Project Report

In my study I would like to talk about Nestlé’s product- Easter egg packaging. This is quite interesting industry to me and I would like to tell you about it as much as possible.
I selected this project and wrote my own brief, because I’m interested in packaging design. This is the only thing what I love to do as a graphic designer. Maybe later I will open more ‘doors’ for my interests, but now I try to concentrate on this industry only.
A bit of history to begin with: It was at about this time (early 1800's) that the first chocolate Easter eggs appeared in Germany and France and soon spread to the rest of Europe and beyond. The first chocolate eggs were solid and they were soon followed by hollow eggs. Making hollow eggs at that time was no mean feat, because the easily worked chocolate we use today didn't exist then, they had to use a crude paste made from ground roasted Cacao beans. By the turn of the 19th Century, the discovery of the modern chocolate making process and improved mass manufacturing methods meant that the hollow, moulded Chocolate Easter Egg was fast becoming the Easter gift of choice in the UK and many parts of Europe, and by the 1960's it was well established worldwide.
I started my own Easter Egg Packaging design with research in Nestlé’s packaging history. During past two years I visited so many places and saw a lot of packaging variations, also interviewed a lot of people, who designing packaging. I collected different product packaging examples, prints and images.
Recently I visited Halifax Bankfield Museum, where I received unbelievable evidence for my study. I interviewed packaging specialist Jeff Wilkinson, who presented to me some packaging designs for Easter eggs. I couldn’t take any examples of designs with me, because the Museum has to keep all prints for their library, but I he let me take pictures of these designs for my study. Also I researched in Nestlé’s Easter packaging designs dated up to 1970’s. This was very interesting and useful to find out how design looked like many years ago. This is history, and I think to follow this history from beginning till nowadays is very exiting journey.
Based on all my research I tried to produce my own design for Nestlé’s Easter egg packaging. This is quite good opportunity for me, because I also work in Nestle and I can see how designs changing, but to be honest with you- there are no major changes in Nestlé’s Easter egg design from year to year: same logos, same fonts, similar images. That’s why I tried to create my own design, something unusual, what people haven’t made before. I’m not a professional designer yet, but I tried my best to make packaging, which the world hasn’t seen before. It is still Nestlé’s packaging design, but in my own style, how I think it should be looking like.
To get an idea what kind of design I want to make- I started drawing designs solutions on the piece of paper. I did 2 A3 sheets. Then I thought I need somebody to evaluate my work, to give me advice how to improve my design. I decided to invite my friends (few of them interested in design as well) and to have group critic to push me in right direction. After first group critic- I received feedback from my friends, detailing what they think is good and what needs to be changed. I started developing my design and I chose 2 design solutions, which I e-mailed to designer Leigh Armstrong from Chesapeake (Designing Company in Bradford) and asked him for feedback, but I still didn’t get an answer from him. Due to the time limit I decided to have another group critic between my friends-designers. I presented them my two design solutions, which I created using Photoshop and Indesign. They gave me feedback: I like your font, which you chose for KitKat brand, also the colour is successful (red), which is also currently used for Easter egg packaging design. I think, this is quite good colour to for design work, because it is bright, people can see it clearly from distance on the shelf and also it brings freshness. Also my group critic told me that they like the design with a large window in front, because it is very important to see the product through the packaging, which customers buy on the market. Also I created my own KitKat chocolate bar. I didn’t want to break tradition (current Nestlé’s Easter egg packaging design has a chocolate bar inside as well). So I made my own bar to keep Nestlé’s tradition, but also to make it a bit different as it is now. If I left same font, same phrases on packaging, same images, it would be still current packaging design with minor changes, but I tried to create a bit new thing which is even better then current. And finally, when my design was completed- I received feedback from Leigh Armstrong: he suggested adding some of my KitKat logo to foiled egg. Also he suggested adding some new shape to make it a bit different from last year. I received his feedback the day before deadline, and I had to change my packaging design shape completely in very short time. Also I applied my KitKat logo on foil egg
During my study I learnt a lot of things. First of all, I received a lot of new knowledge, information. Also I developed my skills in making packaging design. Communicating with people, interviewing other designers is very useful and interesting, because you are able to find out something what you couldn’t imagine before. After long research and gathering information for my project- I created my own piece of design, which, I think, is successful, but the main problem, which designers need to deal with- is deadline. Because of time limit we need to come up with something creative in really short terms. In real life deadlines even shorter. I think, I did my best and really enjoyed the process of the work.