Objective
Create a unique shoe box and package design to house one soccer cleat. Box will be delivered to the CEO of Google as a gift from the adidas brand. It should feel personal, as well as professional. The box should not only serve as a storage device, but also as a display piece.
Skills
Rapid Packaging Design Prototyping
Art Direction
Graphic Design
Presentation
Product Photography
Muse
Since the shoebox was intended as a gift for the CEO of Google, we started by gathering insights from his background. He is a huge fan of Barcelona FC, so the soccer cleat we sourced for him was a Leo Messi signed adidas Tango cleat. In his early college studies he majored in Metallurgic Engineering which later informed the materialization of the box.
Additional Prototyping
Once I had developed the first ramp-based design, I took the prototyping process one step further and created another. I aimed to create a less complex box that served the same purpose as the previous design. This nested wedge-shaped box is a testament to adidas' brand values, communicating our design principles of daringly simple and built with purpose while also expressing our commitment to sustainability through the use of recycled plastics used in the interior.
The final prototype consisted of a telescoping design. The outer shell acted as a storage container for the smaller display box. The display box could then be taken out, stood vertically, or be placed horizontally on top of the box itself. This box was developed by an outside agency and in collaboration with the adidas packaging team in Germany.
Graphic Applications
Once we had narrowed down a box concept, we worked on creating the right look and feel for it. We explored various graphic directions from simple vinyl applications to more expressive ones, using paint drips and brush strokes in the Barcelona FC colors. We also explored the CEO, Sundar's, Metallurgical background through the engraving and embossing of the aluminum lids.
Final Results
Below are photographs of the final box. Ultimately, we landed on a very clean and minimal graphic language. One that feels professional and prestigious. Not overdone nor based on a fad or trend, the box is ultimately something that Sundar can save and show forever, capturing a timeless memory.
The vinyl application was done in-house by our talented PCT team.
We sourced a local engraver to apply our official adidas x google collaboration lock-up to the aluminum lids.
The following are the final photographs I took once the box was completed.
Great Design Solves a Problem
We explored incredibly wide not only box form, but also on graphic applications--coming to a solution that best addressed the initial objective. The final box allows for the cleat to be showcased above all else. This is important, as the box was never meant to distract from the gift, but rather be the vessel for storage and display. The final design is a testament to trusting the process, and while there was a lot of work put into the prototyping phase, the end result was what was needed. Below is the hand-off to Sundar. He looks pretty happy to me, so I am going to considered this project a success!
