DESIGN BLOGS THESE days are full of images of gorgeous packaging. The rising popularity of small-batch, artisanal, and locally-made goods likely plays a part in that. Indie brands call for artsy looks. Most of the time, however, these beautiful designs envelope goods that tend to sell themselves. Wine, mezcal, small-batch olive oil, chocolate, botanical soaps---these are luxury items, and you probably already want them. It's harder to sell the banal; nobody wants, say, a light bulb. That said, here's nine packaging solutions that make it look easy.
Shower caps
Jacquelyn De Jesu founded Shhhowercap as an alternative to the crinkly, poofy, sexless shower caps of yesterday. Her designs look less like plastic bags and more like chic turbans that happen to repel water. To communicate that update from the shelf, De Jesu partnered with her husband, a design director at Coca-Cola, to devise a modern packaging scheme. The millennial-pink boxes sport just a few pieces of black text. De Jesu says she refused to include any kind of photo or illustration on the box, as it would pollute the otherwise clean-looking branding. The diecut window solves that---it lets the Shhhowercap speak for itself.