About: Redesign something in the design, advertising, or any creative industry that relies on gender stereotypes.
Materials: Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, sketchbook
Class: DES 330T Gender Biases in Design
Professor: Vic Rodriguez Tang
Date: Spring 2022
The Feminine Products Aisle
Mostly Stereotypical Marketing Towards Women
Walking down the feminine hygiene aisle, you are greeted with bright, saturated packaging covered in "girly" motifs such as butterflies, flowers, and the curvey feminine form. The loud, in-your-face packaging makes consumers feel overwhelmed as they try to make the right choice for their needs.
Many Looks, One Problem
Focusing on Carefree
Carefree uses pink as its primary brand color, accenting with blue or green. The design feels stuck in the past where it focuses on leaning too much into stereotypical colors and shapes.
Current Packaging of Carefree Thong Liners
360º view of the current packaging
The "new look" doesn't feel so new
I specifically focused on rebranding the Carefree Thong Liners because they recently updated the packaging. Even with the simplification, the packaging falls into the same pitfall as most feminine hygiene products. Everyone knows exactly what you're buying when you walk through the store. The box needs to be more discrete.
Sketching the Concept
Modernizing the design
Using color theory, I wanted to create an eye-catching design with complimentary colors that strayed away from the norm. I decided to take the blue they already used and pair it with a bright, pale yellow. I focused on the meaning of the product: to make women feel comfortable and at ease when they move throughout their day. I used shapes and curves based on nature and the flowing movement. The cardboard background makes the colors stand out and keeps on theme with an organic feel.
Initial Design
Iterating on the sketch
I took my idea and started designing using Illustrator to better understand what was working with my rebrand and what wasn't. I tried making the logo pop more by adding the same gradient but decided it was too difficult to read. Also, I toyed with changing the shape of the F to represent flowing leaves.
Final Design
After receiving helpful feedback from my professor and peers, I had a clearer vision for the packaging. I kept the information the same but reordered it around the new gradient shape. By excluding the blown-up picture of the liner, the packaging is discrete enough that someone passing by would not easily understand unless they looked closer at the product. I added the phrases "stay fresh" and "feel free" on top of the box to make the branding more cohesive and promote the benefits of using Carefree's liner. Also, I added the tagline "Confident and Carefree" to the logo to tie it all together.
