Six elements of the shape of packaging design

Form is all the things that can be observed and touched, and all forms are delimited by the limits of the form that the naked eye and the feelings of the adult can perceive. This is the form factor. The basic elements are: point, line, surface, body, texture and color.

(1 o'clock


The point in the package shape, unlike the point in geometry, refers to the relatively small image on the object, such as the trademark, text, etc. on the packaging container. Points, usually appear in a circular shape, simple, non-angular, non-directional, it can also appear as triangles, diamonds, squares, etc., as long as they are relatively small to a certain extent.


Individual points do not have personality, but the combination of points is more active. For example, points arranged in a curve give people a feeling of fullness, fullness, and movement. Points arranged in a straight line give people a feeling of solidness, rigor, stability, and quietness. In the design of the design, commonly used points to embellish, in order to obtain a lively, lively, static and dynamic modeling effect. The different arrangements of points shown in Figure 5-8 reflect different feelings.


(2) Line


The line is the trajectory of the point movement. Lines play a role in space through space, are an important factor in the formation of three-dimensional, and are the basis of all images. In the packaging model, the line can be represented as the intersection of the surface and the surface, the turning contour of the curved surface, the dividing line, and the like. Different lines have different personalities. According to the overall shape of the line, lines can be divided into: straight lines, curved lines, and broken lines.


1 Straight line. Also known as hard line. It has the effect of guiding the line of sight to extend in a straight line, giving people a sense of strictness, hardness, crispness and strength. It is divided into horizontal lines, vertical lines, and oblique lines. The horizontal line has a stable, solemn, quiet, and relaxed sense; the vertical line has a sense of being tall and straight, strong, solid, and majestic; the slashes have a sense of movement, instability, and liveliness.


2 curves. Also called a cord. With a soft, round, gentle, smooth, plump feeling. It is divided into geometric curves, free curves, and wavy lines.


3 fold line. With ups and downs, repetitions, loops, movements, and sharp feelings, the fold lines are full of changes and good artistic effects can be obtained.


(3) Face


The surface is the trajectory of the line movement. It is the main element of the three-dimensional structure. It includes plane and surface types. 1 plane. Has a smooth, light, simple, stable feeling. There are many kinds of it, and their feelings are different. For example, a square has a sense of generosity, rightness, simplicity, and stability; a rectangle with a long horizontal edge has a sense of stability, and a rectangle with a long vertical edge has a sense of straightness, solemnity, and sublime; The quadrilateral has a sense of movement; the positive trapezoid has a stable sense, the inverted trapezoid has a light and dynamic sense, the trapezoidal trapezium has a sense of movement and force; the polygon has a rich sense of change; the triangle has a feeling of irritation and impulsiveness; and the circle has a perfect, plump, sleek, and Dynamic; oval with a soft, beautiful, sense of change and so on. 2 Surfaces. With soft, intimate, rounded, full and dynamic. It is also divided into geometrical surfaces and freeform surfaces. The former has neat and intellectual sense; the latter gives unrestrained, rich and dynamic. In modeling and design, we must be good at combining rigorous geometry with lively freeforms, complementing each other, and obtaining change and unity, as shown in Figure 5-9.

(4) body

The body can be surrounded by a face or it can be formed by the motion of the face. The thick body has a sense of dignity and solidity, and the thin body has a sense of lightness and beauty. There are six representative bodies: cubes, cuboids, spheres, cones, cylinders, square pyramids, etc. They belong to two categories.


1 plane body. Surrounded by planes, the contour line is clear, with a strong, strong, bright sense, such as the cube, rectangular parallelepiped, square pyramid and so on.

2 surface body. Contoured by the surface or by the surface and the plane, the contour is not clear. With a soft, smooth, smooth, full sense. Such as spheres, cylinders, cones and so on.

(5) texture

Texture refers to the structure of the surface of the object, they give people a sense of texture and visual texture.

1 tactile texture. Through the human touch and feel, such as the surface of the object convex and concave, thickness, soft and hard, etc., can be carved, corrosion, flattening, pasting, cutting and other methods.

2 visual texture. Feel through human vision, such as wood grain, stone grain, leather texture and so on. They can be natural or artificial.

In the plane modeling, the visual texture is mainly used. In three-dimensional modeling, you need to use both visual texture and tactile texture. Packaging containers should pay special attention to texture, good texture can make the package more elegant style.

(6) Color

Color has a strong influence on people's psychology. The color of beauty will express the beauty of the appearance of the package, but the color is not beautiful. Despite the beauty of the packaging, it is difficult to attract consumers. Colors interact with shapes and textures and affect each other. Therefore, coordination of “shape” and “color” should be made, and “quality” and “color” should be unified.



Source: Feilang carton design