Design For Packaging & Graphics
Your package design is the most frequent and important brand impression you have with your customers – it is your calling card. It defines what your brand stands for – your statement of quality, level of respect for your customer, and understanding of what your customers really need.
Innovative packaging design & graphics can only be developed when you understand all friction points experienced by your customers, human factor issues related to usability, and how to innovate within the typically tight constraints imposed by materials & manufacturing processes. With these insights you can define unique and ownable brand experiences that create strategic advantage with innovative package designs that effectively extract you from a generic competitive landscape, clearly establishing your brand and the undeniable industry leader.
Kellogg’s, Gatorade, Listerine, Solo Traveler Plus, and Kraft are just some of the innovative, breakthrough, award-winning package design we have developed. From cereal that never gets soggy, to coffee lids that can never spill on you, to defining a new sports bottle paradigm for Gatorade, Metaphase brings a truly innovative approach as a product packaging design agency.
To see them up-close, click on a specific product to the left.
Anheuser-Busch InBev, Crown Tab
Every detail matters! The new Budweiser can dons the bowtie graphic and red crown pull tab. The new crown tab is a distinguishing feature that allows the consumer to identify the brand from the top of the can. This tab design has recently been expanded to blue for Bud Light cans and green for Bud Light Lime cans.
Heinz®, Dip & Squeeze®
The new Dip & Squeeze® packaging gives ketchup-lovers the choice between the traditional on-the-go squeeze and the dine-in dipping experience. The new packaging is economical enough to be offered at many fast food restaurants, yet with three times more ketchup than the traditional packet, can also be purchased at grocery stores.
The objectives of this research-centric project were to understand the strengths and weaknesses of each prototype when used for both dipping and squeezing, and to identify areas for improvement to further enhance the customer experience with the single-serve package when eating in the car.
Focus group sessions were conducted with young adult males, young adult females and moms. The sessions involved:
- “In-car” evaluation of 4 prototype packages. Research respondents experienced the prototypes in a simulated car environment using French Fries and other complementary fast food packaging.
- Self-administered questionnaire was completed for each prototype.
- Group discussion identified the advantages, disadvantages and package optimizations.
Duncan Hines®, Amazing Glazes™
Amazing Glazes™ makes dessert decorating easy…just microwave and pour! This dessert topping allows you to get creative. Use a lot or a little – the rest can be refrigerated and used next time!
The research objective was to obtain feedback on various bottle features to design an innovative packaging solution for Duncan Hines. The package needed to be able to run on an existing manufacturing line with height restrictions.
Metaphase involved female “bakers” in the research studies. The first phase of research consisted of test stations that allowed the “bakers” to explore visual elements (size, form, color and graphics), physical elements (size, form, material) and effects (volume, flow rate, velocity). These research results influenced the design of 3 different physical structures. These structures were evaluated by “bakers”. The research findings along with branding guidelines and manufacturing constraints dictated the commercialized package.
A. Spout is set off-center to pouring edge to enable mess-free glaze application.
B. Indention provides the user with intuitive cue for proper grip zone.
Neptune’s Car, Boat Graphics
In the world of competitive sailing, winning is not just about speed, it’s also about tactics and projecting an infallible triumphant image.
When Neptune’s Car sails to port for a regatta, heads turn and a declaration is made that this boat and crew are to be reckoned with. Starting with the name “Neptune’s Car”, we developed a brand image projecting strength, power, and a total command of the seas. We utilized Neptune’s muscular arm crashing through turbulent waves with his signature trident in hand to form a seamless connection between boat and water.
Bausch & Lomb, Sales Booklet & Exhibit
As a prelude to the market introduction of the breakthrough Stellaris PC Visual Enhancement System, Bausch & Lomb wanted to seed the market with information on some of its features and functionality to create immediate pause in current buying decisions. Additionally, the information would create energy around the new system design.
A. Our “Whisper Campaign” was designed to systematically inform surgeons prior to major medical conferences with a teaser mailing and a customized invitation to a private viewing at the upcoming conference.
B. Off-site from the main conference, surgeons were chauffeured to a private exhibit space designed by Metaphase. The exhibit created an intimate, interactive and personal introduction to the new system. This tightly choreographed campaign created a buzz for the new system and paved Bausch & Lomb’s way into the surgeon’s decision process.
