Product design “Day” of the Croatian Mint

product design / packaging

For the Croatian Monetary Institute, we designed the product, the concept of gift packaging for medals, and the overall communication and design of individual product lines. The project involved designing a packaging that would be applicable for various gift medals, different products, and product lines of Croatian Mint what would give the product added value and communicate to a wider audience, not just collectors.

The solution is a gift box and display package in one, since this type of present is mainly given at celebrations and often proudly shown to all guests.

The packaging is a hardcover box, with visible silver or gold details, depending on whether the package is holding a gold or silver medal. The design of the medal is merging with the graphic on the display stand on the packaging, making the packaging an inseparable part and complete gift product.

The project included designing the products, medal together with the packaging. The task for this particular product was to design a product line for gift giving for occasions such as weddings, births, graduations, holy confirmation … and other key events in our lives. Initially, medals for the first two occasions mentioned above were produced, and gradually others will be introduced as well, all within this line’s creative idea.

The solution for this product line is the traditional and poetic story of “A day to remember”, presented in a contemporary and subtle manner. Symbols of individual events, such as coupled wedding rings or dove’s wings, are integrated into a graphically stylized cross-section of a tree ring. The tree rings or growth rings are a symbol of life, they mark a precise moment in time. As important events are recorded forever in our memories, moments in time are marked in the rings of the tree.

The messages on the products are: “A day given to the spirit. For the day of your holy confirmation deserves to be remembered” and “A day woven with love. For the day of your wedding deserves to be remembered.” In this way, the packaging itself becomes the primary message-teller of the important day in life, not just a “wrapper” for the gift medal it holds within.

Client

Croatian Monetary Institute

Creative team

Izvorka Jurić (creative and art direction, packaging design), Ana Banic Göttlicher (creative idea), Ana Banic Göttlicher and Izvorka Jurić (coin design), Igor Poturić (verbal communication), Marko Koržinek (design collaborator), Jurica Kos (design collaborator, photography), Natalija Najjar (production manager)

The packaging is produced by combining offset, thermography that gives tactile experience, and hot foil stamping technique which indicates whether the package contains a silver or gold medals. The design is based on a subtle balance of materials and techniques, thus putting the product and messages in the foreground.

The tree-ring lines are embossed onto the medal and the motif that represents an important moment is rising in volume between the lines. The lines from the medal continue throughout the packaging, printed with thermography in order to give the lines volume and tactile experience to the overall packaging.

The process of developing packaging design involves researching the shape and materials for the box. The design task is focused on functional display packaging in which the display base is placed obliquely. Wooden base models have been proposed for limited editions.

The process also included extensive testing of different typographies, both for packaging design purposes and for the personalization of medals where specific technical requirements had to be met.

The project also includes product design – the medal that is planned to be produced as a gold or silver medals.

The front of the medal is a contemporary interpretation of a motif that represents an important moment in life (holy confirmation, wedding, graduations, etc.) whose 3D form emerges from the lines of the tree rings that pass through the medal. The back of the medal is intended for personalization. The design uses a contrast of glossy and matte surfaces and subtle engraved structures.