East Pack

UD will be on the scene next week at East Pack 2008 to see the latest innovations and trends in the packaging industry. This is the biggest packaging expo in the east coast. New this year is the  Green Packaging product pavilion and looking forward to see what they have on display.

Big Belly Solar Trash Cans

I was in Queens (Long Island City) the other day and I was excited to see one of the Big Belly trash cans. Queens is the only location in New York at the moment to get the cans as part of the "Queens Clean Air Project". These solar powered trash compacter help with the issue of overflowing trash receptacles on street corners. They hold up to 150 gallons of trash and are great for busy city areas. The solar powered grid at the top of the can provides all the energy needed for compacting through out the entire day. 

Story Telling

In a 2007 issue of I.D. Magazine an article was written with packaging trends to watch for. The number two item listed was "Story Telling". This is a way to connect consumers with stories to help remember the product and give the item credibility. Text copy designed to makes us pause, read and engage with the packaging.

While waiting at the checkout line at the grocery store I find myself reading labels and packaging looking for these snippets. I really enjoy finding these little surprises while purchasing items.

Healthy and Environmentally-Minded Eats at /Eks/

When you walk into /Eks/ (pronounced "X") Frozen Yogurt you feel like you're stepping into a pop art Tokyo cartoon basement. The walls are covered in a cherry red stencil of large fruit scenes. This design is continued through the entire fro-yo shop right down to their packaging. Neo Kim is the owner and designer of /Eks/ and has made recycling a priority in his store. At the back of the shop you will find three large receptacles with corresponding recycling symbols above. There are no other trash cans in the entire vicinity so recycling at /Eks/ is second nature -- the way it should be. 

/Eks/ is located in Williamsburg on Driggs Ave between N 9th & N10th St. The frozen yogurt and fresh fruit are an exquisite combination. I always get plain yogurt with blackberries and honey. 

It's All in the Cards

In the spirit of UnwrappedDesign, do it yourself and second life the card stock of the UD business cards will be from discarded packaging boxes. A photo recap of the design and production process at the studio.

2008 Pratt Show

  In the Spring 2008 issue of Pratt's magazine Prattfolio, Debera Johnson the academic director of sustainability writes, "In September 2007, Pratt was awarded a 3-year, $475,000 grant from the U.S. government's Fund to Improve Post-Secondary Education (FIPSE). [They] were the only institution to receive a grant to "green" its academic programs and only three percent of the applicants received funding." This Green Grant is helping Pratt to teach its students about understanding environmental sustainability in relation to the student's chosen profession. 

At this year's 2008 Pratt show in Manhattan, it was clear that the "green" sustainable teaching was underway. Biodegradable, organic and recyclable materials were the main trends I saw in the student's Packaging Design work. It is great to know that these future designers will have the skills needed to work in our chaotic ever-changing world. Check out some of the Packaging Design I saw at this year's Pratt Show.

 

 

  

A Tree for Me

On Saturday I visited the Million Trees NYC information booth at the Drums Along the Hudson festival. They are a 501 (c)(3) non profit organization with a goal to plant one million trees in the NYC five boroughs in the next ten years. Quoted from the website the funds will go to " tree planting, stewardship and educational goals."

Pictured on the right a tagged tree from the program.

Living in an urban city like Manhattan and as a package designer its good to see a cause that brings back more trees to the environment.