Design of tea gift packaging in China

Yui Beibei Postgraduate student; Department of Social Sciences; St. Petersburg State University of Industrial Technologies and Design 191186, Russia, Saint Petersburg, Bolshaya Morskaya str., 18, room 440 yubeibei@rambler.ru Other publications by this author

Tea packaging design is currently one of the most dynamically developing areas of design in China. In recent years, the intensive process of improving and developing the design of tea packaging has been associated with the emergence of fierce competition in the tea market, the development of product innovation concepts, and "green health". In this regard, it is not surprising that along with the latest practical developments in this field, a tendency is emerging to comprehend and theorize the main directions and prospects for the development of packaging design. While innovations in the development and design of tea packaging are in the mainstream of research (Xiaochen Geng, Miaomiao Qiu ^[5], Yu-chen Liu, Zhu Liu ^[11], Huiqing Chen, Zhang Jian ^[2], Zhenyun Qu ^[1], etc.), equally significant focuses of the development of design theory tea packaging in China is the problem of integrating national cultural tradition and aesthetics in modern design (Bin Hu ^[7], Li Yixuan ^[13], etc.), developing competitive products taking into account the consumer audience (Li Zhiquan ^[16], Xuefei Li, Yuxuan Qi, Charles Spence, Xiaoan Wan ^[10], Tao Yuting, Fawzi Naim Mohamed ^[14], Jiaying Gao, Marlon Rael Astillero ^[4], etc.).

If we talk about the theme of gift packaging design, it should be noted that this issue still remains practically unexplored. A number of publications touch on the topic of the tradition of giving tea (Linyun Tong, Ann Toppinen, Lei Wang ^[12], Tao Yuting, Fawzi Naim Mohamed, Huilin Zheng ^[15], etc.), in a few works there are descriptions of individual examples of gift packaging design (Xiaochen Geng, Miaomiao Qiu, etc.). A special consideration of the problem is presented In a study by Jiaying Hao, carried out on the basis of Tianjin University of Technology, which establishes the relationship between the design of tea gift packaging and China's national economic development strategy ^[6]. Another significant publication is the work of Jackie Cheung, dedicated to understanding the results of a project aimed at creating a premium tea gift package, which reflects the concept of the Chinese zodiac and horoscope. The author analyzes innovative approaches, modern interpretations of the problem, the possibilities of introducing new materials and creative techniques. Product development is focused on the global consumer audience, and therefore the author constructs theoretical foundations using the concept of "orientalism", taking into account the semiotic approach and the possibilities of infographics. The author emphasizes that the identity factor was taken into account at all stages of packaging product design ^[9].

Currently, the design of tea gift packaging in China varies significantly in quality. As the researchers note ^[8], many existing tea packaging designs are not modern, have various disadvantages, including a constructive plan. There are a large number of packages on the market that are very similar, they do not have any zest, unique individual features. The ubiquitous uniformity in the design of tea packaging is a rather serious problem that an increasing number of specialists are realizing. In contrast to the current situation in this field of design, a new conceptual approach is currently actively developing, in accordance with which such requirements for the design of tea packaging as creativity, personalization, and innovation are put forward ^{[1, 2, 8, 11]}. This approach is actively developing a new generation of Chinese designers in their work, especially those who have received education or work experience abroad, and are also focused on global trends in the field of design. By introducing innovations into Chinese packaging design, they primarily actively seek solutions to the problems of practical implementation of a new approach. At the same time, they are not limited to creating a number of unique and creative tea packaging designs, but also strive to develop some universal principles that should be guided in order to develop and design packaging products of a higher level of quality, develop the best design solutions, including in terms of packaging design. In this regard, it should be noted that the most intensive dynamic processes of transformation of the usual cliches of tea packaging design are observed precisely in the field of gift packaging. Tea in China, due to its socio–cultural specifics, is one of the most significant and popular objects of donation, which is why gift tea is not a narrowly specialized part of the products that make up a small share of the tea market, on the contrary, such products prevail, acting as the fundamental basis of the market.

The latest developments of Chinese specialists in the design, including the construction, of tea gift packaging indicate the development of noteworthy design solutions that may be of interest and highly competitive at the international level. Let's look at some examples.

For the most part, the creative design concepts of tea gift packaging have the property of layering. These are complex designs, which at the same time can be designed in a concise, minimalistic way or, conversely, differ in the splendor of the decor and the brightness of the color palette. Many designers use the book form. Figure 1 shows the design of the gift packaging of the chali drink. The authors of the design have developed a rectangular structure, which generally has the shape of a box. In accordance with the concept of stylizing the design in accordance with the aesthetics of the Tang Dynasty, they propose to use the mechanism of opening/closing the structure not with a lock, but with a ribbon, which also performs a decorative function. Opening the lid, which helps the consumer of the product to determine the presence of a bright and original picture, as well as an elegant inscription revealing the contents of the package, allows us to discover the fact that in front of us, in fact, the design is a deception. Instead of the expected tea, the buyer discovers a spread of an ordinary book, which contains information and illustrations to them: "when you open the gift box, the essence of the tea culture of the Tang Dynasty appears before you, images of scenes of ancient tea delivery on horseback act as a kind of background" ^[3].

Inside the box there are tea bags, each of which is in its own individual packaging, which has a rather ordinary design of a slightly elongated square. This example demonstrates the fact that in developing the design of gift packaging, Chinese designers sometimes tend to ignore the urgent requirement to avoid redundancy in the use of materials. The absence of an insert page would certainly help to increase the degree of environmental friendliness of the presented packaging, however, the developers deliberately go to the introduction of this sheet in many ways in order to make the design more similar to the book of the book in accordance with the design concept. In addition, this page allows you to introduce a larger number of decorative elements – colorful illustrations that not only enhance the aesthetic properties of the package, but also enhance its meaningful connection with the product: each of the four images is repeated in individual packages of tea bags: this strengthens the semantic connection of the package with the contents, and also allows you to harmonize, coordinate the design the general packaging design and the design of individual packages of tea bags.

