Pony Pack Tea: A Blend of Tradition and Innovation

Designers Xiang Qian, Deng Zhehao, and Yao Wenliang Craft a Unique Tea Packaging

The Pony Pack Tea stands out for its obscure design concept, using text from different eras to narrate the tea-making process and connect the heritage. This approach not only reflects the evolution of tea-making techniques but also the cultural inheritance across time. The design team, including Liu Jun, Li Sai, and Yao Wenliang, has meticulously planned and executed this project to create an aesthetically pleasing and culturally rich packaging design.

The design process involved the use of canvas slanting across the belt tea bag, rope tightening knot type, screen printing, bronzing, and convex on simple texture paper. The technical specifications include a box measuring 24.2cm x 15cm x 5.1cm and a bag measuring 63cm x 10.5cm. The design team targeted consumers aged 25-45 with middle to high-end consumption capacity, aiming to create a packaging design that is not just functional but also a collectible item.

Creating this design was not without its challenges. The team had to explore the historical origin of the brand and interpret it in a form that aligns with the product's temperament, without causing a surge in mass production costs. The design was realized in Changsha, Hunan Province, China, over a period of nine months in 2017.

The core concept of the project is the inheritance and development of tea products over a long period of time. The design team conveyed this by showcasing the evolution of Chinese characters' style across different eras. The pictographic and semantic nature of Chinese characters, which is distinct from Western languages, adds a deeper layer of meaning to the design.

The Pony Pack Tea design was recognized for its creativity and innovation, winning the Silver A' Packaging Design Award in 2020. This prestigious award is given to designs that demonstrate outstanding expertise, innovation, and artistic skill, and that evoke positive feelings, amazement, and wonder.