Platinum Packaging Design · 2020
Yan Natural Juice Bottle Packaging
- A' Design Award 2020 Platinum Winner in Packaging Design
- Awarded April 15, 2020
- CLIENT: Backbone Branding
- Estimated Number of Design Views: 160,702
- Verification code 7A7F3989CE · Verify this award
About Yan Natural Juice Bottle Packaging
The design of the bottle was inspired by nature and the principles of bio mimicry specifically the form of a bitten apple. This was meant in order to show the organic quality of the product inside. This anatomy results in complementary shapes which when placed next to one another on shelves or during transportation allow to maximise the saving of space. The name of the brand is inscribed on the label with a stylised calligraphy. This calligraphy evokes the colour and appearance of thin grass as a nod to Nature.
Yan Natural Juice Bottle Packaging by Backbone Branding exemplifies a contemporary approach to beverage packaging that privileges structural distinctiveness as the primary mechanism for brand differentiation and consumer recognition. The design team has developed an unconventional vessel form featuring an inverted profile that challenges established container conventions while creating an immediately memorable silhouette suitable for premium market positioning. The graphic identity system harmonizes fluid calligraphic letterforms rendered in a vibrant teal hue with delicate botanical illustrations depicting the pomegranate fruit source, executed in a watercolor technique that suggests handcrafted authenticity and natural provenance. This integration of structural innovation with artisanal graphic treatment demonstrates a sophisticated understanding of how physical form and surface communication can work synergistically to establish brand personality. The chromatic strategy allows the rich garnet coloration of the juice itself to function as a design element visible through the transparent glass, creating an honest representation of product quality while contributing to the overall visual appeal. The label hierarchy presents essential information through a carefully considered typographic system that balances the expressive brand name with functional details including product designation, volume, and certification credentials. The minimal composition of the presentation photography, featuring three bottles against a pristine white ground, allows the distinctive formal qualities and refined graphic treatment to command full attention. This work invites consideration of how packaging design can transcend mere containment to become a meaningful expression of brand values, product quality, and cultural positioning within the contemporary marketplace.
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- The brand of the Yan Natural Juice revolves around the concept of Organic in Everything. Therefore the bottle was designed based on bio mimicry principles representing bitten apples put one after another which serve as a visual feature for the shape of the bottle. The arrangement of the bottles allows for a significant saving of the pace both on shelves and during transportation. Later on a new label for new organic juice line was designed, with a stylised calligraphic inscription of the name Yan as a thin grass reed reminding the nature.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- Width 70mm x Depth 85mm x Height 265 mm
- Tags
- natural juice, packaging design, biomimicry, organic,
- Production Technology
- A special furrow shape solution for the upper part of the bottle was designed for the most convenient customer experience. Another additional feature was an anti slip surface on both sides of the bottle which made it easy for people to pour from slippery bottles. The new technology of complementing bottles gives an opportunity for safer transportation compared with the regular cylindrical bottles that are more fragile. To emphasise the premium quality and the Eco consciousness of the product we have chosen recyclable glass as a perfect material for storing it. The paper of the label is also recyclable.
- Design Challenge
- Glass bottles aren’t easy to develop. Unlike the average cylindrical bottles with the perfect symmetry, these ones faced many problems in the manufacturing process. We calculated the perfect proportions, made it geometrically correct and yet different curves on the bottle came slightly uneven.
The heat of autoclave sterilisation process would break the thinner parts of the glass. So the solution was to reduce the temperature in autoclave. It resulted in shortening the shelf life of the product but kept it more fresh. The challenge turned into an advantage which made the juice healthier and tastier, proper of a premium brand. - Project Duration
- January to May 2017 in Yerevan Armenia
- Operation Flow
- We observed how consumers hold the bottles while putting them in a refrigerator and taking them out. People would usually take them from the bottleneck or its cover. So we came up with a furrow shape solution for the upper part that made it comfortable for the fingers to hold the bottle. The shape has become so popular that people would describe the Yan juice bottle as the convenient bottle.
- Research
- Our conviction to bring fundamental design solutions was expressed in asking deep and difficult questions that would consider human needs and aspirations, while working to marry them with functionality. The research carried an observational nature as having identified the main philosophy of the bottle. We were still observing how people use bottles at home or in the office to make it as convenient for them as possible. Considering the Armenian society which is is centred around the values of family, we needed to create an emotional attachment to the product that every family would connect to. The result was a packaging with strong identity as well as functional solutions that were not even given by the client in the first place.
- Inspiration
- The inspiration lays in the analysis of the fruit eating habits of people either be it by slicing or biting the fruits. It was interesting to observe that the most attractive fruits are bitten impatiently and that people would take the second bite only if it tasted good. The shape and the pattern of a double bitten apple led us to experiment and develop different models of bottles. In this experiment we discovered that the bitten and the wholesome parts of apples complement each other just like Yin and Yang.
