These days, it seems people have gotten really creative with their beer drinking. The Go Plate, much like The Ashhole, (which MSLK designed the packaging for) can transform your empty beer bottle, can or cup into an instant commodity.

While The Ashhole fits on top of empty bottles and converts them into an ashtray, The Go Plate fits around your beverage receptacle of choice and as a result, allows you to carry your food and drink in one hand. It’s pretty clever and pretty practical; however, I don’t suppose it will help get rid of any beer bellies any time soon.

-Mariana G.

As Reactions continues to evolve, we are pleased to announce the addition of guest bloggers to our blog. This post features Mariana Gorn, our trend-spotting, beer-swilling, intern. 

In a previous post I mentioned a great lecture I went to at the HBA on sustainable package design. The speaker, Jane Bickerstaffe, the director of INCPEN, directed me to a fabulous guide that INCPEN created for designers and manufacturers on the 360-degree considerations one should make in developing a sustainable product and packaging.

Although the guide is a lengthy 64  pages, I found it to be incredibly informative on how to consider your packaging from the sourcing of the materials, to the energy involved in transport/production, to the effects the packaging has on the distribution, and the waste caused by under-packaged and over-packaged goods. It also delves into the trade-offs of design for end re-use vs. recycling vs. compostablity.

On a recent trip to Whole Foods, something caught our eye that was so incredibly simple, so obvious, that it made us wonder why it hasn’t always been this way: A biodegradable flowerpot.

Instead of buying flowers in the standard plastic pot which you inevitably dispose of after transplanting the plant into your garden, this eco-friendly, unbelievably easy solution literally embodies the concept of sustainable design, the pot returns to soil itself. No mess, no fuss. Just dig a hole, and set it in. Even the tag is biodegradable making doing good practically effortless.

If you want to keep these on your stoop, that’s fine, too. In most cases, the pot will outlast the flowers. Once you’re done, simply put whole thing into your compost bin.

Why isn’t everything designed this way?

Recently at the HBA Expo, I attended a lecture by Jane Bickerstaffe, the director of INCPEN, the Industry Council for Packaging & the Environment. When discussing innovation in sustainable packaging, one can usually expect to hear the same topics covered, reduction of the packaging weight/thickness, use of recycled or bio materials, reduction of overall packaging components. However, Jane wanted to point out something entirely new. The carbon footprint of the packaging of a product is really just one tiny spec in the overall life cycle and eco-footprint of the product it contains. In short, packaging protects far more resources than it expends by proportion. So if you reduced the thickness of your packaging and the product inside became damaged as a result, the amount you sought to save would be wasted by 10 or 20 fold.

The other week Sheri and I found ourselves at one of our favorite places, the Vermont Country Store located in Southern Vermont. It’s an immense, yet quaint store with an amazing assortment of goods.

Known as the “Purveyors of the Practical & Hard-to-Find,” the VCS regularly attracts crowds from as far away Boston and New York. (I’m talking about chartered coaches full with tourists!)

For us, the appeal of the “hard-to-find” outweighed that of the “practical” and we were like kids in a candy store. It even has a candy store, which was of great interest to Sheri. But that’s a whole other story.

The universal appeal is that it evokes a simpler time, as is evidenced by an amazing assortment of great, classic packaging. We were pleased to find that they included one of our own, designed for Wigwam…

The other day I bought what I thought was the same-old, same-old Ritz crackers. Wrong! Obviously a wayward design elf at Nabisco took it upon themselves to have a little fun.

You’re looking at the back… the front is still a bit schlocky, yet the fact that this minimal design passed through the ranks without being compromised is actually quite amazing.

Ok, alcohol is certainly not a new party accessory. It’s been the accessory of choice for quite some time now. But apparently Nicolas Feuillatte champagne wants to take the sloppy out of drunk. They’ve issued fashionable individual champagne bottles that can be worn on the wrist, like a clutch. These quarter bottles, called One Fo(u)r Fun, come in a brut (pictured) and rosé (in pink). I picked one up at last week’s MoMA corporate party (thanks Corinna!). I’m not so sure how I feel about them. They’re kind of cute and festive, but I can’t say I’d ever purchase one for myself. Accept a free one at party, though? Totally different story.

To begin with: I am a big food and wine lover. I like simple, authentic meals. Spaghetti with a classic “Ragù alla Bolognese” and a glass (or two…) of red wine makes me happy. I recently found a red wine that goes well with pasta. I only bought it because its name, Bitch, made me both chuckle and curious about its taste. Bitch wine is more than a smart marketing strategy though. It’s a fairly priced, fine Australian red wine with an earthy note. And what I like most about it: its ironic name gives the snobby, serious wine industry a refreshing twist.

It’s things like this that make designers want to throw in the hat… I recently stumbled across this beautiful packaging for Nestea. I was immediately excited that perhaps the corporate bigwigs at Nestea had awoken one morning and decided they were sick of having ugly packaging. I imagined them handing over the reigns to a team of designers to reinvent their brand in a way that’s actually pleasant. No such luck. Upon further analysis, I found that these are simply some concept investigations that the one brain at Nestea probably fought tooth and nail to have happen. Obviously nothing became of it, since we’re still left with the “awesome” brand that we currently find in delis and supermarkets across the country (shown after the jump). I guess these designs simply weren’t cool enough. After all, nothing says cool and refreshing like a faux ice pattern with a cracked out snowman illustration.

