Iron Packaging Design · 2025
Pass Train Wish Gift Package
by Jiwon Jung
- A' Design Award 2025 Iron Winner in Packaging Design
- Awarded April 15, 2025
- CLIENT: Hongik University
- Estimated Number of Design Views: 11,286
- Verification code 0645724479 · Verify this award
About Pass Train Wish Gift Package
Pass Train incorporates train inspired structural packaging, symbolizing perseverance. The Locomotive Package, Signature Package, represents momentum toward success, featuring an elevated chimney design to emphasize progress. The Passenger Car Package extends the train concept, while the Terminal Package, black, marks the final destination. The Two Story Signature Package serves as a premium gift box, completing this unique storytelling based design.
Jiwon Jung's Pass Train Wish Gift Package represents a sophisticated achievement within contemporary confectionery packaging design, positioning functional product enclosure within the imaginative territory of childhood transportation fantasies and the enduring cultural romance surrounding railway travel. The designer demonstrates exceptional command of dimensional paper engineering, transforming flat substrate into convincing three-dimensional locomotive forms that maintain structural integrity while serving protective and presentational functions, each package reading simultaneously as practical container and miniature sculptural object inviting tactile engagement and imaginative projection. The chromatic strategy reveals thoughtful consideration of both marketplace differentiation requirements and psychological color associations, the vivid saturated palette suggesting the flavor profiles contained within while creating strong shelf presence and immediate visual appeal across demographic ranges from young children to nostalgic adults purchasing gifts, the color assignments likely corresponding to strawberry, citrus, tropical, and berry flavor variants that communicate instantly through established confectionery color conventions. Compositional sophistication emerges through the diagonal arrangement that transforms what could be static product array into dynamic visual narrative suggesting trains arriving at or departing from station, the overlapping placement and scale variation creating depth perception that enhances the sculptural dimensionality of the forms themselves and invites multiple viewing angles rewarding sustained attention. Technical execution demonstrates admirable precision in die-cutting, scoring, adhesive application, and registration of printed elements across three-dimensional surfaces, the clean edges and accurate color registration speaking to manufacturing quality control while the charm of the illustrated characters and architectural detailing reveals sensitivity to the emotional and experiential dimensions of gift-giving rituals. The design navigates the commercial imperative to differentiate products clearly while maintaining brand family cohesion through consistent formal vocabulary, the modular dual-unit construction suggesting thoughtful consideration of portion sizing, sharing scenarios, and the theatrical dimensions of unwrapping and revealing, transforming consumption moment into miniature ceremony. Cultural resonances include the universal childhood fascination with trains as symbols of adventure, departure, and connection, the gift-giving traditions surrounding confectionery presentation, and the contemporary design trend toward packaging that transcends disposability to become keepsake or play object extending brand engagement beyond consumption moment. One might contemplate how this design invites adults purchasing gifts to participate vicariously in childhood wonder, how the transportation metaphor transforms simple candy delivery into journey narrative, and how three-dimensional packaging design can elevate commodity products into meaningful gift experiences that honor both giver and recipient through craft, imagination, and generous attention to delight.
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- Pass Train incorporates train-inspired structural packaging, symbolizing perseverance. The Locomotive Package (Signature Package) represents momentum toward success, featuring an elevated chimney design to emphasize progress. The Passenger Train Package extends the train concept, while the Terminal Package (black) marks the final destination. The Two-Story Signature Package serves as a premium gift box, completing this unique storytelling-based design.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- Signature Locomotive Package: 52mm × 148mm × 75mm
Passenger Train Package: 52mm × 148mm × 52mm
Cube Package: 105mm × 105mm × 85mm
Terminal Package: 77mm × 160mm × 120mm
Two-Story Signature Package: 77mm × 160mm × 158mm - Tags
- Pass Train, chapssaltteok, success gift, train inspired packaging, symbolic design, motivational branding, interactive package, cultural tradition, packaging design, exam encouragement
- Production Technology
- The Pass Train package is made using eco-friendly paper materials, ensuring sustainability and durability. The 'die cut' process precisely shapes the locomotive chimney, reinforcing its identity. Double-layered reinforced paperboard enhances structure while keeping it lightweight. Offset printing with matte and gloss finishes highlights the four color variations, and the Terminal Package features a bold black color to emphasize goal achievement.
- Design Challenge
- The key challenge was integrating the symbolic meaning of chapssaltteok with the structural characteristics of a train while ensuring functionality and durability. The elevated chimney required multiple prototypes to maintain its form and stability. Additionally, balancing cost-effective production with a premium gifting experience was crucial. The final design successfully blends cultural meaning, storytelling, and structural innovation.
- Project Duration
- The project started in Seoul in March 2024 and was completed in Seoul in October 2024.
- Operation Flow
- The Pass Train package offers an immersive unboxing experience that symbolizes the journey toward success. The Pass Train Ticket marks the departure, leading to the Locomotive Package at the front, setting the stage for progress. The Passenger Car Package extends the journey, while the Cube Package allows for easy single-serving consumption. The Terminal Package represents reaching the final goal, and the Two-Story Signature Package serves as a premium set, enhancing the gifting experience.
