Type IV: Jell-O Packaging

In the past couple of days I've been trying to compile some of the studies/tests I've done. I spent a little bit of time playing with hierarchy and seeing how that would change what we focus on in a package. In a way, it sort of reveals why things are done the way they are-- would you ever really be able to find something in a grocery store based on net weight? On the other hand, it's interesting to imagine what that might be like, and what people would begin to notice with things like ingredients or nutrition facts emphasized.

Since the brand name/food object was still pretty prominent on these packages, I tried to see what happens when other things really become the focus: ingredients, directions, something that might clue into what's actually inside the box without being as direct. I thought the above box was kind of interesting since, stacked front and back, it reveals all the information at once.

Again, I'm not really sure how well things like this would function on the shelf, but I guess it's not really experimenting if it isn't breaking any rules. From here I tried to work on some more refined and complete packages, combining some of the things I've been studying over the past week-- how to increase size on the shelf, box modularity, unconventional hierarchy and sequencing. This one became more of a study on sequencing and hierarchy-- the flavor and ingredients being the front and most important, and revealing the directions as the box is opened.

I also tried to look at what could be eliminated from the original box, which was loaded with directions and recipes. How could I still incorporate those, but use the entire box? (Because maybe you don't really need the five additional recipes until you open it.) Since jello comes in a lot of flavors, I thought about how they could be stacked in various ways and still inform the buyer what kind of jello it actually is.

I did a little jello research and found various slogans throughout the years. This set of packages ended up being a combination of a lot of the stuff I tried above-- seeing all the important information in front at once, using the inside of the box as well as the outside. The quote on the shelf is large and can be used to entice the buyer (what's "america's most favorite dessert"?), and when they pick it up off the shelf they would see "jello" written on the side. At home, opening the flap will reveal the the directions can be viewed inside the box.

And an example of how these might stack, either at home or at the store.

I think this is taking an interesting direction from where I started, but I definitely feel like all the small studies and experiments I did are helping to inform (and will probably continue to) some of the combinations I can begin to make. Going through that process for me almost felt like a good way to focus on one element at a time, because approaching the type heavy jell-o box felt a lot less intimidating when I had already experimented with some of the elements on their own beforehand.