Fig. 1. Chinese national drink chali in a gift box in the style of the Tang Dynasty. 2022 "Marking Awards", Shanghai.

Figure 2 shows another example of the implementation of the book concept, which determined the nature of the development of the tea packaging design. This deception book is made in a rather minimalistic way. The beige color is pleasant to the eye, and the calligraphic inscriptions are made in gold. This example also shows the ability of Chinese designers to use the design features of packaging to maximize the full disclosure of the design concept. If in the case of the previous design, the packaging design predetermined the need to turn over an improvised page and get acquainted with the informational and illustrative part of the "book", using the cognitive and tactile levels of perception, then here the method of transmitting the "message" is thought out more subtly. The text part is kept to a minimum, but it interacts very interestingly with the packaging design. In a completely closed form, the capacious thought "my tea ... my book" is given, which determines the relationship between the packaging solution and its contents. Three torn sheets of cardboard, which are attached to the spine of the "book" and are located on its cover, create an image of mountains, which thereby acquires a 3D effect. This additional decorative design also has another function: the buyer, opening the package, involuntarily lifts these sheets of cardboard one by one, as if flipping through a book, and this strengthens the similarity of the packaging design with its prototype, once again recalling the concept of packaging design. It is curious that on the outer lapel, in addition to the inscription, there is an image of a road with a man walking along it, small and indistinct, as if descended from traditional landscape paintings of Shan Shui. This road leads through the mountains. Turning away the last sheet of cardboard, we see a modified cover: a sprawling tree that has its mighty roots in a book unfolded to the viewer. On the pages of the book, previously hidden behind the image of a mountain and a man walking along the road, there is an inscription in English and Chinese: "my book.. My tea.. my life." The image of the road, thanks to the modified original inscription, acquires a deep reading: it becomes the personification of a person's life path and connects this concept with the images of tea and books. Interestingly, the developers do not use bags as individual packaging, but wrappers. The tea leaves are divided into small parts, compressed into neat balls and neatly packaged in a thin individual paper wrapper. This approach provides not only convenience and speed of use, but also allows you to preserve the taste and aroma of tea. Inside the box there is a cardboard insert design, which has a bright carrot shade and sharply contrasts with the calm color scheme of both the general packaging and individual tea leaf wrappers. Special holes are made under each of the balls, thanks to which the location of individual individual packages does not change, they are neatly and symmetrically placed inside the box, in addition, the possibility of their friction against each other and deformation of the wrapper or its contents is excluded.

Fig. 2. Design of a gift tea package. Designer Shenzhen Bob. 2022 "Marking Awards", Shanghai.

Some designers promote more modern aesthetics and design solutions in the development of tea gift packaging. Figure 3 shows the design of the gift packaging of instant PUYU tea. It obviously traces modern artistic and design trends, at the same time there is also an oriental aesthetic. The outer packaging is a transparent rectangular plastic box. At its base there is a special stand with small round holes for the contents of the package. This base forms a common "tea mountain". This impression is ensured by the fact that the designers have designed small capsules that look like a tea tree. The shape of the capsules is not naturalistic: the concept of a tree is presented rather generically. The structure consists of the same brown base for all capsules – the trunk of a tree, as well as the capsule part, which is associated with the crown of the tree. This part of the structure actually represents the capsule itself and the lid, which must be removed to make a drink. Unlike the "trunk", the "crowns" have different shapes and colors, which is due, on the one hand, to the desire of designers to designate four different types of tea, on the other hand, to develop the concept of the natural landscape, including reflecting the change of the four seasons. It is important that the design of all capsules is modular, which reduces production costs. Thus, the presented packaging design evokes associations among customers regarding the origin of tea. The concept of the natural landscape is effectively implemented with the help of a transparent plastic base of the outer packaging, since capsules are securely attached to it with the help of special recesses and "tree trunks". The presented landscape is a capsule neatly arranged inside a box, each of which occupies a specially designated place in this colorful picture. Due to the packaging design, chaotic mixing of capsules is impossible, as their damage as a result of friction against each other is impossible. Interestingly, if in the designs discussed above, the main role in expressing the concept was played by the general packaging, then here it fades into the background. The structure inside it is the main element that carries an aesthetic, meaningful load in the design. In this regard, the external structure is made of transparent plastic, which allows you to immediately draw the buyer's attention to the tea "landscape". Its function is protective. In addition, the base of the packaging is likened to a canvas on which designers "paint their landscape."

Fig. 3. The design of the gift packaging of instant tea "PUYU". 2022 "Marking Awards", Shanghai.

Thus, the material discussed above indicates that modern Chinese designers apply a wide variety of approaches to the design of tea gift packaging. The vast majority of references to traditional tea culture, tea traditions, and cultural origins are used. Design solutions in terms of developing the design features of packaging can be confidently called creative, even from the standpoint of world design and current trends and achievements in this field. In all the samples considered, there is a common desire to convey oriental aesthetics in the sense that traditional Chinese art is distinguished by increased attention to artistic design. The artistic idea – not the product itself, but its artistic interpretation – is the basis, the foundation on which the concept, functionality, and design features of the packaging are built. To implement it, designers often neglect the global trend towards environmental friendliness, as well as reducing the use of excess packaging. The approach of Chinese designers in this sense demonstrates a fundamental difference from foreign practice: in their view, each package is, in fact, created as a unique work of art.