For this school project, there was no specific client. I was tasked with choosing a package for an existing product and making it more sustainable. I chose packaging for low-priced wireless earbuds, available at grocery store chains and big box stores across the country.
The challenge
I challenged myself to think beyond just creating a smaller package, and really push the idea of sustainability while focusing on the target consumer for this product—35-60+ year-olds who don't really care about the brand of the product, but likely care about sustainable packaging and environmental issues. I also wanted to create a package that would stand out on store shelves. An additional challenge was that all of the text included on the original package had to appear on the new package, and still be legible even if the packaging itself was smaller—in English and in French—along with any barcodes and copyright information.
The process
The packaging redesign process involved multiple rounds of ideation, research, sketching and prototyping. I developed a die-line / die-cut file, printed it, and assembled the packaging.
My solution
In order to make the new packaging as sustainable as possible, I made it much more compact, used recycled and recyclable materials (recycled cardboard), and created a package that, once opened, could be reused as a passive amplifier for your smart phone. The packaging consisted of three main pieces: the box itself, a cardboard piece that would hold the headphones in place, and a false bottom that would contain the instruction booklet and hide the surplus cord length.
