“What are the requirements for good chocolate packaging? Visual appeal, a strong concept, and creative use of materials”

Victionary is a Hong Kong-based design book publisher with an interest in art, graphic design, and illustration which has been connecting talents from around the world since 2001. One of its collections, Packaged for Life, shows the countless creative possibilities of packaging in everyday products such as beer, coffee, or chocolate.

The volume dedicated to chocolate, available in English in our online bookstore Books For Chefs, gathers more than 130 design professionals from around the world with a wide variety of influences and styles. It is a book aimed not only at professional designers, but also at brands, companies, and artisan chocolatiers who seek inspiration and want to surprise their customers with impressive packaging. And as the book states, “aside from its role as the introduction to a product. Packaging design is also key to taking a brand to the next level through visual appeal to enrich its narrative”.

To delve into this fascinating book, we spoke with the Victionary team. Don’t miss out on the interview!

Discover Chocolate

How has chocolate packaging evolved over time? Is this commitment to original and different packaging a recent development or has it been a trend for years?

As a design book publisher, we’ve always had a love for packaging work and what’s standing out on the shelves! That’s how the idea for our Packaged for Life series came to be; we wanted to capture a snapshot of packaging design today through different everyday products that we often take for granted, even as the practice of design continues to evolve. Rather than focus purely on specific trends and novel techniques or materials, Chocolate showcases the variety of creative possibilities born from today’s talented designers and their distinct approaches using modern tools and technology – just like the other books in the series.  

What are the requirements for a good chocolate packaging?

Just like any other food item, there are many aspects involved in creating good chocolate packaging beyond design, such as business considerations, safety, and sustainability. However, as publishers curating the design projects featured in Chocolate, we kept our criteria simple: visual appeal, a strong concept, and creative use of materials.  

What role does packaging play in the decision to buy chocolate, and can it influence the tasting experience? 

Steve Jobs once said, ‘packaging can be theatre; it can create a story’. As human beings, we experience the world around us using all our senses – and good packaging design can help to create an extra layer with which our consumption of chocolate can be enhanced; as demonstrated by all the projects in the book (that we love equally!).

“Good packaging design can help to create an extra layer with which our consumption of chocolate can be enhanced; as demonstrated by all the projects in the book”

Focusing on the book, what is its target audience?

Aspiring and professional designers, chocolate brands/businesses, as well as those looking to indulge in page-after-page of their favorite treat guilt-free!

Is it useful for a chocolatier and why?

Effective branding is essential for anybody or business intending to resonate with customers in a memorable and meaningful way – and packaging design is a big part of this exercise. We hope that the projects in the book will inspire chocolatiers with creative possibilities should they need to build their name (and chocolate empire).

“Effective branding is essential for anybody or business intending to resonate with customers in a memorable and meaningful way – and packaging design is a big part of this exercise”

How is it structured?

The contents of the book are simple – showcasing a curation of striking chocolate packaging design projects as well as quotes from several designers. We also ‘packaged’ the series in a smaller size to position it as convenient reference books for creatives.

How many design studios are involved, and what criteria did you use to make the selection, based on the quality of the studios or the packaging?

We approached over 130 designers/design studios around the world based on their impactful quality of work. 

Could you tell us which is the most surprising packaging in the book, the most sober, the most original, the most colorful? Always accompanied by photos and a description of the project.

All the projects featured have distinct qualities of their own to be celebrated – it is hard for us to rank/rate them in any specific manner and will leave that up to our readers to decide! 

“In our course of work as publishers, we have definitely seen an upward trend towards sustainable materials and production methods/techniques – extending beyond chocolate packaging to include the wider field of design”

What are the most common materials used, and has there been a trend towards sustainable materials in recent years?

In our course of work as publishers, we have definitely seen an upward trend towards sustainable materials and production methods/techniques – extending beyond chocolate packaging to include the wider field of design. While foil and paper seem to still be the norm, brands and designers alike are being exposed to environmentally friendlier options. 

Of the design agencies featured in the book, which are the most influential, and are there any that have created a school or style?

When approaching designers/design studios for any of our books, we like to go for a variety of influences, styles, and backgrounds. The design world is a vast one that we love exploring to discover new talent – and their design resume/’fame’ is not our main concern. What’s important is that our readers enjoy flipping through every page!

Has it been difficult for you to publish a book of this kind? How did you manage to put together such high quality material?

As a design publisher for over 20 years, we have encountered many different challenges along the way. However, our readers always come first – and we strive to do our best with every release, including ensuring that every book is up to standard.

Do you plan to publish more books on packaging and do you think it is necessary to promote more knowledge of this branch of design?

To us, design in any shape or form deserves appreciation. As mentioned previously, we always keep an eye out for good packaging work – so never say never!

Discover Chocolate