It’s hard to keep track of all of the numbers when it comes to the iF Design Awards. A total of seven companies have participated from the start (back in 1954), and awards go to any of seven disciplines—including, of course, packaging design. In 2019 alone, the competition welcomed 6,375 entries from 50 countries, a jury of 67 designers who hailed from 20 countries made the final decisions, and in the end, only 66 of the most outstanding designs received an iF Gold Award.
“We were genuinely impressed to see how high the design quality of many products has become,” said Jury Chairman Fritz Frenkler. “It takes a great deal of courage to be truly innovative. At the same time, it is not about striving for diversity at any cost—good, clear, and intuitive design is what the user should be offered in any discipline.”
iF Design Awards hosted us at their ceremony this year in Munich, Germany, and we were equally impressed by the packaging design winners. While it was difficult to choose—there are eight subcategories for packaging design—these are our favorites from this year.
You can view these winners (as well as the rest from 2019 and the past three years) on the iF Design app.
NO: LID
Designed by: BR Korea Co., Ltd
Seoul, Korea, Republic of Korea
Some of the standout iF Design Award winners this year aimed for eco-friendly solutions, and this one could make plastic coffee lids a thing of the past. Composed of biodegradable paper material, it’s not only better for the environment, but it’s also economical—the production process can decrease the unit price by over 20%—meaning you can still save money and the environment without sacrificing your morning brew.
Packaging Parachute Coffee
Designed by: KOREFE/Kolle Rebbe Form + Entwicklung
Hamburg, Germany
Parachute Coffee provides freshly roasted and packed coffee to your doorstep within 48 hours (if you’re in Canada, that is). This unique service required packaging to match, so the design looks like a packed up parachute, backpack straps and all. It’s not just looks, either—there’s even a ripcord which opens the bag to complete the whole experience, making it even more memorable.
WOODseries No. 1
Designed by: Ruska, Martín, Associates GmbH
Berlin, Germany
From the outside, this wine activates the senses, and you feel and smell what waits in the bottle: a fine wine aged in French oak. The designers believe wine is a discovery, a journey—and it doesn’t need to end and begin with drinking the wine itself. The wood label makes the whole experience, from selecting the bottle to opening it at home, all the richer.
7UP Vintage Pack 2018
Designed by: PepsiCo Design & Innovation
New York, NY, United States
We’ve seen lots of “what’s old is new again,” and PepsiCo Design & Innovation nailed it with these vintage 7UP cans. While it has a contemporary edge to it, the artwork references the brand’s history—the people, culture, and aesthetic of the soda over the decades inspired each design, making the can itself a platform to tell the story. Different artists designed the cans, each with their own unique style and perspective, making the range a collector’s item.
Golden Spiral
Designed by: X2 CREATE MULTIPLE DESIGN
Taichung City, Taiwan
Ooh la la! This is a chocolate box unlike any we’ve seen before, designed for a French dessert shop. The store’s physical layout inspired the packaging, which opens up from its shape as a chambered nautilus shell. As you slowly unfurl the box, the twelve pieces of exquisite chocolate spread out before you. The shape is also a nod to the golden ratio, indicating the pure perfection of each finely handmade treat.
IMPROVIDE Co.,Ltd.
Designed by: IMPROVIDE Co., Ltd.
Hokkaido, Japan
You’ll always find jam from the local farmers of Biei, an agricultural town in Japan, in the gift shops of Hokkaido—but all of them look the same, adopting a rustic look and the name of the farmer. This jam, instead, takes a minimalist, clean-cut approach, eliminating all the extraneous information and design elements. It turns jam jars into keepsake pieces of art, and the simple design speaks to the preservative-free, high-quality ingredients in each product.
POLA B.A COLORS LIPSTICK EYEPOWDER
Designed by: POLA Inc.
Tokyo, Japan
Minimal doesn’t have to be just black and white. Inspired by streamlined Japanese aesthetics, this bold makeup packaging has sultry hues and sharp angles to turn heads. The texture of each product is matte, and depending on the light angle and polarization effect, it may appear grey, green, or purple. People wear makeup to reflect different parts of their personality, and they may wear it more intensely on some days than others, so the packaging reflects this type of confident versatility.
Dr. Tung’s ACTIVATED CHARCOAL FLOSS
Designed by: Elastico Disegno snc
Chieri (TO), Italy
You know you should floss daily, but you also don’t want to contribute to the millions of floss containers which get discarded each year (not to mention floss which is made of plastic). Dr. Tung’s floss and its packaging minimize the environmental impact. The floss comes from 100% natural fibers and 0% plastic and animal-based glue, and each carton comes from paperboard and can easily be recycled after use. A splash of blue—a well-suited color for the dental hygiene industry—gives it a refreshing pop to brighten up the paperboard.
Thorndown
Designed by: Brown&co The Brand Collective Ltd
Surrey, United Kingdom
Outdoor paint may not come to mind first thing that comes to mind when you think of a market with inspiring design—which is exactly why Thorndown makes such a visual impact. Rather than simply relying on a functional look, the imagery has splashes of color and depicts local wildlife in the UK’s scenic West Country. The designers altered the tin shape to make it easier to use, copy (done by a local copywriter) is playful, and it makes painting outdoor items seem enjoyable rather than a mundane chore.
Renomed
Designed by: Renomed
Poznan, Poland
Scissors typically come in packaging that almost always requires a pair of scissors to open it. Renomed takes a different approach, turning scissors from an unnotable household item to a luxury to behold. This particular product line stands for simple, all natural and timeless workmanship, which the black packaging and embossing highlight. Rather than clutter the box with too many words or images, the shapes and texture alone create the experience for consumers who have likely never seen a pair of scissors quite like this.
Zero Box – Tape free shipping box
Designed by: VOION PRINTING GROUP
Dongguan City, China
Over 5 billion cardboard boxes get shipped around the world every year, and the plastic used on these boxes could wrap around the earth 500 times. With a patented cardboard lock system, Zero Box means no tape necessary. It looks and operates like any other cardboard box, but this one has a sustainable twist to it—the box can be reused, restored, or recycled once used.
