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Designing is like cooking—it is all about the right ingredients in the right amount to make it delicious.
Step into the world where design meets creativity in this cooking-inspired recipe for crafting exceptional package designs. Just as a culinary masterpiece requires a thoughtful process, designing an appealing package demands careful orchestration. In five flavorful steps, we’ll explore how to infuse your product’s essence into every visual element, resulting in an irresistible package that’s sure to leave a lasting impression.
Prep-Time: Choose the Right Ingredients (Understand the Product)
Just like cooking, excellent package design starts with understanding the product. Know the product’s features, target audience, and brand identity. Identify the unique selling points and key messages you want to convey through the packaging. This understanding will guide the design process and ensure the package effectively represents the product.
Review Ingredients: Mix Flavors and Textures (Visual Elements)
In cooking, mixing flavors and textures creates a harmonious and balanced dish. In package design, combining visual elements achieves the same effect. Experiment with typography, colors, graphics, and imagery to create a visually appealing composition. Consider the overall aesthetic, hierarchy of information, and brand consistency while balancing various design elements.
Start Main Course: Season with Creativity (Innovative Concepts)
Just as seasoning adds flavor to a dish, injecting creativity into package design makes it memorable. Explore innovative concepts and design ideas that align with the product and brand. Think outside the box and consider unique shapes, materials, or interactive elements that can elevate the package’s appeal and create a lasting impression.
Sample While Creating: Bake and Test (Prototyping and Feedback)
Baking allows flavors to develop in cooking, and testing helps adjust the recipe. Similarly, in package design, create prototypes or mockups of the packaging to visualize how it will look. Seek feedback from peers, stakeholders, and potential customers. Evaluate the usability, visual impact, and product and brand identity alignment. Make necessary adjustments based on feedback.
Serve Finished Product: Serve with Confidence (Finalize and Produce)
In cooking, serving a dish requires confidence in its taste and presentation. In package design, finalize the design based on feedback and approvals. Ensure all necessary information, branding elements, and legal requirements are incorporated. Collaborate with manufacturers or printers to produce the final package, ensuring the design is faithfully translated from concept to reality.
By following this recipe-inspired approach, Design Interface can help you create a great package design that effectively communicates the product’s essence, engages the target audience, and leaves a positive and lasting impression. Bon appétit!
Design Interface Inc. can show you what is possible. Our forward-thinking solutions for product design, package design, medical device design, graphic design, and photography unlock the value of your ideas as we communicate your message and goals. See more here: https://designinterface.com/
Designing is like cooking—it is all about the right ingredients in the right amount to make it delicious.
Just as a chef combines carefully selected ingredients to create a culinary masterpiece, a product designer orchestrates research, ideation, prototyping, testing, and iteration to craft a remarkable user experience. This recipe outlines the essence of a successful product design process in its key steps, offering a step-by-step guide to cooking up designs that meet user needs and leave a lasting impact. So, don your apron of creativity, and let’s embark on this design culinary journey to concoct greatness!
Prep-Time: Research
Preheat your design process by thoroughly researching your target audience, market trends, competitors, and ergonomics. Understand user needs, pain points, and desires to inform your design decisions.
Review Ingredients: Ideation
Mix your research findings with creative brainstorming sessions. Generate a range of ideas and concepts for your product design. Encourage diverse perspectives and collaboration within your team to explore innovative solutions.
Start Main Course: Prototyping
Take your best ideas and bake them into visual prototypes—sketches, wireframes, or digital designs.
Create multiple iterations of your prototypes to refine and improve your design.
Sample While Creating: Testing
Serve your prototypes to real users and observe their interaction.
Gather their feedback and let it marinate, using it to improve usability and functionality.
Serve Finished Product: Iteration
Apply user feedback to your design, finely tuning every aspect.
Repeat the testing and refinement until you achieve a design that satisfies the user’s palate.
Bon appétit! With these five steps, you’re ready to cook up product designs that are as delectable as they are functional. Remember, like in cooking, the secret ingredient is passion—infuse your design process with it and watch your creations leave users craving more.
