I love to study packaging as design objects. To see how they influence our opinion and more importantly, our behaviour. In this regard, I feel shipping boxes don’t get nearly enough credit; the word utilitarian used almost as a pejorative.
I imagine it’s partly because of how many we get in a week (especially over the course of the pandemic). It’s why I wanted to take a minute to appreciate this tiny yet consequential piece of design – an inclusive incorporation of Maori symbolism that makes a humble shipping box that much more meaningful.
Looking at this immediately reminded me of Aaron Draplin’s love for ephemera. For those of you that don’t know, Draplin is a graphic designer from Portland, Oregon who’s (probably) best known for creating Field Notes (You can see how this brand of pocket notebooks was also born out of his insatiable love for good design in the small “stuff”)