Lightspeed Aviation headset resellers were shipping the premium headsets in plain boxes so that the packaging would look less attractive to porch pirates. Many Lightspeed direct shipping customers asked for the same.
I met with internal stakeholders to learn about the pros and cons of the previous boxes. The shipping department complained that the boxes were difficult to fold and it was hard to tell quickly which product was inside. They had been adding labels on the outside of the boxes (see above), which added time to their process and took away from the clean aesthetic. They also had to add a cardboard spacer to keep two of the three products from sliding around in the box.
I submitted an RFP to seven packaging manufacturers and printers, requesting a corrugated B-flute design and die to bring down cost. Working with a local box maker, we found a solution that not only cut costs, added color, added a panel to hold the headset cases in place, but included a fun thumb hole for opening the panel with a fun “Let’s go flying!” call to action.
The inside fold-out panel helped put the quick start guide in front of the user immediately.
I added a large product info area on the side of the box so that black plate changes could print the different product names and configurations cheaply, and the shipping department could identify the product inside quickly.
To further aid in locating products on shelves in retail and pilot shops, I designed a low-gloss sleeve for each product. The two products available at the time had teal and chartreuse stripes.
In the end, the new headset packaging stands out against the competition in retail, and has a more premium unboxing experience for all pilots!
Ann Hammer 