- Image Credits
- All photo credits to Backbone Branding
Colors of Yan Natural Juice Bottle Packaging
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G0E3 ShopDesign Interview about Yan Natural Juice Bottle Packaging
If we want to sum it up in one sentence, we’d say less design and more Nature. We are strongly inspired by Nature. We are always fascinated by how every little detail in Nature has a purpose, harmony and functionality, each little element is there for a reason, has its place and serves a purpose.
Our principle in design is to study Nature, learn from it and we want our works to be complementary to Nature instead of going against it.
Our principle in design is to study Nature, learn from it and we want our works to be complementary to Nature instead of going against it.
This design is based on biomimicry. We have studied the shape of an apple, especifically a bitten one, how they can become complementary to one another when put side by side. We have then transported this Natural shape into the glass bottle, structuring them in order to stay true to the form of the fruit.
This award winning design has a very strong popularity on the market and it is sold all around the world. People are always captivated by the shape of the bottle which always grabs attention and stands out of the lot.
It took our team several months, from the initial birth of the concept to the numerous developments and different project aspects, from structural, to design label, to illustration and calligraphy.
We were approached by the owner of this brand, who was then willing to try a new structure for this already existing juice line. There was a need for a bottle that reflects in its own design the natural and organic quality of the juice that it contains. A structures that screams ‘’NATURAL’’ and is in harmony with Nature
The design is exclusively used by SIS Natural.
We have found this project interesting because it required a deep study of the forms in Nature, it links design with functionality and every single detail and element from the structure of the bottle to the label and calligraphy is there for a reason and serves a purpose.
Anyone who appreciates Natural and organic products.
These past years the organic theme has become massively popular and consumers are paying more and more attention to what they are buying, always opting for more Natural, healthy choices.
Consequently, the packaging industry has also been keeping and we are noticing that designs inspired by Nature are rising in popularity, however most of them are just opting for a superficial change, in other words making changes to the form without actually understanding the purpose behind it. What’s different here is that the form in Yan Natural Juice is not just there for the aesthetics, it actually has a functionality and also practicality.
Consequently, the packaging industry has also been keeping and we are noticing that designs inspired by Nature are rising in popularity, however most of them are just opting for a superficial change, in other words making changes to the form without actually understanding the purpose behind it. What’s different here is that the form in Yan Natural Juice is not just there for the aesthetics, it actually has a functionality and also practicality.
The name was chosen by our Clients.
The illustrations in this project are all meticulously made by hand by your talented illustrating team.
The uniqueness is that the design here serves a functionality. Of course other than the obvious one, which is to act as a container for the juice, these bottles have a structure which allows them to be stored in the most compact way due to the fact that their design allows them to interlock. Therefore making the storage and transportation process very practical
Our team at Backbone, where different members handle different sides of the work, from structure study and shaping, to the details on the label, the design and of course the illustration and the stylized calligraphy.
This project involved biomimicry. So our research was based on a deep quest to understand the shape in the elements of Nature, in this case the apple, we have studied its structure, its form as a whole, and the transformation within this form when the fruit is bitten, the shape it metamorphoses to, and the way several apples are complementary in form when put side by side
Studying and deeply understanding the structure in elements of Nature, and then reflecting this understanding of the structure into your design concept is not easy to do. As a matter of fact, we did not want this project to mimic the copy the form of the apple on a superficial level, our concept was based on understanding the details and the transformation of the form of the apple, from whole to bitten, how it changes and then creating a structural design that was based on this idea.
We really believe in this work and in its high quality whether it is from a design, structural, conceptual or illustrational point of view. We wanted to find a competition that was respected and with a worldwide renown. Our main goal was to make sure that our design and concept would be evaluated in the most professional and serious way possible . A’Design Awards and competition is an international and very well reputed competition. From previous winners, we had the proof that the judging was very serious, fair and in the hands of a professional and trustworthy jury, in whose evaluation we could trust.
With each project you learn something new, and it brings to you further experience that would deepen your knowledge of the field. This project was no stranger to this. With YAN Natural juice we have furthered our understanding of biomimicry, we have learnt more about the fascinating design in Nature.
The fact that every little single detail is there for a reason, nothing is left to chance or no element is there as an addition or mere decoration without having a real and actual purpose or functionality.
This project has made us even believe more in the power and harmony of Nature and in the fact that as designers our duty is to respect Nature in our design rather than completely destroy it and transform it.
Less design, more Nature.
Because Nature has it all covered already, and what you will find in Nature is better than the work of any man.
Our duty as designers, is to truly understand the beauty and simplicity and the design intelligence in Nature and reflect it through our own designs.
The fact that every little single detail is there for a reason, nothing is left to chance or no element is there as an addition or mere decoration without having a real and actual purpose or functionality.
This project has made us even believe more in the power and harmony of Nature and in the fact that as designers our duty is to respect Nature in our design rather than completely destroy it and transform it.
Less design, more Nature.
Because Nature has it all covered already, and what you will find in Nature is better than the work of any man.
Our duty as designers, is to truly understand the beauty and simplicity and the design intelligence in Nature and reflect it through our own designs.