PACKAGING & MERCHANDISING DESIGN - Project 2
FANN WONG JING EN｜0382237
Design Principles | Bachelor of Design (Honours) in Creative Media
MER60104 Packaging and Merchandising Design
TABLE OF CONTENT
MODULE INFORMATION BRIEF (MIB)
LECTURE NOTE
Brief 2. Smile Surprise (Miniature Toiletries)
- Company Name: Smile Surprise
- Product: Gift packs of miniature toiletry items (e.g., shampoo, conditioner, body wash, deodorant).
Target Market: A younger generation who want to give inexpensive presents to friends.
Core Values: Products are produced with great concern for the environment. The packaging must focus on the 3R's: reduce, reuse and recycle.
Packaging Goal: Design an innovative gift pack capable of holding a varying range of miniature toiletries. The packaging must:
Showcase the products and the concept of choice.
Securely deliver the product from factory to home without damage.
Retain shelf appeal and have a clear, attractive brand identity.
Consider the end of life of the packaging, focusing on the 3 R's.
Branding Goal: Design a logo that appeals to a younger generation
TASK 2
Smile Surprise Miniature Toiletries Gift Pack
Company Name: Smile Surprise
Product: Miniature toiletry gift packs
Target Market: Younger generation who want to give affordable gifts to friends
Core Values: Environmentally conscious packaging focusing on the 3R's: reduce, reuse and recycle
For Task 2, our group chose Brief 2, which required us to design an innovative gift pack for a brand called Smile Surprise. The product is a set of miniature toiletries, such as shampoo, conditioner, body wash and deodorant. The target market is the younger generation, especially students and Gen Z consumers who want to give small and affordable presents to their friends.
As a group, we decided to use Spring as the main concept for Smile Surprise. Spring represents freshness, happiness, renewal and positive energy. This concept suits the idea of a toiletry gift pack because the products are related to self-care, cleanliness and emotional refreshment. The brand direction also uses cheerful colours, soft shapes and nature-inspired elements to create a youthful and friendly feeling.
My Role in the Group
In this project, my main role was to work on the box packaging, especially the box dieline, box structure and box physical packaging . I focused on creating a packaging form that could hold the miniature toiletries securely while still looking attractive as a gift pack.
Since the brief required the packaging to showcase the products and communicate the concept of choice, I had to think about how the box could display the bottles clearly instead of hiding everything inside. At the same time, the box also needed to protect the products during delivery and be practical to assemble.
Reference Research
fig 1.1 Packaging references
Before creating the dieline, I first searched for packaging references to understand different ways of presenting small products inside a box. I looked at gift boxes, slide-open packaging, open-display structures, window boxes and product holders.
From the references, I noticed that many successful gift packs allow the product to be seen clearly when the box is opened. Some also use compartments or inner holders to keep the products in place. This inspired me to design a box that could open like a small display set, so the miniature toiletries could be arranged neatly and presented as a complete gift.
First Miniature Box Prototype
After gathering references, I started by making a mini version of the box using paper. This was an important step because it helped me test the basic structure before moving into the final size. At this stage, I focused on understanding how the box would open, how the top and side flaps would fold, and how the inner base could support the products.
The mini prototype allowed me to quickly identify problems in the structure. For example, I had to check whether the flaps could close properly, whether the box could stand firmly, and whether the opening angle looked suitable for displaying the products. This process helped me understand that even a simple-looking box needs careful folding and measurement.
fig 1.3 Mini prototype testing the opening structure
Recalculating the Dieline Based on Bottle Size
After my group members completed the bottle design and confirmed the bottle measurements, I had to recalculate the box size and redraw the dieline. This was because the first mini version was only used to test the structure, while the final dieline needed to fit the actual bottle dimensions.
The bottle size was:
Bottle size: H 9.5cm x Diameter 3.2cm
Label width: 11cm
Based on this measurement, I adjusted the box width, height and depth so that the bottles could fit inside without being too loose or too tight. I also had to consider the space between each bottle, the thickness of the paper material, and the extra space needed for folding and glue tabs.
This part took many attempts because small measurement changes affected the whole box structure. If one panel was slightly too short, the box could not close properly. If the holder area was too loose, the bottles would move around. Therefore, I repeated the dieline several times to improve the accuracy.
fig 1.4 Receiving the bottle design
Box Dieline and Repeated Refinement
After testing the mini prototype and adjusting the measurements, I moved on to developing the full dieline digitally. I had to include all the main panels, side flaps, folding lines, glue tabs and cut-out areas. The dieline needed to be clear because it would guide the final printing, cutting and folding process.
