Silver Packaging Design · 2022
Toji Candle Boxes
by Xiaoman Fu
- A' Design Award 2022 Silver Winner in Packaging Design
- Awarded April 15, 2022
- CLIENT: 3Dollar Design Studio
- Estimated Number of Design Views: 23,930
- Verification code 7E918562DF · Verify this award
About Toji Candle Boxes
Toji is a packaging box developed for candles. An arc cut on the front of the box increases the visible area of the illustration inside, so part of the story is previewed before the box is opened. The box is made from 1000 gram cardboard with a frosted finish, a raised process on the top and gold stamping on the interior illustration. The main colors are low saturation blue, pink, yellow and orange-brown, chosen according to the different stories. The box opens from the top, and the candle is placed in the lower part. Each box measures 100 by 100 by 120 millimeters.
Within the contemporary landscape of artisanal fragrance presentation, Xiaoman Fu's Toji Candle Boxes emerge as a distinguished example of packaging design that elevates functional containment into narrative experience, the collection demonstrates a thoughtful synthesis of chromatic strategy, structural innovation, and illustrative storytelling that positions each variant as both protective vessel and collectible object, the designer appears to draw upon diverse visual traditions including classical architectural vocabulary, botanical illustration heritage, and the intimate scale of decorative arts to create surfaces that reward prolonged contemplation, the structural innovation of the arched lift-off lid introduces an element of theatrical revelation transforming the mundane act of opening into a moment of discovery as the interior container emerges bearing its own elaborate visual program, the chromatic decisions spanning from warm citrus tones through botanical greens suggested by the scent descriptions to cool atmospheric blues seem calibrated to evoke the olfactory character of each variant through visual synesthesia, technical accomplishment manifests in the precise registration of metallic printing against saturated grounds and the consistent material quality across the collection, the illustrative content appears to weave together architectural fantasies with natural elements creating miniature worlds that extend the sensory promise beyond fragrance into imaginative territory, the typographic hierarchy balances practical information delivery with aesthetic refinement through carefully selected serif forms that suggest heritage without historicism, one might observe how the design successfully negotiates between contemporary minimalist expectations and maximalist decorative traditions creating objects that function equally well in retail display contexts and domestic environments as permanent design elements, viewers are invited to consider how packaging design at this level of ambition transforms commercial objects into cultural artifacts worthy of preservation beyond their functional lifespan.
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- This unique box was developed for the candles. In order to connect the outside of the box with the illustration inside better, arc cutting was made on the front to increase the visible area inside. The visible part is equivalent to the preview part, presenting the story to the viewer in a more hierarchical way. The frosting process was used to make the box, to make it more quality. According to different stories, the main colors are low saturation blue, pink, yellow and orange-brown, which achieve a higher effect in hand feeling and vision.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- Width 100mm x Depth 100mm x Height 120mm
- Tags
- Candle,Package,Label,Box,Brand Identity
- Production Technology
- The box is made by 1000g cardboard with raising process on top and gold stamping in the interior illustration
- Design Challenge
- The hardest part of the project was modeling the boxes, because there wasn't a familiar model of box in the market, the team need to make the blueprint of the box and keep modeling and fixing until the boxes can be produce by the factory.
- Project Duration
- The project started in June 2021 and finished in September 2021 in Xiamen.
- Operation Flow
- The Toji candle boxes are opened on the top, and the candle itself is nicely place in the bottom part of the box. Each illustration was customized by the stories from the Toji series. The products become "live" and unique products due to the stories came with them. consumers can read the letters and watch illustrations to get to know the story behind each flavor.
- Research
- The project was began with the idea to develop a series of boxes for candles that are special, unique and different from what consumers can get in the current market. A mixed research was used during the project, the team went to several malls' candle sections to observe consumers' taste of purchases. Online researches was processed during the beginning of the project, the result showed that consumers would prefer to purchase candles from famous brands rather than cheap products when the packagings are familiar. According to the research, a large number of candles’ packaging are familiar, some products only have normal boxes and logos on them. The team wanted to become a game changer to break the packaging balance in the market, the boxes of Toji was self-developed by the members in the team. After the researched was made on the boxes in the market, the Toji boxes went though designing, modeling and sampling and finally became what it looks like in the final.
- Inspiration
- Toji was inspired by the Карачун Day of the Magyar people. This day has the shortest day time and the longest shadow time. The ancient Turkic people would gather together and light a huge bonfire to celebrate the end of the long cold night, and also through flames. The warmth overcomes the long cold night. Therefore, the sundial is used as the brand logo. The design theme of the packing boxes is humanity. The four stories represent courage, trust, eternity and love.
- Image Credits
- Image credit: Moon Away Studio / Petrel