Kellogg’s, Drink ‘n Crunch
Metaphase’s innovative breakthrough design for Kellogg’s “Drink’n Crunch” cereal-in-hand created an exciting new product category.
An inner cup contains the cereal and the outer cup contains the milk. Cereal rolls into your mouth from the inner cup while milk flows into your mouth through the ergonomically designed mouthpiece sip hole – your mouth is the bowl. Metaphase has received wide acclaim for their breakthrough design of “Drink’n Crunch”. It was singled out as a top breakthrough innovation in food packaging in ’04 receiving the Better Mouse Trap, Red Dot, Good Design, Dupont and Institute of Packaging Professionals Design Excellence Awards.
A. An inner cup contains the cereal – an outer cup contains milk. The outer cup is shaped to allow the driver to “see over” while driving, with grips scaled for hands of all sizes.
B. The cereal & milk flow into your mouth simultaneously, so the cereal never gets soggy. Cereal rolls into your mouth from the inner cup combining with milk that flows from the sip hole in the form-fitting ergonomically designed mouthpiece.
Kraft, Go Paks
Kraft snack foods are now more portable than ever in “Go-Paks.”
A. The uniquely elegant tapering of the container allows for it to fit in most any car cup holder with ease, without sacrificing how it fits the hand.
B. The large, overlapping rim makes it easy for any size fingers to open and close, and provides wide access for the hand and fingers to get every last crumb of your favorite snack.
Kraft, Mayo Package
The new Kraft Mayo commercial pack brings welcome relief to the food service industry.
A. The lid is large and easy to open. And since the container lacks the shoulders of a traditional container, the product can easily be dispensed with a spoon or spatula … every last bit.
B. The large textured handle fits hands of all sizes and offers a slip-free grip. The sealed handle ensures that no mayo is trapped inside like other designs; all of the contents are usable. The handle is positioned to cause the container to naturally balance in a horizontal position for ease-of-use.
Gatorade, E.D.G.E
Metaphase defined a new sports bottle paradigm for Gatorade with “E.D.G.E.”- Ergonomically Designed Gatorade Experience.
The innovative design is all gear with a choke-hold grip, comfortable grip zones and a mouthpiece designed to fit your lips precisely. Metaphase conducted observational, perception, and ergonomic research across 14 sports venues with more than 200 consumers in several markets throughout the United States. With E.D.G.E., Metaphase redefined the sports drink category with a package design that is as sophisticated and as cool as the drink itself.
A. The patented mouth cap is based on an anthropometric study on lip size & shape, and a consumption study informed the opening for the perfect flow rate.
B. The primary grip zone “choke-hold” is scaled to accommodate 5th to 95th percentile hand sizes. C. Contours on the body are scaled to fit finger diameters and drive a sports equipment look & feel that’s all gear. Now that’s refreshing!
Solo, Traveler Plus Hot Cup Lid
Keep the coffee in the cup and not on you- Metaphase’s breakthrough ergonomic design does just that.
The re-closable “Traveler Plus”TM lid establishes a new premium performance category for hot cup lids that allows on-the-go coffee consumers to drink on-the-run without spills. Research shows consumers are more likely to purchase coffee at operations that feature the “Traveler Plus”TM lid (Weinstein & Associates, September 2001). Metaphase received ID Magazine’s prestigious BEST OF CATEGORY AWARD for packaging in their Annual Design Review for “Traveler Plus”TM. Traveler PlusTM was selected by The Museum of Modern Art in New York for a special exhibit on “Safe Design” (October 21, 2005 through January 6, 2006).
A. With a simple flick of your index finger you can open & close the sip hole to prevent accidental spills. The finger operated slide tab is designed to provide both a tactile and audible “click” that tells you are safe to travel without having to look at the lid.
B. Based on the Ergonomics of drinking and anatomic variability, the lid is designed to fit lips of all sizes & shapes, offer a tight seal to minimize dribbles, and feel like no other coffee lid on the market.
Pfizer, Listerine
Metaphase’s design of Listerine’s 2.1 liter Club Bottle enhances the perception of size and value, while also making the oversized package easier to carry and handle.
A. The ergonomic grip panels provide mechanical interlock with the user’s fingers for comfortable and secure gripping of this club-sized package.
B.The tall child-proof cap affords a large grip surface for ease of entry.
C. The brand’s iconic shape was enhanced to provide efficient “cube out” for supply chain requirements, while also providing a knuckle clearance for individuals stocking shelves.
