Packaging Design - Mi:Mu Gloves 2020

Packaging design in itself can be as complex as a product. Since the era of Instagram and instant sharing of users unboxing their new purchases has become a fashion, retailers and brands now have to ensure that the packaging design of their products is taken into as much consideration as the design of the actual product itself.The team at Mi:Mu approached us in 2019 to design them the most environmentally friendly way of protecting their products. The products that the case were designed for were a pair of gloves which are the world's most advanced wearable musical instrument, for expressive creation, music composition and performance. The team wanted the protective case to give their users a way of safely receiving their purchase but also transporting their gloves around the world when their users travel or go to concerts/gigs.Previous versions of the product had been delivered in an off-the-shelf packaging solution that the team at Mi:Mu did not feel represented the brand's premium feel and unique nature so they decided to design their own bespoke packaging which meant they had full control of not only where the materials used were coming from but also how the cases were being made.The unboxing experience of a product is a one time event that must convey the products attributes with immediate effect once the consumer has contact with the product. With premium products such as music equipment, users now expect an unboxing experienced which pairs nicely with the overall experience of using a product. Brands need to not only research how a user expects to use their product but also how they travel with their products. Mi:Mu did exactly that and found that their users were often travelling to perform in different countries using public transport so they needed to supply the gloves in a case which was durable and also aesthetically pleasing.Mi:Mu are passionate about the environment and asked us to look at the possibility of using recycled materials where possible. Taking this into consideration and their target unit price, we broke the packaging down into 2 parts,  anything disposable used to package and send to a user we made sure was recyclable and from sustainable sources including the outer mailer box and bag. For the actual case itself which was reusable,  the outer layer material is made from organic hemp which is hardwearing and designed for durability.We also embossed the Mi:Mu logo on the top lid to add a premium feel.Mi:Mu started pre sales of their new version of their gloves at the end of 2019 and users were sent the gloves in the new packaging from January 2020. If you haven't seen the gloves in action on Blue Peter or at a performance, check them out on the Mi:Mu website here.