- Research
- This project explores symbolic packaging that enhances the gifting experience. Research included market analysis of success-wishing gifts, cultural significance of chapssaltteok, and packaging design trends. Surveys with students and gift buyers provided insights into emotional engagement. The result is a package that combines cultural tradition with an interactive storytelling concept, reinforcing goal achievement and encouragement through design.
- Inspiration
- In Korea, chapssaltteok (glutinous rice cake) is a traditional good-luck gift, symbolizing the hope of “sticking” to one’s desired university or goal. Inspired by this, Pass Train reinterprets the tradition using the structure and symbolism of a train. Just as a train steadily moves forward, students advance toward their dreams. This package transforms a simple good-luck gift into a symbolic journey of encouragement, delivering heartfelt wishes for success.
- Image Credits
- This work is all original images not copyrighted.
- Patents
- This work is all original images not copyrighted.
Colors of Pass Train Wish Gift Package
Get Pass Train Wish Gift Package
Design Interview about Pass Train Wish Gift Package
Pass Train is a gift package design inspired by Korea’s cultural tradition of supporting loved ones before pivotal moments such as important exams or interviews. It incorporates the symbolic meaning of glutinous rice cakes—often gifted with the phrase “stick to your goal”—and the visual metaphor of a train heading toward a destination, turning the recipient into a passenger embarking on a hopeful journey.
The core focus was to translate emotional support into a tactile experience. Rather than simply wrapping a product, I designed a moment—a gift that becomes a journey of encouragement. The goal was to make the recipient feel understood, supported, and empowered through Korea’s gift-giving culture and an intuitive, structural storytelling format.
Although I don’t have a current collaboration plan, I intend to further develop the concept by integrating transport-inspired structures and positive messaging. My vision is to craft packaging that delivers emotional support beyond materiality—offering designs that act as messengers of goodwill and shared humanity.
The project spanned about 4–5 weeks. I first conducted research into cultural motifs and emotional behaviors around gift-giving. The following weeks were dedicated to developing the structural system, exploring color psychology, prototyping, and validating the concept with use-case simulations.
It was a self-initiated project inspired by personal experience. I grew up receiving and giving these traditional gifts and have personally gifted glutinous rice cakes to someone I deeply cared about before a major life event. I wanted to reinterpret that moment of warmth using a modern structural and visual language.
The design is not in commercial production, nor is it being reviewed for commercialization at the moment. However, I plan to continue creating new packaging projects with similar emotional narratives and visual storytelling, as part of my creative development.
I was particularly drawn to the symbolic nature of trains—movement, journey, and direction—which naturally parallels the emotional passage through challenges like exams or interviews. Trains embody momentum and hope, and I saw them as the perfect vehicle to embody a narrative of encouragement.
I took reference from vintage Korean train tickets, traditional good-luck gifts, and signage systems found in local railway stations. The visual language and structural form of the train, however, were developed independently based on cultural intuition and symbolic analysis.
Though rooted in Korean culture, the design targets anyone globally who wishes to convey support and encouragement to someone facing a challenge. From parents and teachers to friends and colleagues, Pass Train offers a symbolic and emotionally resonant way to say, “I believe in you.”
Pass Train goes beyond surface visuals. It builds a structural narrative: the locomotive main box, passenger-car sub-packages, and a symbolic ticket card together form a journey. The color-coded sets—Passion, Cheer, Full Score, Jackpot—are connected to emotional cues, allowing visuals and sentiment to work in harmony.
“Pass Train” carries a dual meaning—referring to a train passing by and the act of passing an exam or challenge. Like boarding a train to your goal, the name is symbolic and globally intuitive. It transforms the packaging into an emotional vehicle that resonates with both intent and direction.
I used Adobe Illustrator as my primary tool. It allowed me to precisely draft folding layouts, structural blueprints, and color variations. Its simulation and precision tools were critical in bridging aesthetic form with realistic functionality, especially in prototyping.
The modular train-based structure is its most unique feature. The main locomotive box connects with sub-packages shaped like passenger cars. Each module can stand alone or work as part of a cohesive train, and the detachable handle enhances portability, making the unboxing feel like boarding a journey.
I consulted with a graduate professor for feedback on structure and feasibility. Additionally, I conducted a small-scale survey to gather input on naming and direction, using those responses to align the design with real user needs and expectations.
Though it appears tactile and handcrafted, the design relied heavily on digital prototyping. I used simulation tools to ensure balance, structure, and harmony in layout and color. The digital process ensured that the final product would look emotionally rich while being practically manufacturable.
Yes. I researched Korea’s cultural symbolism around gifting, the semantics of train travel, and color psychology. I also observed behaviors around seasonal gift-giving to define user needs, ensuring that the final design would align with emotional and cultural expectations.
Balancing visual storytelling with structural logic was a challenge. I had to ensure the train-like composition was stable in form and meaningful in sequence. Adjusting proportions and fine-tuning the unboxing flow required multiple rounds of testing and refine
Pass Train tells a story of shared emotion using form, color, and narrative. I felt it could speak across cultures. A’ Design Award’s respect for storytelling, structural creativity, and cultural identity made it the perfect platform to share this project.
