As package designers, we love to think outside the box!
Below are some of the design principles we use here at RooCreate.
Author: RooCreate
In the media: Suzanne Haddon’s new Wollongong business RooCreate wins a national award
** This article was originally published in the Illawarra Mercury on June 11 2018. Story and photography by Greg Ellis.
Click here to read the full story.
Sustainable: RooCreate’s Corey McGuigan, Lisa Diebold, Jessica Fosler, Suzanne Haddon, Renee Pyers and Alix Tennison. Pic: Greg Ellis.
Wollongong’s Suzanne Haddon is the winner of the Purpose Driven Entrepreneur Altitude Award at the 2018 Altitude Awards.
Mrs Haddon’s branding business RooCreate won the best business category in recognition of efforts to help the environment while doing business.
Women With Altitude and Mind My Marketing recognised the business for actively giving to community.
WINNER: RooCreate’s Suzanne Haddon with Mind My Marketing‘s Belinda Tupou at the Altitude Awards 2018 in Sydney on Saturday hosted by ‘Women With Altitude’.
The judges noted how Mrs Haddon not only started RooCreate with the mission of eliminating waste in mind. But carried it through. “Through innovative sustainable packaging design, RooCreate removes unnecessary waste in product packaging without sacrificing design”.
They said RooCreate is reforming the branding industry. It offers a unique branding experience using biodegradable materials that produce a minimal carbon footprint.
Mrs Haddon said making a bold branding statement doesn’t have to be expensive or harmful to the environment. By maintaining simple green practices such as reducing the use of petroleum-based inks, using chlorine-free and recycled materials, and sourcing like-minded suppliers that offer environmentally friendly practices, businesses around the world can engage in eco-friendly commerce as a key part of creating branding materials.
“My team and I aim to revolutionise the branding industry by offering a unique branding experience using biodegradable materials that produces minimal carbon footprint and a cohesive and simple experience for consumers,” Mrs Haddon said.
What are bioplastics made of?
Plastics are all around us. Virtually every manufactured item either has plastic components or had plastics involved at some time during its construction. Around 99.8% of the time, those plastics were made from fossil fuel sources. But that tiny remainder – 0.2% – represents plastic made from biological sources, including seaweed, plants and agricultural byproducts. These are the bioplastics, and their tiny share of global plastic production is growing every year.
At Roocreate, we’re excited about the capabilities of bioplastics.
The reason is that, to date, most of the bad press about plastics stems from the fact they are made with fossil fuels and don’t biodegrade easily. Bioplastics from renewable living sources however give all the convenience of conventional plastic without much of the pollution. And scientific advances are making them greener and more economically viable every year.
Seaweed bioplastics
While other feedstocks compete with crops for field space on Earth’s limited arable land and freshwater, seaweed comes from the vastness of the oceans. Requiring no irrigation and having the fastest growth rate of any plant (sometimes faster than the hour hand on a clock), seaweeds are an ideal candidate for bioplastics.
Specifically, these giant algaes suits use in polylactic acid bioplastics (PLA). It is a material that holds a great deal of promise to be the world’s leading kind of bioplastic.
While there are over 20,000 types of seaweed and kelp forests that rival the Amazon, the global annual harvest is very small. Further, this field is very new and only a few kinds are currently used for bioplastics.
These are not usually harvested from wild “sea forests”. Instead, they are cultivated intentionally, either close to shore or alongside fish farms and are naturally fertilised by fish waste (especially the nitrogen and phosphorus that is otherwise washed away). When the time is right the seaweed is harvested, brought ashore, dried, milled and treated to extract the lactic acid needed to create PLA.
Cassava starch bioplastics
This is what we use here at RooCreate! Cassava is a tropical food crop. Its various names, such as manioc and tapioca, all refer to the roots of vigorous, drought-tolerant shrubs in the euphorbia plant family. As harvested, cassava is at once poisonous and almost pure starch. After lengthy treatment for safe human consumption, it provides a lot of energy but otherwise lacks nutritional value. For these reasons, it is an ideal feedstock for starch-based bioplastics.