Design Interface Inc. can show you what is possible. Our forward-thinking solutions for product design, package design, medical device design, graphic design, and photography unlock the value of your ideas as we communicate your message and goals. See more here: https://designinterface.com/
Designing is like cooking—it is all about the right ingredients in the right amount to make it delicious.
Graphic design isn’t just about putting things together randomly. It’s more like following a recipe, where each project has its own step-by-step process. Here is our 5-step creative recipe for great-looking graphic design.
Prep-Time: Kickoff meeting to define the scope of the project
–We start by meeting to determine what the project should include. It’s best to meet one-on-one to make sure we understand each other. We ask many questions and listen carefully to set goals, targets, and a schedule we all agree on.
Review Ingredients: See what is out there. Who are the competitors?
–We take a look at what’s already out there. Who are your competitors? What’s effective and what isn’t? We assess where you are now and decide who you want to reach.
Start Main Course: Start the creative process to create a visual for the client.
–We kick off the creative process, look over things internally, and develop a design that connects your brand with your customers.
Sample While Creating: Discuss the ideas and concepts with clients.
–We meet with you to discuss the design ideas and make choices together. We value your input and improve the design based on your feedback. Usually, this involves two or three rounds of getting your thoughts.
Serve Finished Product: Final changes and finished product delivered.
–Our careful attention to detail makes the final result an excellent investment for your company, whether it’s for printing or digital use. So, if you need graphic design and a plan that helps you connect and communicate better with your customers — take a seat at our table!
Design Interface Inc. can show you what is possible. Our forward-thinking solutions for product design, package design, medical device design, graphic design and photography unlock the value of your ideas as we communicate your message and goals. See more here: https://designinterface.com/
Lessons Learned at Design Interface – A Farewell from Jacob Sarver-Verhey
Hello, my name is Jacob, and I’m all about product design. For the past year, I’ve worked with Design Interface Inc. as an Industrial Designer to design products, meet customer needs, and innovate bold new ideas in a variety of fields. It’s been a wonderful experience, and as I now set off for Indonesia as part of the Peace Corps for the next stage of my life, I have come to reflect on everything I’ve learned at the studio.
Of the many skills I’ve gained, the most important to the success of our work at DI has absolutely been collaboration. DI is a tight-knit team of professionals who know how to get things done and learning how to not just become a part of the process but to insert my own ideas has been a challenging but very rewarding experience. When I first was given the design lead on a project and saw my initial ideas change and evolve over the course of months into a fully manufactured product to be bought by consumers the world over it was a deeply humbling experience to see how far my concepts could travel. Even when the work became a grind at times, knowing that each day would bring new experiences and ideas kept me motivated and engaged with improving my design skills, and working with others to bring each project to a close.
Design Interface, like many design studios, is a place that is always evolving and moving forwards with new ideas and new technologies. In my time here I have seen 3D printing move from filament forms meant to illustrate to resin creations that can be used as functional prototypes. With the movement of manufacturing capabilities into the studio, the roles and expectations of designers have changed as well, and I have had a ton of fun learning the ropes with my fellow designers and creating incredible products in-house that would have required months of manufacturing and shipping from overseas in the yesteryears. Perhaps even more exciting has been the advent of AI technologies in the design process at DI over just the time I’ve worked at the studio. I recall playing around with primitive image AIs in my first few months of working and to see the technology grow and evolve with such rapidity that it is now a common tool in the workflows at the studio is astounding. I’ll be away in Indonesia for my service for over 2 years, and I cannot imagine what incredible technologies and techniques will be the norm by the time I return to the States.
It’s truly an exciting time to be a product designer, and Design Interface Inc. has been for me an incredible step forward in both my career as a designer and in my personal journey of growth as an individual. When I stepped through these doors a year ago, I was nervous about all the challenges that having coworkers, increasing the scale of my designs, and having the expectations of a legacy of design work would bring. Today, as my time at Design Interface comes to a close, I am more excited about the future than ever before.
