Nendo is a well-known Japanese design studio that is known for its innovative and unusual product designs.
One of their most famous creations is the Nendo Banana, which is a piece of packaging that resembles a peeled banana. The Nendo banana was created for a Japanese confectionary company, and it was designed both to catch the eye and be functional too. The banana design has been a huge success and has been featured in many design exhibitions all over the world.
Why a Banana?
Nendo was commissioned by Unifrutti Japan to design the packaging for the famous Shiawase banana. Unifrutti is the Japanese business of one of the largest fruit distributors in the world.
Nendo says the banana is one of the fruits that already has perfect natural packaging, the one that Mother Nature gave it. The banana’s peel not only protects the fruit but also changes colour to show people when it has ripened, and when the banana has served its purpose, its remains can be composted with zero waste.
When the brand was given the task to design packaging for the luxury Shiawase banana, they approached it with wanting to celebrate the fruit’s natural jacket and own packaging. The Shiawase banana is grown in a national park on the island of Mindanao, which is in the Philippines, at a very high altitude. The banana is sold exclusively in Japan and its name is derived from the Japanese word for happiness, which is what is given to the growers of the fruit when they see its progress into a luxury food item.
The luxury fruit was the first banana to be awarded two stars at the Superior Taste Awards of the International Taste and Quality Institute (ITQI) in Belgium.
Features of Nendo Banana Packaging
The final design solution for the banana packaging includes a carry bag and a double-layered fruit sticker, which is applied to the surface of the fruit. A packaging designer at the company said that they did not want to create an extravagant solution for the high-quality luxury fruit because that would have been inappropriate for such an environmentally friendly product.
The double-layered sticker mimics the feel, colours, and texture of a banana peel. The sticker has a peeled section that encourages consumers to interact with it and once the first layer of the sticker is removed, a fruit-coloured second sticker is revealed to the consumer. The second sticker is covered with writing that explains the story of the Shiawase banana.
The product packaging design comes with a paper carrying bag that is equipped with a string handle, that when opened reveals a comprehensive story of the banana. The story itself is printed on a single sheet of paper that is shaped like a traditional banana leaf.
The food packaging for this specific product is not only playful but also innovative and the packaging design created by Nendo honours the natural beauty of the fruit. The product packaging also celebrates the natural production process of this luxury banana.
The packaging design process created a good packaging design that has proved to be the right packaging style to create interest from customers and the food packaging industry too.
Who is Nendo?
Nendo is a Japanese design studio that was founded in 2002 by Oki Sato and has its headquarters in Tokyo, Japan. The business also has offices in Milan and Singapore. The studio has worked on a vast range of projects, including product design, furniture design, building interiors, and architecture too. Nendo’s designs are often characterised by their simple, clean lines and minimalist aesthetic.
Recently the designer has gained international recognition for its innovative approach to package design, particularly for food items. Nendo has designed a huge number of products for many different industries and the designer has recognised their cool and original product designs.
Nendo’s designers have created many different product packaging designs in different shapes and styles, but it is most famous for the banana packaging. The brand has also made a range of products including tea boxes that are turned into cat houses and milk cartons that can be used as vases once finished. The creative approach to packaging design has allowed the company to stand out from the very competitive world of product marketing and branding.
The company has also created amazing packaging designs using carrier bags, food boxes, packaged plastic food containers, unique logo designs, flexible packaging graphics, and more.
In addition to product design, the company also offers services that include interior design and graphic design. The company has worked with printing companies, cosmetics brands, food retailers, and famous brands such as Hermes, Coca-Cola, and Uniqlo.
Nendo has won many awards for its design work, including the prestigious Red Dot Award and the iF Design Award.
The unique vision of the company and its designers has made the business a much sought-after package design company with project requests made from companies all over the world.
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