Sheri came back from a weekend trip with a pair of felt booties for our friends’ newborn. While not typically my cup of tea as a genre, I took note of their simplicity and beautiful packaging. A simple plastic box silkscreen in white with a bold, sans serif logo and tiny website address.

As a general rule for packaging, if the product looks good enough to sell itself, just let it.

Ahh, the day of love has arrived! Did you forget to make cards for your friends and lovers? No worries. Every February at MSLK we create unique Valentines for everyone on our mailing list. We now have the opportunity to share our Valentines on our blog too!

This year we designed cards in a simple format so that you can print, cut and send (examples seen above). The cards are perfect for dropping on someone’s desk today or attaching to a bundle of flowers tonight. Download the cards!

Last year we created an interactive valentine that celebrates the trials and tribulations of love. This e-card is perfect to send to everyone that you didn’t have a chance to send an actual card to. Plus you save a stamp and a tree.

Do you want to receive great email goodies all year round? Sign up for our mailing list on the contact page of our website or email us at mslk@mslk.com.

The other day a simple black box arrived in my mailbox. It had only one message on it:

MINI Adventure Field Kit. Contents: Essential Motoring Nonessentials

That’s right: another gift from MINI. I still can’t believe the degree to which this brand continues to sell after the sale is made. Is it not enough to build a fun, well-made car?

They really went all out this time.

For the past year, we have had the pleasure of working with Wigwam Mills on their biggest re-branding and re-positioning project in the company’s 103 year history. We proudly announce that the new Wigwam packaging, designed by MSLK, is hitting the stores!

Founded in 1905, Wigwam Mills wanted a new look to secure their future as a performance-based sock company that uses advanced fibers. Over the years, they had introduced technologically advanced socks under the sub-brands Ultimax and INgenius, but this left consumers thinking of Wigwam as a basic sock company and watered down their in-store brand recognition. MSLK needed to create a system that unified the brand, but allowed the products to compete against a wide range of brands, from the cute and funky Smartwool to techno-sleek Nike.

This week we had an unexpected surprise: seven graphic design students visiting our studio from the UK. All but one had never been to the States before, and I am proud to report that, besides the Apple Store in Midtown, we were their first stop on a jam-packed tour of NYC design. Bright and inquisitive, they asked us a barrage of questions ranging from our experience, our influences, our design approach, and even how many hours we work. Sheri and I had a great time entertaining them for an hour as we walked them through some recent MSLK projects. It’s incredibly helpful to explain the practical design considerations (i.e. the problems, and how we solved them), rather than showing only “pretty looking things.”

I found BOCHOX when I traveled to Chicago last summer. The packaging is a great concept mimicking the look of medicine. This chocolate bar is produced by Bloomsberry & Co in New Zealand. The best part is the messaging written on the front of the package. They are smart and fun, read some below.

I like how the bottle design for this beer ties in with its name “Lucky” – the “Laughing Buddha” is a symbol for luck in Asian cultures. I think it is an innovative design for a new beer in the market. The design stands out for its unusual shape. I picked this up at Dean & Deluca in SoHo because I could not wait to show off the bottle. It is made in Australia and I hope it tastes as good as it looks. I have not tried it myself, it is sitting in the fridge waiting to be opened. Has anybody tried this beer before?

Leave it to San Pellegrino to make even a crappy can a bit classier. When not in its signature citrus shaped bottle, Limonata Soda is sold with an aluminum cover over the top to protect the area you will sip from the dirt and grime acquired en route and at the store. Pretty smart, since drinking from a can is actually pretty gross when you think about it. A nice special touch from the Italians, though surely an added element of waste in the long run.

A new experience from Ice Breakers – “Pacs” are sugar-free and overwhelmingly orange flavored. Translucent xylitol pouches hold the flavor powder which contains vitamin A, C, E & Zinc.

The pouch is designed to dissolve in your mouth, unfortunately, it feels like you are eating plastic. Once the plastic dissolves, the powder hits your tongue with a cold sensation and an abundant orange flavor. Weird…

The packaging is looking pretty good compared to their other products. It is made of translucent orange plastic and slides to open (see more images below).

Apparently recycling is as complicated as rocket science. I attended a lecture by Samantha MacBride, the Deputy Director of Recycling for the New York City Department of Sanitation this week, where everything I thought I knew about recycling was flipped on its head. Of the many topics covered, some of the more shocking included what actually is recyclable and why, the best contribution we can make to recycling and the horror of the plastic shopping bag…

On a trip to Sweden this past spring, I brought back these great yogurt drink bottles for the studio. They are in every grocery and convenience store there. Imagine if our grocery store basics looked this good?

In the studio we collect and display inspirational design objects on the shelves about or desks. Yoggi sits above mine. Even though my trip to Sweden has long past, the Scandinavian design continues to inspire!