Product packaging is an essential part of retail design and is a fabulous resource for design inspiration. I love bold type placement and treatments, bright pops of colour, and collections that embrace a range of unique yet united typography.

Yes, I have a thing for retail exteriors and signage. One look I love lately is small but powerful typography. With strong contrasts or in handsome wee neon, the style can make an exterior look rather chic.

Old school hand-lettering, cursive neon, striking handwriting, creating words out of tile — typography based on hand-drawn type can look smashing in design and retail. Done right, it feels modern rather than trendy. I particularly love the craftsmanship it adds to any design. Seek out friends with magnificent penmanship!

I strongly dislike the typeface Papyrus. There, I said it. I get itchy when I see it and feel disturbed when companies, events and shops use typography derived from Microsoft Word to brand themselves. When it comes to telling the world who you are, why use a generic (and probably not design-focused) voice? Not only will you get lost in a sea of competitors also using “Word magic” but standing out in a stylish way becomes virtually impossible. In my latest post for Rena Tom, I showcase how great typography can make all the difference in the quest for memorable design and branding. While focused on retail, the need for fantastic typography is universal so the images hopefully inspire all type-related projects. Take a peek at my post here…

(packaging images via: ddmmyy, raw type, de-construct,cool hunting, lovely package, and slingshot coffee co.; small type images via new places to be, design*sponge, dezeen, and scout magazine; hand-drawn images via la potenza, trish papadakos, remodelista, kristen leigh, kinfolk, wallpaper and remodelista)

I’m not sure anyone “needs” hair chalk but honestly, how fun would it be to run one of these vibrant hues through your locks? The Hair Chalk Set by Urban Outfitters features 32 semi-permanent colours that are blendable on wet or dry hair. I particularly like the look of small hints of colour on thin sections or hair ends. Maybe I do need some pops of fuchsia…

(photographs via urban outfitters) 

Designed by Swear Words, I’m fascinated by the packaging of Australian brand Jacqueline Evans Skincare. The combination of amber glass and dusty (almost pastel) primary colours is rare and hard to pull off. Mixed with simple typography and a tiny emblem flourish, the final look is striking. The colours just work together and create a modern and instantly recognizable palette. Any bathroom is going to look chic with these bottles in the medicine cabinet…

(photographs via jacqueline evans & lovely package) 

Yes, the festive season is officially here and since I am holiday bonkers, expect some posts devoted to the topic! In my latest post for Rena Tom, I focused on how festive details can be applied to retail (online or brick and mortar). Holiday shopping can be stressful but with the right atmosphere, any retail space can be full of joy and striking creativity. Packaging, seasonal photo styling, welcoming decorations, online details, window displays, interior installations – the post is plump with inspiration. Oh and it can certainly be applied to home holiday decor too! Take a peek here if you are interested…

(photographs via confetti system, cox and cox, habitually chic, real simple, martha stewart, a beautiful mess, platinum blonde life, CAMP and black eiffel)

I was poking around the internet last night and became happily reacquainted with an identity from a few years ago that I really love. Designed by London studio Farrow, the look of British bakery Peyton and Byrne is minimalistic colour with a decidedly British flair. It is a cohesive programme of meticulous detail that can be applied to many products uniquely and manage to make a simple box of treats feel like a box of jewels. I love how the packaging is colourful (a great palette) but doesn’t overshadow the products. I wouldn’t mind a kitchen shelf full of those boxes…

(photographs via farrow and little ghost)   

Designed by Studio Iknoki, I love this packaging for the album “Black Rainbow” by band Aucan. The Italian studio took a series of coloured smoke photographs at night and in the rain “trying to reproduce the dark energy, color and explosive music that emerges from Aucan”. I love when music packaging feels more like art than vapid promotional images. Colour and music are so intertwined and this identity showcases the connection beautifully…

(photographs via studio iknoki)    

Fabulous colour and a leaning book-like logo are two components of the vibrant new identity for Vicente Aleixandre library in Badia del Vallès, Spain. Designed by studio Txell Gràcia, I especially love the signage and wayfinding throughout the library from bright window graphics to four panel subject signs. A clean, modern and colourful canvas for showcasing beautiful books…

