The Next Water Packaging

The design of Yano is inspired by parcel packaging. It symbolizes the path the water has taken from Urajärvi, Finland, to the customer. All the design elements convey a message of the package’s Finnish origin and quality. The beige colour differs from the usual blue seen on water products on the market and communicates its sustainability. The lion is an important symbol of Finland, and it gives the packaging a premium feeling. The design’s rich details encourage customers to grab it and take a closer look at the information it provides. 

Irina Markoska, Rebekka En 

According to our interviews with stakeholders in Germany, Japan, China and Saudi Arabia, water purity and a trustworthy source are the most important features. Premium positioning is justified by the water's top-level purity and a transparent, trustworthy connection to the unique geological location of Salpausselkä, Finland. The design and concept focus on the filtering process through ridges created during the Ice Age. The Urajärvi-shaped hole shows the contents and welcomes you to play with optics.

Merle Karp, Sofia Kyllönen 

When we heard that the task is to design a layout for the water pack, we wondered how we could make the layout interesting. After many attempts and frustrations, we realized that we should focus on the essentials. We decided to tell it as it is and that’s how the texts on the packaging came about. 

Malin Gustafsson, Helmi Leppänen 

We wanted our design to feel more human and less corporate. It was important that the packaging feels easy to approach but also premium, that is why the visual elements have a hand-made feeling to them. We were inspired by Henri Matisse’s paper cutouts and the strength of the elements derive of not being too obvious. The visual elements can be combined in endless ways, guaranteeing a long-lasting visual identity, which is recognizable but always fresh. 

Laura Rajalin, Artemi Varjonen 

Water is clear and simple, like our package design. But when you look deep inside, you see the colourful memories of this water. The package can also be used as a canvas for AR marketing. 25% of customers already use mobile devices to interact with a product, and the AR business market is growing every year. 

Evdokia Asseeva, Hannah Park 

NWB, a beverage packaging company in Finland, gave us the task to rebrand their ecological water packaging. In a group of three, we created a fun-yet-premium brand that would stand out in retail stores due to its highly saturated colour scheme, robust headline typefaces, and simplistic bold design. We also created mascots, called HydroHomies, to make something as bland as water more inviting.  

Suramya Pathak, Aino Laukka, Jacob Söderström 

Joi’s brand identity is built on sustainability and luxury. Its design combines a strong typographic style with elegant silk imagery. Silk is cool, feminine, and brings to mind clear, flowing water. It also has an inherent connection to other luxury products. The name Joi is short and easy to pronounce and remember, making it ideal for international markets. 

Pinja Oja, Iiris Uusitalo