Teabox for Yellow Emperor
(2020)
I love tea. Therefore it was a huge pleasure to design a packaging - tea box for Michal, the tea master and owner of Tea bar and Yellow Emperor brands.
Because I’m mostly an idea maker and not a skilled technician, I asked my friend, Antonin Nosek, to help me with this challenge. I already worked with him on many projects before, so it was a quick & easy choice.
Combination of old values and new technologies together, in harmony.
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The mission was very simple at the beginning - to design a new packaging for tea that could be sold at dedicated tea shops, good grocery shops, and of course at his tea room. Of course, there were many details such as sealing for keeping the tea inside in the best conditions etc etc.
About the design
I think a good design is many times not noticed. Because it’s so simple and efficient, you don’t spot all the details which designers thought a lot about. You just enjoy the object and don’t need to think about why. It’s just pleasant to look at it, touch it, feel it. We wanted something that is talking for itself and doesn’t need to shout out. Because tea is about relaxation, enjoying simplicity, and the pleasure of the moment. Of course, the box should be not just aesthetic, but practical, and reusable.
The Logo
We love the logo shape and definitely wanted to have it on the box somehow. Therefore we placed it on the very top of the lid where it identifies the box and the brand very well on a first sign. In the color combination it' pops out and dominates with its aesthetics.
The layers adding technology of 3D printing is enhancing a nice detail to the design.
A practical lid / coaster
The lid is detachable and can be used as a coaster. Because the box is 3D printed from PLA, which is kinda soft, a very hot tea bowl can make a mark. We find it as a very nice detail to see things being used and after some time the lid can show how much you love your tea.
“Bamboo“
Under the removable lid and from the bottom of the box is an eye-catching detail - “bamboo“. While using a special 3D printing technique we get this unique surface pleasant to look at and nice to fell if you gently touch it.
The source material is adding a nice detail to the structure.
Closure & Sealing
The first version of the box was made with a click enclosure mechanism, but we didn’t like it in reality while printing a prototype. So the final version is having a screwable one.
Because the tea needs to be kept in a dry environment, the box is equipped with a sealing which is also 3D printed from food-safe plastic.
Stackable
There is not a lot of space in most of the kitchens. In Michal’s old tea room at City walls of Bratislava is the situation same. Therefore it was important to have the design in a practical stackable version. So the “logo-lid” and a small gap on the bottom makes an easy stabile system.
Lamels
Not just because the box is 3D printed, but also because adding lames on the sides, we get not just a visually pleasing look, but also an improved grip.
The size
We cared for the ideal size too, because we wanted the experience to be perfect. So the box perfectly fits into palms for a good grip and it’s big enough to treasure Tea Bars’ needs.
3D Printing
Michal wished that the box should look as natural as possible. Therefore we chose plastics made from bio-based ingredients - PLA Mukha with a nice texture, PLA Traffic Black, and TPU Flexfill Traffic Black, all manufactured by European filament brand Fillamentum.