(photographs via txell gràcia)   

Love these Envelope Mail Holders by Goodwin + Goodwin. Perfect for storing documents, mail or bits of inspiration. Simple but effective bent metal with bright and glossy powder coat finish, they are a handsome addition to any studio or entryway…

It feels like over the last few years, navy blue has gone from being considered stodgy and traditional to a true “new neutral” that is modernly mixed with many colours. This shift is the topic of my latest post for Rena Tom. Neons, tropicals, metallics, pastels – virtually any palette looks smashing with a dash of elegant deep blue. Remember when mixing navy blue and black was considered a faux pas? No longer. The pair looks like it will be a big trend this fall season and into the future. Yep, navy blue manages to mingle with any colour and is universally flattering and elegant. To read more, pop over to my post here.

(photographs via apartment therapy, linconnuedeindochine, we are twice, australian interior design awards, scotch and soda,  convoy, design sponge and anagrama)

Logo-shaped paper clips, branded bubble wrap or pylons, innovative cake decorating – there are so many ways the little things create fabulous design and memorable retail. In my latest post for Rena Tom, I rounded up some inspiring images devoted to one of my favourite topics: “retail details”. I strongly believe it is mindful, creative details that turn good stores or brands into great ones. If you fancy, take a look at my post here.

(photographs via kledzik, i am baker, design you trust, jay mug, september industry and veronique)

So technically, this is last week’s ‘palette of the week’. Whoops. Expect two featured colour combinations this week! I love the way brands and identities can be transformed to fit vastly different applications. This photograph by Heather David captures the bold pattern and colour of a Disneyland shopping bag from the 1960′s. How great is the abstract use of Mickey Mouse ears? Proof that great branding doesn’t need to shout to be wildly effective…

(photograph by heather david, spotted on present & correct’s pinterest)

I have a thing for coloured metallics lately so this packaging for Amelia Rope Chocolate caught my eye. I love the simple but fun mix of vibrant metallics and kraft paper. Oh and how about Amelia’s Chocolate Cube Collections? A bit like a box of colour swatches, these little shiny cubes are too handsome to eat…

(photographs by mary wadsworth via amelia rope)

Dreaming of designing retail spaces is often on my mind and my Pinterest boards probably showcase that (obsessive) mindframe. This week, for my bi-monthly post on Rena Tom’s website, I thought I would round-up a few retail images that have caught my eye lately. Signage with metallic details, a neon paper airplane launch invite or a pet shop entrance just for dogs – retail details are never short on inspiration. To have your fill of retail and design eye candy, read the post here. Back to shop owning day daydreams…

(this is collate, here design, tokketok, interior design, design work life, the design files and elana schlenker)

If 2012 is going to see the end of the world, you may as well go out with some attractive branding! Design studio MENOSUNOCEROUNO created Just In Case, “an end-of-the-world survival kit” or “the perfect brand for the end of times”. The kit contains six iconic products from Mexico re-packaged in bold yellow including dark chocolate, a classic notebook, a simple knife, 40 black matches, liqueur and a bottle of water. This collection may not ensure long-term survival but you certainly will enjoy your final hours… (Read more about the kit here)

(spotted on the dieline)

I love when branding uses an unexpected palette and this identity for Strata Bakery in Barcelona features a brilliant one. P.A.R design studio pondered the many facets of baking and came up with a central theme of layers. From icing cake layers to the layers of ingredients that go into each recipe, the concept fits perfectly and is brought into the branding by layering different papers, materials, typefaces and colours. I love the scrumptious colour combination of mint green and vibrant orange with hits of brown. I also love the stack of business cards in alternating colours as it conjures up a rather magical cake. I think I may need a cookie stat…

(photographs via P.A.R design studio)

It’s hard to resist the beautiful visual language designer Paul Giambarba created for Polaroid in the 1960′s. A perfectly organized system of vibrant colour bar graphics and a rather handsome News Gothic typeface make for one unforgettable identity. While quintessentially 1960′s looking, I think the exact system could thrive today. Aside from the clean and colourful looks, my favourite part is how the boxes stack. Beautiful.

(photographs via aisleone)