Packaging Design
Overview
This unit introduces students to the principles of packaging design and develops research, conceptual and implementation abilities and an understanding of the importance of an integrated approach to branding, visual and typographical communication for packaging design. It incorporates knowledge of structural and production considerations and the economic, environmental and sustainability issues relevant to packaging design. Students will access industry resources and information to enhance their knowledge of technical, material and marketing information.
Requisites
Assumed Knowledge
A basic knowledge of Adobe Creative Suite
Equivalent
DCO10003 Design Studio: Packaging v.1
Equivalent
DES20050 Package Design
09-February-2025
01-June-2025
08-June-2025
02-November-2025
02-November-2025
08-February-2026
Learning outcomes
Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:
- Investigate a packaged product category in relation to a defined market.
- Analyse the economic, environmental and social factors of packaging design
- Apply understanding of the principles of two and three dimensional design to create a packaging design outcome
- Review design decision making to formulate and refine design solutions
- Develop, document, evaluate and present the iterative design process in a packaging design project
Teaching methods
Hawthorn
| Activity Type | Activity | Total Hours | Number of Weeks | Hours Per Week | Venue Type and Activity Detail |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| On-campus | Studio | 36 | 12 weeks | 3 | |
| Unspecified Activities | Independent Learning | 114 | 12 weeks | 9.5 | |
| Total Hours: | 150 | Total Hours (per week): | 12.5 | ||
Swinburne Online
| Activity Type | Activity | Total Hours | Number of Weeks | Hours Per Week | Venue Type and Activity Detail |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unspecified Activities | Various | 36 | 12 weeks | 3 | Asynchronous online activities, Readings, Group work |
| Unspecified Activities | Independent Learning | 114 | 12 weeks | 9.5 | Independent study, Assignment preparation, Revision |
| Total Hours: | 150 | Total Hours (per week): | 12.5 | ||
Assessment
| Type | Task | Weighting | ULO's |
|---|---|---|---|
| Design Project | Individual | 30% | 3,5 |
| Major Design Project | Individual | 60% | 1,2,3,4,5 |
| Project 1 | Individual | 10% | 1,2 |
Content
- Research of product and market
- Elements and principles of design
- Packaging systems and materials
- Lateral thinking for concept creation, implementation and communication
- Design processes informed by maker’s, user’s and consumer’s requirements.
- Presentation methods for project outcomes and technical information.
- Graduate Attribute – Digital Literacies: Information literacy
Study resources
Reading materials
A list of reading materials and/or required textbooks will be available in the Unit Outline on Canvas.