The final package.
Design Iteration #1 of the Underwood Sardines package. The packaging was clear plastic over a metal sardine can. This one wouldn't work because the plastic was silkscreened on the back. The images had to be bold without a lot of detail. .
Design iteration #2. Better, I liked the idea that you could imagine seeing into the can. I remember the creative director asking me if I had ever eaten Sardines. No. Then he asked if I had ever seen an opened can of Sardines. No. At that moment, he opened one and I was shocked to see that they looked nothing like the neat and perfectly arranged fish that I had drawn.
Design Iteration #3. Closer, I went to the grocery store and became acquainted with how these small cans looked all stacked together on the shelf. I wanted a bolder wall effect. The Sardines came in several flavors- mustard (yellow), hot (red), and plain (blue). I imagined a shelf of bright broad stripes in these colors attracting Sardine customers. I had learned through the process that not everyone (especially me) ate Sardines. One of the product's pain points was that the people who liked this specialty food had a hard time finding it in the store because the package was not bold enough. Unfortunately, the product manager thought that this was too bold and stripey. Ok, next.
Design Iteration #4. The product managers liked the frame idea and the smaller fish. This was the iteration that was refined several times until we got to the finished one.
The finished package. The broad and bright colors helped with product identification without being too stripey. The small curled ocean below the product name communicated that there were fish in the can without having to deal with a detailed drawing. The product manager loved the red banner in the corner of the package. It printed well and didn't have problems with register.
While trying to come up with ideas for Sardines, I also worked on the Shrimp label. Sometimes, working on something similar but different helps me think of the problem from a different perspective.
Illustration, Typography, and Design. This did not go into production.
Art direction, Typography, Design
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Package Design
