After working in packaging design for over a decade, our most frequent request is to explore packaging options that are not boxes. The question of packaging sustainability is always the motivation behind such contemplation. Although most clients desire something different, it often appears that, by the natural course of design, we ultimately arrive at a simple box after numerous rounds of deliberation. At times, we are challenged by the difficulty of thinking outside the box. In our practice, we refer to this as 'The Conundrum of a Box’.

The conundrum of a box lies in the difficulty of choosing between effectiveness and unconventionality. We are often told to think outside the box—literally. However, thinking outside of the box means considering giving up decades of perfecting the box. A box has attained such a level of perfection in protecting, packing, and containing various objects that the moment we decide to change its form, we are faced with numerous hurdles. These hurdles include altering production norms, material compatibility, logistical complications, and more unforeseen issues. More often than not, the hurdles we face lead to a realization of how ingenious the construction of a box is. Requesting to ditch the box is to reinvent the category of packing things or to switch categories entirely.

As we further question the motive of discarding the box, we realize that perhaps the unbeatable qualities of a box create a ubiquitous environment where everyone is using the same box with a different look. Perhaps sustainability is not the primary motivation for ditching the box, but differentiation is. These days, clients are exploring various reusable packing options such as cloth bags, faux leather boxes, etc., in search of a new form of packaging. Regardless of the option chosen, we often find ourselves placing them into a box—worried about the survival of the contents during the journey to the package's recipient. The inescapable fate of using a box remains, and we find ourselves working on decorating the surface of a box. The only difference is that we've now added an extra layer of packaging around the object that was initially enclosed in a box, which challenges the initial motive of sustainability.

The inescapable fate of using a box due to its effectiveness has posed a challenge in our practice: how can we reinvent a box without discarding its form? We view the process of reinventing the box as an opportunity to add value, extending its functionality beyond containment and protection. Rather than trying to get rid of the box, perhaps we should be asking how we can encourage our recipients to keep the box. That way, we can think outside of the box in terms of its functionality rather than its form. Until the day 'the new box' arrives, we will be contemplating 'The Conundrum of a Box' deeply.