The Japanese and Koreans are well known to be very creative when it comes to packaging. There’s a lot to learn and be applied. The tricky part is in how to apply mass manufacturing methods to sometimes ornate shapes, designs, and treatments with paper and/or fabric. The one thing you have to watch out for is shipping. Drop and crush testing in addition to actual results from overseas shipping, will indicate what’ll need to be improved (added or removed).

But the one thing we can definitely pick up on is the patterns and graphics. I’m afraid Art Nouveau and Victorian flourishes and flowers may look elegant but are sometimes passe. However, there is so much more inspiration out there to be used especially from Asia, India, the Middle East, Russia, Africa, and the Southern Americas (geez that is the rest of the world!).

(OK, but seriously, the Japanese in a generously over-generalized sense, ‘finish well.’ As a culture, they do a tremendous job on the details, from finish to tactile sense to isntruction to, oh yes, packaging with a bow, if not a smile. I spent most of the ’80′s in Tokyo and haven’t been back for a few years, so I miss it… thanks… sob…).