Oh Lord, How I Love and Hate Package Design!!

Package design is one of those things that can drive you completely mad — a delicate dance between art and utility, clarity and clutter, and the cruel, unforgiving truth that you only get one shot. No "undo" button when it’s in a thousand blister packs and shipping out to retailers. No last-minute tweak once it’s in the hands of the customer. It’s like designing a tattoo… for your product’s soul.

What drives me crazy the most? The infinite variables. The millimeters that matter. The lighting that washes out a color that looked perfect on screen. The product that shifts a millimeter in the blister and suddenly looks off-center. The font size that seemed readable until it's shrunk down and sealed behind plastic.

But here’s the twist — despite the frustration, I actually like what we’ve done here. The new WaterBean / TurboFilter packaging is simple, clear, and quietly playful. The natural kraft background gives it an earthy vibe. The leaf accents hint at the eco-conscious roots of the product. The swirl? It’s hypnotic. And most importantly, the messaging is clean, the steps are simple, and it tells the story in a few seconds — just as it should.

And guess what? AI helped make it happen. From visual layout tweaks to copy suggestions to positioning the product within the blister mockup, this was a collaborative tango with technology. I still had to steer, adjust, shout a little — but the AI never tired, never got defensive, and always gave me another version when I needed one.

Is it perfect? Who knows. But for once, I don’t feel like throwing the packaging across the room. And that, my friends, is what progress feels like.