Design Interface Inc. can show you what is possible. Our forward-thinking solutions for product design, package design, medical device design, graphic design and photography unlock the value of your ideas as we communicate your message and goals. See more here: https://designinterface.com/
How to use Adobe Photoshop’s new Generative Fill AI tool
Adobe Photoshop’s new integrated AI tool is here, powered by Adobe’s Firefly AI algorithm. You can access it today by downloading Adobe Photoshop Beta and get right to creating within a few minutes. The tool is simply integrated into the Photoshop workflow, with just a few things that a creator needs to know before they can get started:
- To begin, make a selection anywhere on the canvas, be it a blank page or an existing image.
- The generative fill option will be available by default, or in the right-click menu.
- Click generative fill and type a short prompt of what you want to create.
- The tool will use the selected area and surrounding canvas as context to better blend the result with your image.
- Keeping your prompt between 3-8 words will help maximize cohesion.
- If you don’t like your result or want to see more options, just click generate again, and perhaps change your text prompt.
- The generated area will be saved as a separate layer from your base image, allowing for editing of the two separate or combined, and the blending of multiple generations.
- Just like adding something new to a canvas, you can also use generative fill to remove something. Simply select an area with the subject you wish to remove and perform a generative fill with no prompt, and it will be filled in based on the surrounding image.
- To generative fill a background, inverse your selection and then perform the generative fill as normal.
- To outpaint a canvas, use the crop tool to expand the canvas size, then perform a generative fill in the blank area to see your image expand!
- You can type in a prompt or not when outpainting. If no prompt is entered, the generative fill will extend the content of your original canvas.
Design Interface Inc. can show you what is possible. Our forward-thinking solutions for product design, package design, medical device design, graphic design and photography unlock the value of your ideas as we communicate your message and goals. See more here: https://designinterface.com/
Try out this Free Image Upscaler
Here’s a great resource worth trying for graphic design, image editing, or personal use. It’s a free image upscaler that can increase the resolution of any image up to 4x the default, while maintaining the same level of detail and sharpness. Choose your image, upload it to the Upscaler, select a desired scale, and download your upscaled image in seconds. The upscaler can sharpen blurry elements in the original image with the enhanced quality option. Optional credits can be purchased to upscale images in bulk, but they are not required for single image upscaling, even when doing multiple images in sequence.
Uploaded images must be in png, jpeg, jpg, or webp formats to be upscaled. The link below is just one example of an image upscaler, and many more exist and can be found with a simple internet search.
https://www.upscale.media/upload
Design Interface Inc. can show you what is possible. Our forward-thinking solutions for product design, package design, medical device design, graphic design and photography unlock the value of your ideas as we communicate your message and goals. See more here: https://designinterface.com/
How Design Interface Inc. turns Initial Ideas into Complete Products
For almost 40 years we’ve helped hundreds of inventors, doctors, and entrepreneurs create award-winning products that improve and enhance people’s lives. No matter where you are in the development cycle, we will collaborate with you at each step of the design process to bring your idea to life. Though every product’s journey is different, here are the general steps of Design Interface’s design process:
- Ideation
The first stage for creating a new product, after researching competitive designs that already exist, is to create a series of concept sketches that explore features, colors, and methods for manufacture. It’s at this stage that we ask the big questions about the future of the product. What forms could it take? Is the product going to satisfy the problem it was created for? What other possible directions could development take? What ergonomic analysis is needed?
- Develop Solutions
Once an idea is chosen, work on 3D models begins, along with graphics, and details. Often, we create 3D digital files of a new product idea and render them or create prototypes using our array of 3D printers. The goal of this step is to join together the grand ideas of what a product can be with the methods and techniques of how it can be made.
- Prototype, Test, Repeat
When a solid concept is found, prototypes are constructed and tested for usability, manufacturability, ergonomics, and aesthetics, to ensure it satisfies all our criteria for success. Repeating this loop of prototyping, testing, and gathering user feedback is crucial for making sure the design is right — that is, it works for customers, you can build it, and you can support it.
- Finishing Touches
With a completed and satisfactory prototype, all the other documentation and design work is finished up that is necessary for the production and sale of a product. From dimensioned drawings to logos to labels and everything in between, there can often be a tremendous amount of work involved with launching any design.
