Overview

This unit introduces students to the principles of packaging design and develops research, conceptual and implementation abilities and an understanding of the importance of an integrated approach to branding, visual and typographical communication for packaging design. It incorporates knowledge of structural and production considerations and the economic, environmental and sustainability issues relevant to packaging design. Students will access industry resources and information to enhance their knowledge of technical, material and marketing information.

Requisites

Teaching periods
Location
Start and end dates
Last self-enrolment date
Census date
Last withdraw without fail date
Results released date
Teaching Period 3
Location
Online
Start and end dates
04-November-2024
09-February-2025
Last self-enrolment date
17-November-2024
Census date
29-November-2024
Last withdraw without fail date
27-December-2024
Results released date
04-March-2025
Semester 1
Location
Hawthorn
Start and end dates
03-March-2025
01-June-2025
Last self-enrolment date
16-March-2025
Census date
31-March-2025
Last withdraw without fail date
24-April-2025
Results released date
08-July-2025
Teaching Period 1
Location
Online
Start and end dates
10-March-2025
08-June-2025
Last self-enrolment date
23-March-2025
Census date
04-April-2025
Last withdraw without fail date
02-May-2025
Results released date
Semester 2
Location
Hawthorn
Start and end dates
04-August-2025
02-November-2025
Last self-enrolment date
17-August-2025
Census date
31-August-2025
Last withdraw without fail date
19-September-2025
Results released date
09-December-2025
Semester 2
Location
Hawthorn
Start and end dates
04-August-2025
02-November-2025
Last self-enrolment date
17-August-2025
Census date
31-August-2025
Last withdraw without fail date
19-September-2025
Results released date
09-December-2025
Teaching Period 3
Location
Online
Start and end dates
03-November-2025
08-February-2026
Last self-enrolment date
16-November-2025
Census date
28-November-2025
Last withdraw without fail date
02-January-2026
Results released date

Learning outcomes

Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:

  • Investigate a packaged product category in relation to a defined market.
  • Analyse the economic, environmental and social factors of packaging design
  • Apply understanding of the principles of two and three dimensional design to create a packaging design outcome
  • Review design decision making to formulate and refine design solutions
  • Develop, document, evaluate and present the iterative design process in a packaging design project

Teaching methods

Hawthorn

Type Hours per week Number of weeks Total (number of hours)
On-campus
Studio
3.00 12 weeks 36
Unspecified Activities
Independent Learning
9.50 12 weeks 114
TOTAL150

Swinburne Online

Type Hours per week Number of weeks Total (number of hours)
Unspecified Activities
Various
3.00 12 weeks 36
Unspecified Activities
Independent Learning
9.50 12 weeks 114
TOTAL150

Assessment

Type Task Weighting ULO's
Design ProjectIndividual 30% 3,5 
Major Design ProjectIndividual 60% 1,2,3,4,5 
Project 1Individual 10% 1,2 

Content

  • Research of product and market
  • Elements and principles of design
  • Packaging systems and materials
  • Lateral thinking for concept creation, implementation and communication
  • Design processes informed by maker’s, user’s and consumer’s requirements.
  • Presentation methods for project outcomes and technical information.
  • Teamwork skills

Study resources

Reading materials

A list of reading materials and/or required textbooks will be available in the Unit Outline on Canvas.