The Package Design Book
About
Taschen compiled this collection as a working reference for designers who need packaging inspiration without the burden of an oversized volume. The Package Design Book gathers Pentawards winners from 2008 through 2016, representing the best structural and graphic solutions recognized by the industry's most established competition. At 576 pages, the scope is comprehensive; at small-format dimensions, it remains portable and desk-friendly.
Organization follows product categories: beverages, food, body care, luxury goods, and others. This structure facilitates targeted research when a specific brief demands precedent study. Within each section, entries receive full-page treatment with crisp photography shot against neutral backgrounds. Captions identify client, designer, materials, and production methods, providing enough information to understand execution without narrative padding.
The photography emphasizes form and surface, revealing die cuts, embossing, foil applications, and structural folds that define physical presence on retail shelves. Many solutions translate beyond their original categories, offering ideas applicable to unrelated products. A closure mechanism designed for a spirits bottle might inform a cosmetics container; a label system created for craft beer might suggest approaches for artisanal foods.
Print quality exceeds expectations for the format, with color reproduction that distinguishes subtle hue variations and paper stock that handles ink densities without bleed. Multilingual text accommodates international readers. The binding withstands repeated consultation, lying flat when open and resisting spine damage from frequent handling. For designers building mood boards or researching specific challenges, this volume provides concentrated inspiration organized for practical retrieval.
