Design Case Study: Glass Packaging
My Role: Front-end innovation, design inspiration, iterative sketch exploration, concept refinement, CAD development & visualization
Marking my entry into professional industrial design during my tenure at O-I, this program was an intensive collaboration to completely reinvent the flagship structural glass packaging for Beech-Nut. Operating within an agile, three-person design team directly alongside the client, I contributed to the early sketch exploration, brand semantic mapping, and structural layout concepting that successfully shifted the category narrative. The objective was to design a clean, modern silhouette and optimized labeling architecture engineered specifically to showcase the natural, earth-tone purees within. This project provided an invaluable, end-to-end masterclass in high-volume glass manufacturing, shelf-presence identity, and brand-level storytelling, resulting in an iconic, mass-produced package that remains a staple on grocery shelves today and one I’ve proudly used in my own home to feed my children.
Beechnut came to O-I looking for a new jar to help establish a new identity for their brand “refresh” in 2014. While competitors like Gerber and Plum were moving into plastic and pouch CPG solutions, Beechnut saw opportunity to double down on glass. This sentiment fully aligned with O-I’s “Glass is Life” campaign, which celebrated glass as an infinitely renewable and beautiful eco-friendly packaging solution.
FINDING BEECHNUTS IDENTITY
Beechnut’s packaging was in desperate need of an update. Being a family focused company, Beechnut really identified with homemade baby food made from superior ingredients. Our team sought to create a new iconic jar silhouette that would bring new life to the baby food category and symbolized Beechnut’s values of pure, homemade, quality baby food.
THE “AH-HA!” MOMENT
Our break through came when we were looking at Beechnut’s current jars and began tearing off their paper wrap-around labels. We were stunned when it revealed beautiful earthy gem tones emphasized under the highlights and shine of the glass. We knew then that our design had to maximize the glass presence and show off the beautiful color and quality of the beechnut product contents. If we could leverage the beauty and transparency of glass, reduce the label, and celebrate the contents within, we new we had a winning solution.
