Packaging Design

What the resources cover

This unit sits in the Design Specialisms strand of Design and technology. Most of what you will find here is mind maps, each made by a GoConqr user. They look at packaging from several angles: function, materials, aesthetics, cost and the environment.

• Function: protecting a product, preventing contamination and damage, keeping it together, identifying it and stacking it efficiently.
• Materials: plastic, paper, card, glass, metals and wood, plus how paper and card are printed.
• Looks and message: colour, themes, logos, motifs and what colours suggest to a buyer.

Where to start

Begin with the mind map Packaging Design. It gives a quick overview of material, cost, environment, aesthetics and manufacturing. Next, open the mind map Manufacturing of packaging, which covers paper and card, thickness and strength, and lithography printing.

Then move on to the notes Food Technology- Packaging, which explain why we use packaging, such as keeping food hygienic, protecting contents and attracting customers.

Case studies and applied examples

Once the basics feel familiar, look at the applied maps. Bath bomb Packaging considers plywood, plastic, acrylic and cardboard, along with themes, colour and logos for different customers. Others look at perfume, chocolate, confectionery promotions and point-of-sale displays such as Innocent Super Smoothies and Frijj Point-of-Sales Display. Comparing them shows how one set of ideas gets used in different products.

Using quizzes and maps together

Read a map, close it, then try the quiz AQA GCSE Product Design Questions. It asks about material properties such as brittle, malleable and ductile. Note what you miss and go back to the right map. The revision quiz Packaging and the Environment 1(Revision) is a good check after the eco-friendly packaging maps.

The flashcard decks, such as Labelling and packaging key words and Nets and Packaging, are handy for short, repeated practice of terms and symbols.

Next step

Choose one map today, work through it, then try a quiz. If you want something that suits your own course, make a map of your own.