Wei-Hsuan Liu and Hsin-Hsuan OuYang · CLIENT: A Cense of Poem
Cense of Poem is a packaging design for incense sticks. The box is made of acrylic with laser engraving. The translucent box with matte wrapping expresses the shape and the flow of the smoke. The colors of the boxes correspond to the colors of the incense sticks inside. Each box carries a graphic design that matches the scent of the incense sticks within. Three series in yellow, aquamarine and purple refer to the comma, the dash and the exclamation mark. The packaging aims to offer a poetic and mysterious sensory experience.
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- The translucent box with matte wrapping concretizes the shape and flow of the smoke. The different colors of the boxes correspond to the various colors of the incense sticks. The specific graphic design on each type of box goes along with the features and the taste of the smells of the incense sticks inside. Overall, with this external design, we try to deliver a mysterious and poetic image.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- large 110mm*110mm*40mm
small 70mm*70mm*55mm - Tags
- Incense, Poetic, Fragrance, Package, Brand Identity
- Production Technology
- The box is made of acrylic with laser engraving.
- Design Challenge
- There are two main challenges that we have encountered. The first one is to select the elements we want to use in the products to drive the users into a specific situation while distinguishing the difference between series. And the second one is to convey and express the origin, intention, and meaning of our design to the other end through the outer packaging.
- Project Duration
- The project started in Taichung, Taiwan in August 2022. Completed in Taichung, Taiwan in April 2023, and exhibited in Taipei, Taiwan in May 2023.
- Operation Flow
- First, to start the journey of sensory, scan the pattern and words on the box with your eyes before opening it. Then, open the lid, place the incense holder, and take out and hold the incense sticks by hand. Finally, light up the incense sticks, immerse yourself in the misty atmosphere, and enjoy the scent with your sense of smell.
- Research
- The primary concern of our design is to conceptualize the sensory experience the users have while burning the incense. We started the research by conducting data collection and general analysis and went through the process of discussion and irritative revisions in the studio. At last, we’re able to imagine the situational atmosphere that we want users to immerse in and connect users to this abstract feeling through a combination of the presence of outer packaging and the taste of the smell.
- Inspiration
- The keyword of the design is “poetry”, in which we believe that life itself is a piece of poetry and we are all writers of our own lives. The incense itself represents the characters of the text, and the incense holder, as a counterpart, is the paper that carries the emotions which are released from the words and lines. Finally, the box binds these two materials together and makes them a complete integration. These three series in three different colors symbolize different marks that are commonly seen in our daily life. They are, comma (yellow), which means the pause and break time we always need, dash (aquamarine), which means the continuity of life, and exclamation mark (purple), which means unexpected surprise and expectation toward the upcoming future.
- Image Credits
- Wei-Hsuan Liu, Photographer, 2023.
Hsin-Hsiu OuYang, Photographer, 2023.
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