The factors that make cassava so promising for bioplastics (and biofuels) are interlocking:
- It grows well in impoverished or dry soils that are marginal for other crops
- Take out its water weight and cassava is 95% starch
- It is poisonous and requires lengthy and costly preparation to make it safe for human consumption.
Yes, despite cassava being vital for food security for millions of people around the world, it is toxic (sometimes lethally). After harvest, the roots require thorough washing, peeling, preparation and cooking before they can be eaten. This can take days. For industrial uses, neutralising these natural poisons is not important – greatly increasing the economic case for cassava starch’s use in bioplastics.
The crop shows great promise given that thermoplastics derived from various sources of plant starch currently dominate bioplastics around the world – accounting for about half of global annual production.
Can plastics actually be green?
Bioplastics is a rapidly developing field. Scientists around the world are using advanced chemistry to make regular breakthroughs in developing new materials, reducing ecological impacts and making growing the feedstocks more profitable for producers.
At the same time, sources for these new bioplastics are being developed to fit in with existing sustainable agriculture and aquaculture practices, often through using waste or byproducts. Making plastics green is the goal.
As the field continues to enlarge its current 0.2% share of the world plastics industry, you will see bioplastics around you more and more.
Bioplastic facts
- They are certainly better for the environment overall, but not all kinds of bioplastic biodegrade. Some rarer kinds are even more stable than traditional plastics.
- Most bioplastics are derived from some kind of saccharide or “sugar”, such as cellulose, glucose or lactose.
- While the field is developing rapidly, bioplastics are nothing new. Both cellophane and celluloid are bioplastics and have been around for more than 100 years.
In the media: Suzi Roo gets creative at the Wollongong Innovation Campus and the world benefits from her packaging app
** This article was originally published in the Illawarra Mercury on May 24 2018. Story and photography by Greg Ellis.
Click here to read the full story.
Click here to read the full story.
You have heard of Suzi Q. Well what about Suzie Roo?
The University of Wollongong Innovation Campus was the setting for the launch of an innovative new Illawarra business called RooCreate on Wednesday night.
Rooland founder Suzanne Haddon has more than two decades of international experience branding and packaging for some of the largest and highest profile brands in the world.
She even ran the business from the Whitsundays for a while after moving to Australia from North America.
But she was lured to Wollongong by the surf and now the whole region is benefiting as he business grows and evolves and more jobs are created.
Mrs Haddon moved into iAccelerate two years ago specifically to develop a new arm to her business and Wednesday night was not only the realisation of a dream but a chance for friends, colleagues and employees to celebrate.
RooCreate streamlines the packaging of a business for enterprises around the globe.
Mrs Haddon wanted to develop a smart, simple, sustainable packaging process to make it easier, more affordable, professional, environmentally friendly look.
“I love packaging and I wanted to create an app or some kind of online platform where people can go an get really innovative package design,” she said.
In the media: From Starbucks and Nike to an innovative global sustainable Wollongong branding and packaging business for Suzanne Haddon
** This article was originally published in the Illawarra Mercury on May 22 2018. Story and photography by Greg Ellis.
Click here to read the full story.
Innovators: Rooland and RooCreate’s Corey McGuigan, Lisa Diebold, Jessica Fosler, Suzanne Haddon, Renee Pyers and Alix Tennison next to surfboard art by Zac Bennett-Brook of Saltwater Dreamtime. Picture: Greg Ellis.
A Wollongong businesswoman who has worked on branding for some of the biggest companies in the world before moving to Australia is launching a second arm of her business on Wednesday.
Suzanne Haddon runs a branding firm called Rooland that works for clients far and wide doing everything from graphics to illustration.
But she is also highly experienced in packaging for major brands around the globe and has come up with an innovative idea that can streamline the process for many other businesses.
RooCreate is focused on smart, simple, sustainable packaging that can be adopted easily and quickly to support a brand and image with an more affordable, professional, environmentally friendly look.
“We have always been sustainable and environmental. I love packaging and I wanted to create an App or some kind of online platform where people can go an get really innovative package design and packaging you can’t find anywhere else. One of the hard things about packaging is that it is really hard to source and find the right suppliers and get a great price and great design,” Mrs Haddon said.
