Topic outline

  • Pack-Age


    Welcome to Pack-Age 2021!

    Pack-Age is an intensive and extensive packaging design project minor at Aalto University uniting design, business, and engineering, to sustainability and project-based learning. It is a platform for exploration. Students work in transdisciplinary teams with real projects from the industry. Creative problem-solving is a key concept of the course, where students’ backgrounds become the core resource for creative teamwork.

    By collaborating with different schools, Pack-Age offers a holistic understanding and an innovative packaging design approach including various perspectives to strategy, branding, production, consumer retail, and user experience.

    Visit our website to learn more about our approach and previous projects: https://pack-age.aalto.fi/about/

    Zoom-link for the course
    https://aalto.zoom.us/j/62848580003

    This is the link to the wonder.me platform and Pack-Age room and you can also meet there with your team on your own time.
    https://app.wonder.me/?spaceId=61d6680c-ec9f-415e-bb25-f65e6cbcb954
    password: sparring21


    • forum icon
      Announcements Forum
    • assign icon
      Background research presentation Assignment

      Return your background research & insight presentation here by 4. October.

      It should include a summary of what you did by using both primary and secondary research that you found relevant for the project. Explain how you have analyzed and grouped the findings and what insight and opportunities have you identified for your design project.

      Eeva gave many good suggestions for research, but  try to include at least some information on users & use-context, market & retail space, product-specific solutions, material and technological opportunities, the trends that you can connect to your case

      Include also the one interesting packaging design example that exited the team and that you have now benchmarked, and analyzed (reverse-engineered). It does not have to be related to your project, but please explain why you selected it and what we can learn from it. (this bit should not be more than 5 slides)

      You have 20 minutes to present all this on October 5 to the class. We have invited also your clients and we have an opportunity to discuss with them what we have learned. It is a perfect time to discuss that we are on the right track and also verify that we have understood the project correctly and what we will do next.
      It can be a good idea to include on the last page an outline of your next steps or a rough "project plan", which clarifies what you will be doing next to help the discussion and set the right expectations also for clients.

      Team Flower will be presenting at 9:15
      Team Berry will be presenting at 10:00
      Team Spice will be presenting at 11:00

      But all teams will be in class at the same time so we are sharing our findings and also commenting each others work and collectively learning. We should have enough time for good discussions :)

    • assign icon
      Interim critique presentations Assignment

      Return your interim critique presentations here by 4.11.

    • assign icon
      Submit your final project presentations here by 16.12.2021 Assignment

      Teachers will have access to presentations and they are used also for grading.

      Files should be commonly used formats, like pdf and maximum file size is 400 MB.

    • assign icon
      Submit Project Reports as PDF here by 15.12.2021 Assignment
    • assign icon
      Give a quote about the course experience (optional) Assignment

      Once you have presented and also returned all your presentations, reports and such materials you are officially done with Pack-Age 2021! Congratulations, and I hope you have enjoyed the ride and the learning experience as much as I have.

      Please also remember to return any  books or other materials you might have borrowed from Markus.

      For the future Pack-agers it is also interesting to learn about your experience. If you want you can help us with spreading the good word out by sharing a short comment in which you describe your experience with Pack-Age 2021. We can then use this as a short quote or testimonial to market the course for potential future students in different schools.
      We will also ask some similar comments about the experience from clients and teachers. Maybe we can even include some on the website once we have or allowed to update our projects there.

      Participating in this is not compulsory, but we do value your effort if you can :)

    • assign icon
      Grading peers for teamwork Assignment

      As you might remember from the course intro, teamwork is also one area of assessment.

      As you all have now almost completed the course, please take a moment to reflect on your process and give your teammates a grade on teamwork. Reflect on how the project went as a whole and how you were able to support each other in the team, contribute to the project, share responsibilities and workload.

      Submit a text file (word or similar) with the three other person names in your team and give a grade from 1-5 for each. You can write a short explanation after the grade if you wish.

      Your grade for team working will be the average of what your 3 peers have given you.
      Teamworking has a small effect and counts as 20% of your overall final grade for the course.


  • Lecture materials & extras

    Not available unless any of:
    • You are a(n) Student
    • You are a(n) Teacher (MC)
    • You are a(n) Workspace Assistant
    • You are a(n) Non-editing teacher ...

  • Faculty and teaching areas

    Markus Joutsela (ARTS/DoM)
    Head of Pack-Age
    Teaching perspective: Design process / Packaging interaction & UX / Visual identity design

    Ella Eskola (ARTS/DoM)
    course assistant / Helps with all practicalities

    Jouni Paltakari (CHEM)
    Professor / Materials and packaging engineering, structural testing

    Hanna Koivula (Helsinki University)
    University lecturer / Food packaging, regulation

    Sanna Palmu (DS Smith)
    Designer / Sustainability and design production

    Virpi Korhonen (PTR)
    Director Sense N Insight / Consumer testing & packaging value

    Tatu Marttila (ARTS/CS)
    Post doc. / Systemic sustainability

    Paulo Dziobczenski (ARTS/DoD)
    Designer in residence / Graphics and branding

    Oona Casalegno (LAB)
    Packaging prototyping & printing

    Noora Nylander (LAB)
    UCD and sustainability

    Paul Jackson  (workshop week 43)
    Origami artist & Paper engineer / Folding structural designs

