Art Process

One of my goals for Zoa Chimerum this year is to work a bit more on branding and presentation. A big part of the way a product is *perceived* emerges from the way the product is *received*. Many peoples’ first experience with Zoa Chimerum will be in the form of a gift from a loved one.

Over the Holiday season at the end of last year, we started offering a special gift wrapping option for people to add to their purchases. Honestly, we don’t make much profit on these, but it’s part of an attempt to consciously think about more than just the object itself and pay attention to the entire experience from beginning to end. The jewelry is packaged in a glass-paneled butterfly collector’s box which can be kept and used as a display case. In keeping with the Home Depot-centric/Industrial materials theme of Zoa Chimerum, the display case is wrapped in rubber shelf liner and then tied off with a bow.

I’ve recently started experimenting with adding a piece of card stock that has a laser-cut “window” in the shape of the Zoa Chimerum logo, which adds an additional layer of enticing mystery to the whole package. Every part of the packaging is perforated or translucent, so that as you remove each successive layer you have a kind of teasing hint of what’s to come. Layer by layer, the object reveals itself. We spent a lot of time experimenting with different materials, from bridal favor bags to components of lingerie, before arriving at this particular configuration.

The biggest influence comes from Japanese gift packages, which have a wonderful multilayered quality which elevates the most mundane product (like a marshmallow), into something very special. (Do a google search for omiyage if you’re curious to see examples of what I mean). I remember opening a package of rabbit-shaped marshmallows at an Okinawan airport once upon a time; and in order to get to the marshmallows inside the package you had to remove a series of layered packaging.

With each layer you performed a different type of action. First you might untie a ribbon, then slide the lid off a box, then lift a delicately wrapped marshmallow out of its individual compartment in the box, and then unwrap the paper surrounding the marshmallow. By the time you’ve performed all these discrete and unique motions, engaging your hands and eyes along the way, you can’t help but pause a moment longer and admire the marshmallow itself before you eat it. And when you do eat it, your senses are already primed to *really* taste the marshmallow, chew it thoughtfully, let it linger on your tongue, contemplate the yielding combination of chewy and fluffy, etc. It’s worth noting that none of the layers of packaging was visually “loud” or “busy”.

One of the benefits, I think, of the multilayered approach is that each layer presents some aspect of the brand’s identity, so designers don’t have to say every single thing they want to say on the outside of the box. The other thing I’ve noticed about this approach to package design is that it seldom ever requires destructive, violent actions to remove each layer. There is no ripping, cutting, or tearing in order to get to the product inside. Even the paper around the marshmallow is carefully creased and tucked into itself rather than being glued together, vacuum packed, or closed up with a sticker.

Compare this to the equivalent marshmallow in the United States: a marshmallow Peep. They’re packaged in sealed clear plastic with a cardboard backer, with way too much graphic design going onto the package. The item inside is clearly visible, destroying any sense of mystery, and the only way to get at the marshmallow inside is to literally tear the package apart. Do they taste as good as the rabbit marshmallows? Would they taste better if they were packaged differently? Who knows - all I ever do is put them straight into the microwave to make them explode, anyway (it’s an important Easter tradition).

I’m not necessarily suggesting that everything in the world needs to be presented with the utmost care. When things *are* presented this way, though, it certainly raises the profile of the object within, and it primes the recipient to truly appreciate what they have in front of them.

With Zoa Chimerum, I’ve set out to create something that feels rare and special, and I’d like that sensibility to permeate the entire experience. From the moment it is first received to the moment you try it on, there should be a sense of curiosity and wonder.

To that end, things like this gift wrapping and package design are ongoing experiments; but I’m hoping this style of presentation will help raise the profile of the work, and make peoples’ first experiences with it all the more memorable.

The special gift wrap display case is now available as an add-on at the etsy store here: http://www.etsy.com/listing/92333553/special-gift-wrap-display-case