PASTAMORO
Design the packaging for three distinct pasta varieties: fettuccine, gemelli, and ancini di pepi.
OBJECTIVES
The project revolves around designing the packaging for three pasta varieties: Fettuccine, Gemelli, and Ancini Di Pepi. Everything from the pasta ingredients to the brand design, strategy, mission, and values is created by me.
DELIVERABLES
Brand System
Dimensional Prototype
Who is my customer?
I interviewed Randall, a swimmer, biker and pasta critic and here are some exchanges that helped me with the concept generation on my pasta brand.
What kind of pasta do you like?
“I don’t eat empty carbs. Most pasta has no nutrients and no fiber. It’s the downgraded version of bread.”
What would make you eat pasta, then?
“Getting enough fiber into my daily meals is difficult. At the end of the day, I usually eat a bowl of bran cereal. So, if there is a good amount of fiber in it.”
What if the package looks cool? Would you buy it?
“I won’t be eating tasteless carbs with no health benefits, even if it was served to me on a gold platter. It’s what’s inside the package that matters.”
My Goals for the Brand
I wanted a brand revolving around minimally processed organic pasta products that meet rigorous taste, texture, fiber and nutritional standards using eco-friendly and sustainable practices, from ingredient sourcing to packaging.
Who is my competition?
Most of my competitors are limited to ramen-style noodles with the key ingredient of brown rice and/or Moroheiya. Their packaging is busy, and not eco-friendly.
What Ingredients do My Competitors Use?
I was able to pinpoint a key ingredient of healthy pasta called Organic Moroheiya Powder. One of my top competitors GreeNoodle elevated the nutritional value of their pasta as well as their brand by incorporating it into their packaging and product.
what does sustainable packaging look like?
Keeping these goals in mind, I visited a store and took some photos of pasta that conveyed a natural and eco-friendly image and was made with environmentally responsible packaging materials.
Observations
The see-through window allows customers to visually inspect the product. Large typography makes important information readily accessible for consumers. Illustrations convey a clear message about the product’s health benefits. Including clear and concise product information, such as cooking instructions, serving suggestions, and nutritional details is a great approach.
introducing PASTAMORO
Based on my research I chose to add Moroheiya, a nutritious vegetable that prized by the Egyptians for its health benefits, into my pasta. The Moroheiya used for these noodles will be grown organically on a certified farm in Thailand. The pasta will be carefully made using advanced technology to retain as many vitamins, minerals, and fibers as possible. The name 'PASTAMORO' was born from this plan.
How will my pasta stand out?
Pastamoro's noodle variety sets itself apart from leading competitors like Moroheiya and GreeNoodle, which only offer ramen-style noodles. In addition it will include the key ingredients—brown rice and Moroheiya.
How will my packaging stand out?
Affordable textured linen materials will be used to create my packaging and recyclable plastic for sustainability will be used for a package window. In addition—the packaging will feature bonus gluten-free and vegan recipes, aligning with the pasta’s dietary benefits and the type of noodle in the package.
How will my branding stand out?
In addition, the packaging will be clean and eco-friendly in contrast to competitors. The design highlights the Moroheiya leaf with green, while black and white create contrast for a clean, modern look. An illustrated leaf reinforces the product’s health benefits, and Corporate Garamond adds a professional, refined touch.
creating rough packaging prototypes
I started with rough drawings of packaging in the shape of a structured bag with a see-through window at the front. I then bought three types of pasta to test the packaging. I then gathered materials to begin crafting the rough prototypes.
Making Adjustments
My first prototype was bulky with the pasta inside it, so I decided the package needed some kind of interior structure. I drew out diagrams of this interior structure.
what kind of information and where does it go?
I found out that most pasta packaging features the expiration date, barcode, name, brand, ingredients, the cooking instructions, illustrations, quantity, and a origin story.
Mapping Out the information
I incorporated this information into my rough prototypes, using architectural and hierarchical placements for the data similar to other pasta packaging. Deconstructing the bags helped create better digital diagrams for each pasta.
Diagram used for Anci Di Pepe & Gemelli packaging
My diagrams shaded non-informational areas for clarity, while keeping package branding and details on a separate layer in Indesign, allowing for seamless adjustments.
Digital Diagram Used for Fettuccine Pasta Packaging
The Fettuccine packaging needed a new approach due to the length of the noodles.
nutritional package highlights
Key facts about the pasta that would appeal to people interested in healthy pasta were pulled from Pastamoro's Nutrition Facts to go on the front of the packages.
Testing the prototypes based on the diagrams
I reviewed the diagrams for flaws, examining the packages' exterior & interior for structural, design, or functional issues.
Some Adjustments
The process of creating 3D prototypes from 2D diagrams presented issues such as having to adjust parts of the package to fit properly over the interior structures.
current packages
It was important to make sure that there was a consistent feel when all the packages were sitting next to each other.