The structure, look, feel and everything that goes into a package is what RooCreate works on. Mrs Haddon said packaging is becoming very innovative and can be made out of many different materials.
“Knowing what the correct material is for the client and making it work is what we do. I went to school in packaging/design in Los Angeles and I studied the structure, form and how to construct a package properly and add the graphics and everything,” she said.
“From there I wanted to create something for people who have a product and are very interested in environmental materials to be able to go online and buy direct without having to come to an office and meet with someone. I am just trying to streamline the process and make it simple and affordable.”
Creative business: The Rooland and RooCreate team outside the iAccelerate building on the University of Wollongong Innovation Campus. Picture: Greg Ellis.
From 25 years experience in branding and packaging one of the things Mrs Haddon has observed is one of the biggest expenses is the meeting time.
“I thought if we can cut out some of the parts that cost the most money and get a client the best design, the best package and the best material in one place it is a going to be a win-win situation. My passion is the best possible design work and creation of these packages for our clients anywhere in the world”.
Mrs Haddon said in the process she wanted to be 100 per cent sustainable. RooCreate doesn’t want to use anything that cannot be recycled.
“There are a lot of materials out there that are fantastic that we want to explore and push and expand on. We have now eight products online. It can go huge. We can design our own custom shapes. People can then choose a package they like and have it refined to the size they want.”
RooCreate is about streamlining the process to give businesses a big head start in their decision making.
There is an online brief they can fill out which quickly gives her team a good understanding of what is being sought. From that a more detailed brief is created and sent off to the designer. That is followed by an opportunity to be able to see the design in 3D as part of a streamlined digital creative process.
“We have developed the online platform,” Mrs Haddon said.
“Now we are developing a workspace where you can go online and see the designs we have created or you can add your own designs and actually visually see it on you desk. RooCreate is an online platform. We developed it here at iAccelerate. The reason we moved into iAccelerate two years ago was to expand on this idea.”
During the last two years the Rooland team has grown from two to six. Originally Mrs Haddon and one other designer were working from her home in the northern suburbs after she relocated from the Whitsundays where she lived for four years and worked on her own for clients in America. She moved to Wollongong because she loved surfing and the beach. And brought with her 25 years experience as a designer. That followed six years studying packaging, design and branding at prestigious schools in the United States.
After graduating Mrs Haddon quickly found herself working on the product packaging for some of the big brands in the cosmetic industry. She was then headhunted to work for companies such as Nordstrom, Nike and then Starbucks for six years.
“I loved working at Starbucks. I went from being the senior designer to being a design director. I was one of the lead designers on the whole team of over 40 designers. We developed the new store experience. I was the head of the team developing the in-store experience. Every package that went in store and all the graphics. We created the look and feel of every store going forward. After we accomplished that I started designing for the international stores. Starbucks in each country had a different look and feel appropriate to their culture”.
The team behind RooCreate participates in beach cleanup days
The team from RooCreate has been quite active in the local community participating in local clean up days. To keep up with some of our recent adventures, follow our recent team cleanup events at Rooland.
Get the facts: Eco Boxes
Our eco box fact sheets can help you get started choosing the right box for your product.
Need help deciding? Whether it’s food packaging, or beauty product packaging, takeaway containers, or general product packaging – our experienced design team can help you make the right decision.
Recycled Eco Product Box using post consumer waste
We offer 100% post-consumer waste boxes suitable as a presentation box. With few eco box options in the current market, we’ve made sure to source only the best options available. With a 285GSM paperboard, it is the ideal brand box.
The recycled box has full print options. Match it with your custom design or brand identity, and get ready to send out to customers.
Design features:
• 100% post-consumer waste box
• Ideal presentation box to show off your product
• Full print options
• 285GSM paperboard
Moulded Pulp Clamshell box with sleeve
Moulded pulp is traditionally made from recycled paperboards or newspaper. Mostly used as a protective packaging for food or storage trays, such as egg boxes, it has quickly become a popular choice as an eco-package for a wide variety of products.