I repeated the dieline many times throughout the project. Each version helped me improve a different part of the structure, such as the flap position, the closing method, the inner holder and the display angle. Through this process, I realised that dieline design is very detailed and technical. It is not only about drawing the box shape, but also about predicting how the flat design will become a 3D object.
fig 1.6 Final box dieline
Logo Design by SiewYong
For the branding part, our group member developed a logo that appealed to a younger audience. The logo mark was created based on the letters from Smile Surprise and was shaped to give a soft floral impression, connecting back to the spring concept.
The chosen logotype used a rounded and friendly style, which made the brand feel approachable and youthful. Besides the main logo, she also created supporting brand icons and patterns, such as waves, butterflies, flowers, sun and soft shoots. These elements helped build a stronger visual system for the packaging.
fig 1.7 Final logo and branding elements
Bottle Label Design by SiewYong & JingEn
For the bottle packaging, the labels were designed with a consistent layout and information hierarchy. The gift pack included four different toiletry products, all of them still needed to look like one complete series.
Each product variant used a different colour and icon to represent its function:
Sunny Shine Shampoo, Petal Soft Conditioner, Breeze Flow Body Wash, Flutter Fresh Deodorant
Bottle Mockups
After the labels were designed, digital mockups were created to show how the bottles would look in a real packaging context. The mockups helped the group check the readability, colour combination and overall consistency of the product range.
fig 1.9 Digital mockup
Box Label Design by Lana & Un
For the box label design, my group member applied the branding elements onto the box surface. The box label needed to match the bottle labels while still having its own role as the outer packaging.
The box label helped connect the outer packaging with the bottle designs inside. When the box and bottles were placed together, the overall gift pack looked more complete and consistent.
fig 2.0 Box label design 1.0 version
After presenting the design to Mr. Shamsul for review, the design was not approved as it did not fully meet his expectations and required further refinement.
As a result, Siew Yong decided to redesign the packaging. To improve the box design, she continued using the same pattern featured on the bottle label to maintain visual consistency across the product range.
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| fig 2.3 digital mockup for the box |
Physical Box Process
After discussing with the staff at the printing shop, I found out that they could not print directly on corrugated cardboard and they were also unable to cut the cardboard for me. Therefore, I decided to print the inner and outer sticker designs instead. After that, I handmade the box myself and pasted the stickers onto the box to complete the final physical packaging mock-up.
Sustainability Consideration
Since the brand values focus on the 3R's, I also considered how the box could support reduce, reuse and recycle. The structure avoids unnecessary extra packaging and uses a paper-based form that can be recycled more easily. The box is also designed as a gift pack, so users may reuse it to store small items after opening the products.
The inner holder also helps reduce the need for additional plastic protection because it keeps the bottles secure using the paper structure itself. This makes the packaging more suitable for the environmental direction of Smile Surprise.
FEEDBACK
Week 8:
Week 9:
Week 10: The branding elements were approved. However, we were advised to ensure that all icons maintain a consistent stroke weight throughout the design system. This would help create a more cohesive visual language and strengthen the overall brand identity.
Week 10 advanced feedback: The bottle label looked acceptable, but the text needed to be clearer and more legible. We were advised to try changing the text colour on the bottle label to white to improve readability. For the box packaging, I continued refining the dieline and structure so that the packaging could better fit the bottle size and display the products properly.
REFLECTION
Through this project, I learned that box packaging design requires many rounds of testing and refinement. At first, I thought making a dieline was mainly about drawing the shape of the box, but after making the mini prototype and adjusting the full-size version, I realised that every fold, tab and measurement affects the final structure.
The most challenging part for me was recalculating and redrawing the dieline after receiving the bottle design from my group members. Since the box needed to fit the actual bottles, I had to adjust the measurements carefully and repeat the prototype process many times. This helped me become more patient and more aware of accuracy in packaging design.
I also learned how important it is to connect structure and visual design. A box can look attractive on screen, but it also needs to function well when printed, cut, folded and assembled. The inner holder, opening style and overall box shape all needed to support the product presentation.
In terms of teamwork, this project showed me the importance of communication. My box dieline depended on the bottle size and bottle design, so I had to wait for updated information from my teammates before finalising the structure. Although this made the process more challenging, it also helped me understand how different parts of a group project are connected.
Overall, this project improved my understanding of packaging structure, dieline development and product display design. It also gave me more confidence in creating packaging that is both functional and visually appealing.
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