Cool Wool: A Unique Blend of Design and Functionality

Julia Chernenko's Innovative Socks Packaging Wins Silver A' Design Award

Chernenko's inspiration for the Cool Wool design came from the brand's name itself. She visualized a wool owl, which she then incorporated into the packaging design. This resulted in a sound interaction between the name, the slogans on the packaging, and the brand character. The first Cool Wool products are socks, which change their length in prints on the packaging, adding a playful element to the design.

The uniqueness of the Cool Wool design lies in its sound interaction between the name and slogans on the packaging. This interaction aims to maximize the memorability of the wool owl, a feature that sets it apart from other designs. The packaging also includes a private brand mailing tape with a post owl instead of a dove, giving the brand its own Wool Post.

The design was realized using digital printing on corrugated board. The packaging for retail is available in two sizes: big packaging - 23cm*17cm*6cm, and small packaging - 17cm*13cm*6cm. For online purchases, a simpler version of the package, which can be sent by post, was developed.

Chernenko's research revealed that personalized or personified packages were the best sellers among gift packages. This insight led to the creation of the brand character, the Cool Wool owl. The character will change clothes for different wool products, enabling product differentiation.

The main challenge was to create a packaging for socks and an idea of communication for the brand, which plans to sell different woolen clothes in the future. Another challenge was to create a budget postage package. Despite these challenges, Chernenko successfully developed a form of packaging for retail sails of socks, a mailing tape for standard postal parcels, and creative communication of the brand with the consumer.

Chernenko's Cool Wool design was awarded Silver in A' Packaging Design Award in 2018. This award is given to top-of-the-line, creative, and professionally remarkable designs that illustrate outstanding expertise and innovation. These designs, admired for their strong technical characteristics and splendid artistic skill, showcase a remarkable level of excellence and introduce positive feelings, amazement, and wonder.