The Package Design Experience: Design Rationale

For my final project, I designed a wax melt brand, along with one of their products. For some context, wax melts are used in an “aroma melter” or “wax warmer”. Aroma melters are a fun alternative to regular candles. They can imitate many different scents without taking up the space that regular candles do. Some aroma melters are electronic (fire safe) and some require a tealight candle at the bottom; these are typically more aesthetically pleasing.

Now before I got to this final product, I went through a lot of different potential product ideas. I knew I wanted to rebrand a product but wasn’t expecting to create a brand from scratch like I did. Regarding the branding, I think I struggled most with choosing my colours, but in the end, I decided neutral was the best way to go.

During my critiques, I explained that I wanted my packaging to be recyclable, but it was suggested that I consider a box that the user can keep and use. After consideration, I went with both. I created a heavy cardboard box that, if wanted, can be recycled, but is durable enough that the consumer can keep it to use as storage in the future. I wanted it to have some sort of branding on it, even if it wasn’t obvious because as we learned, consumers don’t necessarily want to display products with heavy branding in their home long term (like the Yeti logo sticker that no one wants to put anywhere). I did that by keeping the drip pattern along the edges of the box and using the real brand logo and information on a cardboard sleeve that is used to secure the package in-store. As for the box itself, I wanted to make it interesting so instead of a typical lid and box, I created a slide-out, where you pull the tab, and the box inside slides out to reveal the product.

As discussed, I wanted my product to be shaped like some sort of food to be more fun. I thought an ice cream stand would be a fun way to display it in-store and the packaging could reflect that. Within the last week or two of designing, I drifted away from that idea. I kept the “do not eat” warning on the packaging as the scent is still food-related (chocolate), but the wax itself is in the usual, break-off cubes. I think this is easier and more productive to produce, more recognizable for the consumer, and less dangerous if a child were to get their hands on it!

As for my final mock-up, I created a variety of things. Shown first is my final product. This image shows the pullout box opened and closed, from two different angles. You can see the wrapped product in the open view, but I mocked up the content of the box separately. The cloth used to wrap the products also doubles as a cleaning cloth for the wax warmer! As shown, one side is plain brown and the other has the “Meltz” branding pattern on it. Inside my box I have a few things, the first being a thank you card. Once unwrapped, the thank you card will be placed on top of the product. Underneath the card will be three things. The wax cubes themselves and two bonus items. These items are a small sticker pack and a matchbox. As I mentioned earlier, I designed the box for the user to keep and use as storage if they want to. That’s where the stickers come into play. The consumer can decorate their box with the stickers. I made them somewhat generic so that they are more likely to get used. As for the matchbox, I thought this was a fun added bonus. Since one type of wax warmer a consumer can use needs to be fire-lit, I thought this was the perfect bonus/surprise object in the box. It makes the unboxing experience more fun when the consumer gets to open unexpected products and brings a sense of joy that will entice them to buy more products from the brand!

Overall, I am very happy with my final outcome. I do wish I had a few more weeks to develop this project further as there are some things I would love to improve, but under the circumstances, I am happy with this outcome.