- Implementation
Finally, when all the work is done, the product can, at last, be sold or implemented in whatever role best suits it. Though the process can be a tough journey, there is nothing that makes a designer prouder than seeing something that was once just a sketch on a napkin grow into something real and powerful.
Design Interface Inc. can show you what is possible. Our forward-thinking solutions for product design, package design, medical device design, graphic design and photography unlock the value of your ideas as we communicate your message and goals. See more here: https://designinterface.com/
Design Interface Inc. – Now featured on DesignRush
New at Design Interface Inc. – Formlabs Form3+ resin printer
Here at Design Interface, we have recently acquired a Formlabs Form 3+ resin printer for use in creating prototypes and parts for our clients. We are excited about all the potential creations we can make with the device and the Formlabs Form Wash and Form Cure that accompanied it. After setting up the printer and creating our first few test prints, we were quite happy with the results, though there was a learning process involving in the preparation of 3D modeling for printing, as the location of support materials and orientation parts plays a great deal in the success of the finished product. An issue that persisted during use was the chemical smell from the resin that filled any room the printer was placed in. To prevent any discomfort to our designers, we ordered a rolling cabinet large enough to fit all the Formlabs devices and connected it to the fume hood in our workshop to assist in ventilation and storage.
Fused Deposition Modeling or FDM 3D printing is the most common type of 3D printing technology in use today, and the one that most people think of when they hear the term. Utilizing a spool of filament that is deposited in layers, an FDM printer can be used to great effect for a tremendous number of projects, from creating figurines to professional prototyping. However, the limitations of printer resolution and materials selection have still limited the options of designers looking to create elastic materials, translucent parts, and ones with a great amount of detail. The recent innovation of Resin 3D printing, also known as Stereolithography or SLA printing has finally given designers and hobbyists the ability to create as never before.
Where resin printers excel is in their ability to produce smooth finishes free of layer-lines and blemishes that often occur with filament printers, and in the greater accuracy of the resulting part thanks to laser light that solidifies the resin into a desired shape with much greater accuracy. SLA printing is not without its downsides, however. Resin is overall more expensive than filament, and requires an alcohol wash, sometimes followed by exposure to a UV chamber to shed excess material and reach its desired toughness. In addition, resin printing is more challenging to prepare. The use of resin printing software is required to mark support locations on the part where structures can connect to a part to stabilize it as the laser creates each layer. For most FDM printing, one simply orients their part in a certain way, support materials are created automatically beneath under hangs, and the part is created. Though dissimilar in many ways, having both options available for different projects is an invaluable part of the workflow of a modern designer.
Design Interface Inc. can show you what is possible. Our forward-thinking solutions for product design, package design, medical device design, graphic design and photography unlock the value of your ideas as we communicate your message and goals. See more here: https://designinterface.com/
The Pantone Color of the Year 2023: Viva Magenta
The Pantone Color of the Year has become a significant event in the design world, with companies and individuals looking to incorporate the chosen shade into their products and spaces. Viva Mengenta, which Pantone explains is “vibrating with vim and vigor,” is a natural shade from the red family and demonstrates a new symbol of strength. It is a bold red tone that could drive design to create a more positive future.
The Executive Director of the Pantone Color Institute, Leatrice Eiseman, said that this shade takes its cues from nature. Viva Magenta, Esieman notes, communicates power—but in an assertive, not aggressive way. “It’s a color that really vibrates with vim and vigor, that demonstrates a new signal of strength, which is something we all need for a more optimistic future.”
Viva Magenta is perfect for adding a pop of color to any design. Some examples of places where you might encounter viva magenta include logos, brochures, posters, websites, and social media ads. It can also be found in fashion, accessories, and home decor items.
Ready to immerse yourself in 2023’s Pantone color? Here’s everything you need to know about Viva Magenta, and how to splash this year’s color of the year across your designs and creative projects. Read more: https://www.pantone.com/articles/color-of-the-year/what-is-viva-magenta