Design features:
• 100% recyclable
• Reusable packaging
• Contains no toxins or chemicals
• With a custom designed sleeve, embossed lettering, stickers and/or labels, it is the perfect addition to any brand packaging
Sustainable graphic design methods to invest in
Sustainable graphic design methods to invest in
As package designers, we are always looking for ways to improve our sustainable graphic design methods. Whether it be to improve how our offices function to the way we print our products. In addition to educating our clients and suppliers, we also want to offer them the very best of every product and service. For us, this means aiming for a 100% eco-friendly environment.
Are you a design company? We’ve got a couple of easy steps to boost your sustainability measures and create a real difference in your business.
Sustainable office space
We are big fans of eco-friendly measures in the office that encourage everybody to participate and make a difference. While there are many measures to take, for instance recycling, composting and re-use, how about tackling some of the bigger issues. Are you a big AC fan? There are more effective and sustainable methods to cool down or heat up your office space. Consider swapping to solar heating, which is a great and easy option to fuel your household or office space.
Printing processes
Whether it be cutting down on your printing needs, the processes of printing can become more eco-friendly. Many inks and solvents can be toxic to the environmental as a polluter. Others can contain heavy metals such as lead, cadmium and barium., which can have consequences on health, as well as the environment. It might be wise to invest in eco-friendly printing ink and solvents, which will be well received from clients and suppliers.
Giving back
Here at RooCreate, we want to emphasise on giving back to our community. There are some great community efforts and organisations that can help you reduce your carbon footprint. Fifteen Trees plants a tree in your name to offset your emissions. We are also big supporters of Clean Up Australia and their yearly clean up day, as well as Keep Australia Beautiful for their efforts to educate communities.
Sources:
http://www.sonjameyer.com.au/4-practices-sustainable-graphic-design
https://15trees.com.au/about/
The secret behind great branding
The secret behind great branding
Great design creates great brands, one impossible without the other. Your brand is the face of your business, the book cover that echoes your values and purposes. What makes a brand recognisable or memorable is the design process behind it. There is a science behind well-known brands. They offer an immediate impression and often bring back a fond memory, connecting to consumers on an emotional and personal level.
A brand has three aspects to it. The first aspect is the emotional connection that deals with the way a consumer considers a particular brand. The second is the visual aspect, which signifies how well the consumer identifies with the company. The third part is accompanies by the logo, where all aspects intersect and form an image identified to the brand.
The Starbucks Coffee Company is the perfect example of a brand that epitomises the commercial use of their logo. It is recognised around the world and immediately brings a certain “feeling” with consumers. The secret behind their success is their brand identity.
The first step to a successful brand is creating a logo that represents the brand identity inside and out. The logo needs to resonate not only to the company itself, but to its customer. If you lack a connection with your consumers, you will struggle to achieve a consumer basis. Before you start your brand journey, carefully consider all of the elements that come together to form your brand. For most businesses, the struggle is finding out where to start. Having access to expert design advice will assist you with this journey and get you on the right path.
The fundamentals of design
The fundamentals of design
Milton Glaser once said, “good design doesn’t date, bad design does”.
Glaser was not mistaken. Not only do we see bad design go as quickly as it comes, we are reminded that good design is a staple of our every day life, becoming a memorable identity. Fundamentals of design come down to the smallest of elements. Dots, lines, shapes and forms come together to create elemental design, however an understanding of how these elements coincide with each other is essential. A dot can have an underlying meaning, while a shape can be playful and whimsical, all depending on the desired outcome.
Fundamentals of design within packaging
Adding patterns, textures and colours contributes to an entirely new dimension to a design. Patterns and textures represent depth and help differentiate between elements, while colours express emotions and feelings, altering the way the viewer perceived and interprets the design.
Further more, package design requires unity, which can be achieved through laws of interactions.
These are a series of tools that gives designers the power to alter visual elements of a design, which plays a vital role in how a viewer recognises certain components and comprehends the information relayed. This may include contrasting points, item position, depth, dimensions and perspectives.
Great design evolves around understanding the fundamental principles of design. It becomes living and transcends trends. It may take years for a designer to fully understand and successfully apply fundamental principles of design. At RooCreate, we track down the great design thinkers to provide you with only the best design capabilities available for your brand.