  • Recource list

    Physical lectures – Väre Q101

    Team working – Aalto Design Factory  / Otakaari 1 A131a

    Materials for prototyping – Pack-Age material wagon is parked at ADF Puuhamaa

    Printing and bookbinding  – Printlab, contact workshop master Jarkko Sopanen

    Diecuts and creases – Zünd cutter at Väre, contact workshop master Sari Kivioja

    Color correction & software – Mac class rooms next to printlab

    3D-printing and laser cutting – Väre workshops

    Product shots and videos – Photography studio at Väre, contact studio master Vuokko Meriläinen

    Material and structural testing – CHEM workshops at Vuorimies

    Books, desk research, and team working spaces – Harald Herling Learnig Center / Library

    Paul Jackson's folding workshop on week 43 –  Otakaari 1, A131a

    Pack-Age Gala – Aalto Design Factory Stage on 17 December

  • Great links for design

    BrandNew

    8 Strategies for strong brand building through packaging design









    Safa Hovinen & Merkitys was involved in creating this recently launched infographic video for EPPA comparing the lifecycle impact of single-use packaging vs. multiple-use packaging in a fast-food context. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSByTBNv_Co

    Future of Retail 2030 (Futurice + Aalto & co) 

  • Lecture schedules (tentative)

    PACK-AGE
    		2021
    14.9. 9:15-12:00 Q101 Kick-Off, introduction, meeting teaching and project teams
    		 Markus
    15.9. 9:15-17:00 A131a/ADF Team roles, habits, tools, contract, PD3 Markus
    16.9. 9:15-15:00 Q101/Q202 Briefings: Letofin 9-12, Spices Chef 10-12, Promotto 13-15 Markus/clients
    21.9. 9:15-12:00 Q101 Background research & Double diamond Markus/Eeva
    22.9. 9:15-17:00 A131a/remote Project Management 10:30–12:00 / self organised visits Riku
    23.9. 9:15-12:00 remote Matching materials & food products Jouni + Hanna
    28.9. 9:15-12:00 Q101 Ellen McArthur Foundation & systemic sustainability Sanna
    29.9. 9:15-17:00 remote independent background research 
    30.9. 9:15-12:00 Q101 Visual design, user experience design & trends Markus/UPM Raflatac
    5.10. 9:15-12:00 Q101 Background & Insights presentation Eeva/Markus/client
    6.10. 9:15-17:00 remote Ideation, How might we, and project management tools  Markus 
    7.10. 9:15-12:00 Q101 Branding/Marketing Paulo/Virpi
    12.10. 9:15-12:00 Q101 Ideation sprint Sanna
    13.10. 9:15-17:00 A131a Ideation sprint Sanna
    14.10. 9:15-12:00 remote / Q101 Ideation sprint / independent Markus/peers
    19.10. 9:15-12:00 Q101 Sustainable concept design Sanna
    20.10. 9:15-17:00 A046 Illustrator & Dimensions/ Graphic design quality
    		Sampo / Safa
    21.10. 9:15-12:00 A046 concept design
    		Sanna
    25.10. 9:15-17:00 A131a structures Paul
    26.10. 9:15-17:00 A131a structures Paul
    27.10. 9:15-17:00 A131a structures Paul
    28.10. 9:15-17:00 A131a structures Paul
    29.10. 9:15-17:00 A131a structures Paul/Sari
    2.11. 8:00-18:00 excursion
    		 Prototyping in Lahti
    		 LAB/Oona & Noora
    3.11. 9:15-17:00 remote Independent interim preparations
    4.11. 9:15-12:00 Q101 Interim critique with clients, printhouse and teachers All teachers
    9.11. 9:15-12:00 Q101 Evaluating and rating feedback and design iteration Sanna
    10.11. 9:15-12:00 A046 Impact demo
    		Sanna
    11.11. 9:15-12:00 Q101 Detail design and correcting for print Sanna
    16.11. 9:15-12:00 excursion Excursion to Sense N Insight. / PTR Virpi
    17.11. 9:15-17:00 remote Packaging testing
    18.11. 9:15-12:00 remote
    		 Packaging testing
    23.11. 9:15-12:00 Q101 Scaling up potential, communication sustainability Tatu
    24.11. 9:15-17:00 A131a Printing
    25.11. 9:15-12:00 Q101 Printing
    30.11. 9:15-12:00 Photostudio Product photography workshop Veli Grano
    1.12. 9:15-17:00 Photostudio
    		 Independent photography
    2.12. 9:15-12:00 Q101 Reporting
    7.12. 9:15-12:00 Q101 Project report printing  & set building for Pack-Age Gala
    8.12. 9:15-17:00 A131a Project report printing  & set building for Pack-Age Gala
    9.12. 9:15-12:00 ADF Stage
    		 Presentation training with actress Elina Aalto
    		 Elina Aalto
    17.12. 9:15-12:00 ADF Stage
    		 Pack-Age Gala (will be broadcasted as limitations)

  • Team Flower

    Not available unless any of:
    • You belong to Team Flower
    • You are a(n) Teacher
    • You are a(n) Workspace Assistant

    This area is restricted for only this team

  • Team Berry

    Not available unless any of:
    • You belong to Team Berry
    • You are a(n) Teacher
    • You are a(n) Workspace Assistant

    This area is restricted for only this team

  • Team Next Chapter

    Not available unless any of:
    • You belong to Team Next Chapter
    • You are a(n) Teacher
    • You are a(n) Workspace Assistant

    This area is restricted for only this team