I have spent my entire life using cork boards, pinning to them images and words I found inspiring or interesting. My cork boards reflected my busy mind from a very young age. I always assumed this process would never prove useful in my adult life but, working on this project, I was proven wrong.
Having a visual representation of your influence and thoughts can be vital to the creative process. While redesigning Little Debbie’s Nutty Bars, I was overcome with thoughts and images to incorporate into my design. My Pinterest board—a modern day digital cork board—was full of these influences. A week prior, the second of the trip, I spent hours delving into what the quintessential British summertime looked and felt liked. My research was wide and varied but as I began to put these seemingly unrelated ideas into my design, I saw how vital my board was to the process.
My influences ranged from television shows to conversations I had with British friends. My design style, with simple pastel cartoon vector art, was shaped by television shows like Peppa Pig, a popular children’s cartoon in the U.K. My use of picnic baskets and bunting was picked up from watching The Great British Bake Off, a baking competition show where the sets are decked in classic British style. My writing on the back of the box was determined by speaking to British friends, picking up on the specifically British words they used. From those conversations, I chose to use words like “garden” instead of “backyard” and “sweets” instead of “snacks.” I also researched other classic British summer scenery for other potential packages in the same line, like the pastel beach huts in the coastal town of Brighton.
“Before this project, I assumed packaging design was all about what looked good but through my research, I have begun to understand the subtle nuances and cultural points that make their way into every piece of packaging.”
The hardest aspect of the changes I made was with Little Debbie herself. The original Little Debbie image is a stylized picture of a little girl. Through my research and board of images, I knew I needed to change the logo to fit this British summertime aesthetic. And so I did that, adjusting it to fit within the cartoon style of Peppa Pig, making her into a friendly, known character rather than a nostalgic American image with no meaning in the U.K. Through these influences, my design took shape.
Before this project, I assumed packaging design was all about what looked good but through my research, I have begun to understand the subtle nuances and cultural points that make their way into every piece of packaging. As I assemble my final product, I hope it all comes through.