3D or not 3D, that is the question.
A cardboard box is just a cardboard box. Hundreds, if not thousands of different shapes, designs materials, colours and textures. But it’s still just a box.
How can a company make it their own? Distinguish it from every other box out there? Do you find a unique colour? A unique design perhaps? There are so many different designs out there that you can pretty much guarantee that whatever you come up with has either been done before or there is something pretty close.
At Allpack we believe that the only true way to distinguish your packaging from the competition and leave a lasting impression in the customers mind is the experience they have when they receive and open their product. The quality of the material, the way it looks, the way the product is contained inside. The colours, the font, the quality of the print, how much waste is left for the customer to throw away, is the products well protected and well presented? All these factors and many more are considered when we design and test new bespoke packaging for our customers.
Exploring this process led me to have a quick sit down with Steve Cook, our Creative Design Executive more affectionately known around here as “3D Steve”. Steve produces some really amazing, unique work for our customers. I wanted to know more about him and how he approaches a new challenge, what motivates him and what his ultimate goals are. I asked him a few technical questions expecting him to talk about board grades and measurements but I quickly found that it was as much about art as it was about maths.
I asked Steve what he loved about his job. “You can give someone that little bit more” he said. “I forget what’s going on around me sometimes and really get in the zone. I’m a perfectionist and love to spend time on the littlest of details”
I quizzed him further on the attention to detail. “I find the little details are the details that really count. All those small differences that come together to really make a product unique so your customer can instantly recognise your branding”.
We chatted for a while and it became apparent that Steve had a real love for what he did and that was the main reason his work was so good. Steve puts a bit of himself into everything he creates here. He injects art into practicality, organically blending the sterile necessity for perfect measurements and an artist’s eye. His work is precise but also aesthetically pleasing, finding ways to make plain things interesting and attractive.
I asked what made him get into 3D design. “I wanted to be a musician, I love to create. I was given a guitar when I was 12 but no-one would teach me how to play, so I taught myself. I wanted to learn new skills so I took a CAD course. I found that my artistic flare and creativity had a perfect home in 3D design. I can use my natural gifts to create the perfect product for our customers, it gives me a lot of satisfaction”.
It was really interesting for me to see this side of Steve and get a better understanding of what he does. We take a great deal of pride in our work here at Allpack. Investing in 3D design software and tools, giving us the ability to present customers with complex, interactive designs that they can view and approve before producing samples for them to try out. This enables us to efficiently produce a working prototype, reducing the risk of our customers ordering something they are not entirely happy with.
If you would like more information on our design capabilities or have any questions about projects you have in mind, please contact us today. Our experienced team will be able to offer you some excellent advice and we are confident we can work with you to get you the packaging you always wanted.
Thank you.
James.