A package that’s a product – A box without glue for a bike without screws
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Sometimes a package isn’t just a package. Sometimes it is an integral part of the product experience. In this case Choppy Bike, a balance bike for kids, included a game in their packaging. The box is put together without using any glue, which was a top priority on the wish list.
“We wanted the packaging to be valuable,” explains Aldis Blicsons, a designer at the Latvian industrial design studio STUM. “It wasn’t a box holding our bike; we wanted a product within a product.”
Aldis Blicsons and his partner Toms Grinbergs had created a wooden balance bike for small children called Choppy Bike. When they approached Stora Enso about packaging, they had an idea and showed up with a prototype box.
Choppy Bike's wish list
- Only one colour on the box, because inks consume water and materials
- No glue used in the construction of the package
- A compact package using the least amount of material possible
- 100% recyclable package...
- ...But not be recycled directly, first, it should add value as a something more than a box (a game!)
Turning crazy ideas into reality
“It was great fun to work with Toms and Aldis on the Choppy Bike packaging,” says Girts Libeks, design & innovation manager in the Baltics for Stora Enso. “They had all these crazy ideas and it was my job to make sure it was practical.”
Grinbergs and Blicsons wanted the package to remain valuable, even after the Choppy Bike had been removed and assembled. When you open the box a game is revealed. The STUM team had an artist draw a detailed road which twists and turns through many adventures before finally ending at a beach.
“There are no rules included for the game, because it is important for kids to be creative and make their own rules when they play,” says Grinbergs.
Sustainability a high priority
The package also had to be extremely sustainable. For them, sustainability was as important for the packaging of Choppy Bike as it was for the bike itself.
“We use FSC cardboard,” Blicsons continues. “We wanted only one colour on the box because inks consume water and materials. We wanted no glue used in the construction of the package. Also, we wanted it to be as compact as possible and use the least amount of material, because a compact design saves space and fuel.”
Blicsons and Grinberg collaborated with the Stora Enso experts in a series of design workshops to develop solutions to meet their goals. The end result was a package which was more sustainable, valuable to the customer, and interesting to the public.
The Choppy Bike is available in two stores in Latvia, as well as two e-shops. The online experience complements the overall design philosophy of box and product, stressing simplicity, functionality and sustainability.
“The future of packaging is adding value”
“The bike and package were created together and are strongly related. For example, the bike has no screws and the package has no glue. Similarly, both the bike and package use a minimum of materials,” says Libeks. “It was a good challenge to work with them.”
The package is 100% recyclable, but it could have a long and fulfilling life entertaining and inspiring children before it is finally ready to be recycled and turned into something new.
“I think the future of packaging is adding value,” says Grinbergs. “It is always a pleasure to work with Stora Enso to accomplish this.”
In September 2022 this packaging won a ScanStar award, extract from jury motivation: "Playful and surprising effect instead of full color printing. Good presentation of the product. It is made of light weight products and can be used without tools. Surprising, entertaining and fun. Well designed, good second use. Teamwork across borders is possible."
