The Atlanta airport is lively as fliers weave through crowds, pulling luggage frantically behind them. I sit nestled into a corner, the international gate departures panels lighting up across from me. I’m anxious and excited, a heady mixture of emotions filling me up. In just one hour, I board a plane to travel to London, England.
While I’m sure I will see Tower of London and The Thames, this trip is not purely for pleasure, but rather an opportunity to study international packaging design in one of the world’s most vibrant cities. The opportunity is boundless and thrilling, an immense chance to learn and create in a completely unique setting. Just a few months ago, I was sitting at home in Clemson, SC, a mousy graduate student knee-deep in research and study in Clemson University’s Graphic Communications program. Today, I’m traveling thousands of miles to learn about and study international packaging.
I will spend one month researching and working to answer questions like, “How would the classic American Little Debbie ‘Nutty Butters’ bars be packaged and marketed to a U.K. audience?” Answering questions like these will require study and execution in the intersection of marketing, design, packaging and print. During the month-long class, we will study these intersections while redesigning an American package for a U.K. audience. I will spend time scouring British grocery stores, a “packaging Sherlock Holmes” on a mission to understand every nuance of U.K. packaging design. This investigation will lead to many hours on the computer and with a sketchbook, brainstorming designs over and over again, trying to create the best localized version of the package possible. I will have my work reviewed and critiqued by pi global, an international packaging design agency.
“I will spend time scouring British grocery stores, a “packaging Sherlock Holmes” on a mission to understand every nuance of U.K. packaging design.”
This month will be a challenge, but a worthwhile one. Guided by our faculty supervisor, supported by pi’s design team and surrounded by a group of fellow students, I will not be alone in this process. We will all tirelessly strive to create packaging that simply works in a totally new environment, culture and market. The project will test my design, research and knowledge of the print industry in a completely new way. By the end, I hope to create a product redesign that I’m not only proud of but also one which will be successful (and printable) in the U.K. market.
As I wait for our flight to be called, I watch a woman ponder a selection of potato chips, picking up a bright yellow potato chip bag. I imagine the same brand of potato chips, or crisps, sitting on a shelf at the arrival gate in London’s Heathrow Airport. The contents the same, still salty and crunchy, but the packaging vastly different. I can’t wait to understand why.
Next: Emma discusses how she translates summertime nostalgia into design.