I developed the ability to visualize emotions and messages through form. Learning how to deliver meaning through design without relying on text taught me the power of shape, tactility, and symbolism. I also deepened my understanding of intuitive design that is both empathetic and bold.
Pass Train is more than a package—it’s a symbolic gesture of belief. In moments when words fall short, the form becomes a language of support. My hope is that it becomes a meaningful object for moments of encouragement, celebrating quiet rituals and sincere emotion across generations and borders.
Grand Interview about Pass Train Wish Gift Package
The Pass Train Wish Gift Package was designed as more than a simple rice cake gift—it was conceived as an emotional journey that walks alongside examinees. In Korea, gifting sticky rice cakes before exams reflects the wish that one “sticks” to success, but this practice has become somewhat routine and clichéd over time. We sought to retain the essence of this tradition while introducing a fresh narrative structure. The train became our metaphor for a student’s path toward their dreams. Additionally, we included themed “Admission Tickets” (Passion Line, Support Line, Perfect Score Line, Jackpot Line) within the package to emotionally elevate the gift, making it far more than just a snack.
The chimney isn’t just decorative—it encapsulates the symbolic thrust of forward movement, akin to a student’s determination. However, the vertical protrusion posed structural challenges in paper packaging. To solve this, we reinforced the internal frame with dual layering and introduced a locking mechanism beneath the chimney to enhance durability. Through repeated sampling and drop tests, we ensured it would withstand real-world logistics. In the end, this feature became both a visual icon and a technical triumph.
The unboxing unfolds like a train journey—from the locomotive through passenger cars and finally to the terminal station. As recipients open each car, they encounter hidden messages and surprises that echo progress. Inside the main package, a train-ticket-shaped “Admission Ticket” is included as a symbolic accessory—each matching one of four themes: Passion, Support, Perfect Score, and Jackpot. Far from just decoration, these tickets act as psychological tokens of encouragement, reinforcing the examinee’s emotional momentum. The final Terminal Package delivers a satisfying sense of arrival and fulfillment.
Pass Train wasn’t just a product; it was a medium for emotional and cultural storytelling. We used FSC-certified paper, water-based ink, and minimal coatings—not simply for sustainability, but to reflect the purity and warmth embedded in Korea’s rice cake-gifting tradition. The precision die-cutting allowed each part of the train to fit organically, enhancing both tactile experience and visual consistency. This synthesis of environmental consciousness and cultural narrative added meaningful depth beyond the surface of the packaging.
Our research revealed that examinees value practicality and sincerity, while parents prioritize tradition and aesthetics. As a result, we designed the package to be compact and easy to carry, with a modular system allowing each unit to be gifted individually or linked as one cohesive train. The Admission Tickets inside served a dual purpose—motivational tokens for students, and heartfelt gestures for parents to convey emotional support. Every detail, from scale to layout, was tuned to resonate with real users.
The Terminal Package serves as the symbolic closure of the journey. While the four main passenger cars represent moments of support along the way, the Terminal Package encapsulates completion and self-reflection. Its black color carries visual weight, signifying the emotional gravity of reaching one’s goal. Inside, there’s space for a final message or a small gift, allowing senders to personalize the moment. It’s not just about reaching the end—it’s about pausing to recognize the inner growth made throughout the journey.
Initially, we tried using single-layer paper, but tests showed the structure would easily collapse. So, we adopted a dual-board system with corrugated reinforcement on the inside. Delicate components like chimneys, windows, and wheels were constructed separately and inserted later, which boosted both visual precision and physical strength. This method balanced the need for portability with structural integrity, ensuring that the packaging was not only beautiful but robust enough for gifting and transport.
Rice cakes carry the long-standing wish for “sticking” to success, but we felt that this message deserved a more dynamic and resonant form. By integrating the train motif, we created a new symbolic framework that conveys movement, progress, and determination. The included Admission Ticket visually reinforces this, making the recipient feel as if they’re holding a real ticket toward their goals. In doing so, we allowed timeless emotions to be communicated through a modern, story-driven structure.
The Two-Story Signature Package was designed for milestones like college entrance exams, national certification tests, or studying abroad—occasions where a deeper layer of support is called for. The first floor holds the traditional rice cake set, while the second floor accommodates letters or keepsakes, representing “layers of sincerity.” Just as a long-distance train pulls many cars over a great journey, this package symbolizes enduring emotional support and the accumulation of heartfelt wishes.
Rice cakes are more than food—they’re imbued with emotional and cultural meaning. This project taught me that meaningful design is not about replicating tradition but reweaving it into contemporary contexts. By blending the emotional power of rice cakes with the progressive symbolism of trains, and adding Admission Tickets as narrative devices, I learned to design not just for form but for experience. Going forward, I aim to approach cultural motifs not as fixed visuals but as emotional journeys that can be reimagined to create lasting impressions and memorable storytelling through packaging.