Ted Mininni: "Why Can't Packaging Become Part of the Product?"

Design Force, Inc. proudly announces that its president, Ted Mininni’s latest article: “Why Can’t Packaging Become Part of the Product?” has been published at POPSOP.com, an international, online branding publication, on August 21, 2012.

In his latest article, Mr. Mininni opens with the observation that there is so much talk about sustainable packaging, from minimizing the amount of materials used, making more of it recyclable, sourcing more materials from renewable sources as well as sourcing less material that is petroleum-based, an obvious question is often over-looked. “How can we make packaging part of the product? I’ve been an advocate for this for years.” He then gives an example of a new toy product in which the packaging is actually a part of the toy. “Kudos to London-based designer Oscar Diaz for creating this innovative packaging.”

As the article progresses, Mr. Mininni offers additional examples of packaging that can be reused, even if it isn’t a part of the actual toy or product. He cites Y Water’s clever packaging that can be used by children to build designs thanks to colorful large rubber bands thoughtfully included with the package. He mentions B.Toys’ reusable boxes and bags that kids will use to house their treasures or turn into imaginative play objects themselves. Lastly, Mr. Mininni highlights PUMA’s “clever little bag” used in lieu of conventional packaging for sports shoes.

In an interview, Mr. Mininni stated: “Ingenious package design solutions like these are rightfully lauded. I think part of the reason is that they just make so much sense and they’re strikingly different. But why can’t more of these kinds of solutions become the norm rather than the exception?”

As the article closes, Mr. Mininni invites marketers and package designers to reimagine conventional packaging regardless of product category. “How can we push sustainable package design initiatives using these ideas to build on?”