicality of the packaging. It must be convenient, easy to handle, display etc
Label Design Sketches
- He mentioned Nicco’s sketch has potential.
Week 10 (24/11/25)
General Feedback:
This week we finalised the designs and also added the dielines before
sending it to the printer.
Specific Feedback:
Label Feedback
- Colour can be lighter
- Flower shape is weird
- Current choice of typeface in label design is too narrow
- Shape should be more practical (collapsible/easy to stack on top of each other/nothing sticking)
[Reflection]
Experience
This project involved a lot of trial and error, especially when it
came to planning the structure and designing the visuals. I’m happy
with how the final design turned out, but I also realised a few things
I would improve next time. The material we chose was sturdy enough to
hold the miniature bottles, but I feel that using a thicker cardstock
would have made the box more durable and professional. I also
miscalculated the bottom measurements of the outer box, which caused
it to not close properly at first. Thankfully, I managed to fix it by
trimming the excess. This reminded me on how important accuracy is
when designing packaging that relies on precise folds..
Observation
Small details like material thickness and accurate measurements affect the
final outcome. Even minor adjustments can change how well the box closes,
how sturdy it feels, and how neatly the products sit inside.
Findings
When designing packaging, we need to consider both the visual and
practical aspects. It’s not only about how the design looks, but also how
well it functions in real life like how it protects the products, how it
showcases them, and how convenient it is for transport. An effective
packaging design requires a balance of aesthetics, structure, and
usability.
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