Guiding question

Food and the future: How can we create and produce on trend sustainable food products with sustainable eye-catching packaging? What does sustainability really mean in the context of food and packaging?

Purpose of the expedition

The purpose of CreATE is for students in the areas of food studies and design to collaborate in order to create a food product, its packaging and promotion as it would happen in a real-world scenario. The specific scenario was to create a food product to sell at a farmer’s style market.

Learning targets

  • Identify current trends in food and packaging
  • Identify and explain issues in sustainability in both food and food packaging
  • Design, create and evaluate a unique food product to sell at a market
  • Design, create and evaluate packaging to suit the food product of the client

Subjects

  • Design
  • Food Studies 

Case studies

Exploring Packaging
  • Exploring Packaging
  • Sustainable Design
  • Product Development

2020 trends in food and packaging design.

The CreATE food class focused on food trends happening locally. Students read articles on the new Coles Local concept store in St Kilda and what food trends can be seen.

The CreATE Design class focused on packaging trends in supermarkets and also looked online for innovative packaging and trends. They looked at the design of 2D packaging nets and 3D forms and the surface graphics and labeling on packages.

Sustainability.

The second case study the CreATE Food students looked at was sustainability. The students had to reflect on their immersion experience to Burwood Brickworks and investigate further ways they can live more sustainably in their everyday lives.

CreATE design students analysed food packaging materials and what makes packages sustainable. They gathered and analysed real examples to better understand where packaging ends up once it has been used.

Product development

In their third case study CreATE Food students completed the food product development process, similar to what is used in industry, to design, create and produce a new and exciting food product to sell at a maker’s market. Once they had refined a product, they collaborated closely with the CreATE Design class who created a brand and logo to complement their product.

Whilst the CreATE Food team was developing and trialling food products CreATE Design students engaged in ‘Design Toolkit’; learning how to design logos and surface graphics for packaging and promotional material. They learnt how to use relevant design software and mastered the required skills to produce an effective logo.

When the CreATE Food Studies students were ready with their product ideas the classes collaborated – each food team was assigned a design team to work with to develop their promotional designs.

Design outcomes

CreATE Food: Batch product development, CreATE Design: Adobe design software /presentation

Beautiful work

Students created new and exciting food products that were presented in a final market stall set up. The packaging and promotional material were styled beautifully to attract potential customers.

Real-world links

  • Experiencing start-up scenarios
  • Looking at current real-world trends
  • How to promote products
  • Sales and business