Folding Outside The Box

At Rule29, we recognize the profound appeal and creative potential of origami, the ancient art of paper folding. Beyond mere recreation, origami offers a stimulating mental challenge while producing delightful decorative pieces or thoughtful gifts. Our journey into merging graphic design with origami has been a recent but transformative endeavor.

Prompted by a package design class, one of our designers embarked on a quest to integrate our passions into a rewarding pursuit aimed at making a positive impact on the world. Transitioning from following traditional origami instructions to crafting our own dielines and fold-lines for sustainable packaging proved both challenging and enriching.

Through persistence and experimentation, our designer honed their skills, leveraging resources like Paul Jackson's "Folding Techniques For Designers From Sheet To Form" to explore over 70 techniques adaptable to packaging design. From ornate and geometric to extremely simple and even organic, the book covers over 70 techniques designers can put in their toolboxes. These techniques present endless possibilities when applied to packaging design. Here are a few images, that were taken by Meidad Suchowolski: 

This journey underscored the importance of sustainable packaging in promoting eco-friendliness and mindful consumption. We advocate for thoughtful design, emphasizing functionality, reusability, and biodegradability, rather than simply minimizing materials.

Package design, to us, transcends traditional boundaries, allowing us to blend elements of architecture, crafting, and graphic design seamlessly. We aspire not only to innovate within our field but also to inspire others to utilize their talents for positive change.

In a world where packaging design often caters to mass production, we champion the principle of mindful creation, understanding that even small design decisions can have significant environmental implications. We applaud individuals like Patrick Sung, whose innovative approach to packaging design exemplifies the transformative power of creativity harnessed for sustainability. Below, his moldable box was created for potential parcel services.

The box, named UPACKS, is actually just a flat sheet of cardboard with triangular scored lines so you can fold it around many forms of things you want to ship, whether it be a box or a baseball bat. The creation has potential to help save space – and eventually fuel, since saved space means more packages per truck. Although Sung's creative endeavor may seem like one small step in the grand scheme of all matters eco-friendly, his positive influence has the power to catch attention and hopefully challenge other designers to create the next best thing in the spudding world of sustainable packaging.

At Rule29, we believe that every design choice matters. By embracing innovation, sustainability, and creativity, we endeavor to leave a lasting, positive impact on our planet. Join us in our mission to design for a greener, more sustainable future.