Interview about Sister's Ice Cream, winner of the A' Packaging Design Award 2020
This Packaging is designed for the Sisters Ice Cream Company. The design team has tried to use three ladies, who are reminiscent of the manufacturers of this product, in the form of happy colors that come from the taste of each ice cream. In each flavor of the design, the shape pf the ice cream is used as the character's hair, which presents an interesting and new image of ice cream packaging. This design, in its new form, has attracted a lot of attention amongst its competitors and has had high sales. The design tries to create original and creative packaging.
View detailed images, specifications, and award details on A' Design Award & Competition website.
View Design DetailsThe concept emerged from a deep desire to connect product identity with the people behind it. Since this is a homemade ice cream made by three sisters, I wanted the packaging to celebrate their bond and craft. The idea of illustrating three young ladies with ice cream-shaped hairstyles was born from a sketch that merged portraiture and product in a symbolic way. Each lady represents one sister—a metaphor for their unity and shared passion. From that first drawing, the visual language developed with clean lines and pure colors. It went through many refinements, always staying true to the core idea: showing femininity and sisterhood without saying a single word.
In a world full of overloaded visuals and excessive branding, I saw the power in restraint. The sisters behind the product didn’t want something flashy—they wanted something honest, elegant, and feminine. That led me to a minimalist approach, using hand-drawn characters and soft, fresh colors. The femininity lies not in clichés, but in nuance—in the expressions of the ladies, the curved lines, the emotional softness. This purity became our strongest visual weapon. By stripping down to essentials, the packaging stands out on the shelf through its clarity and integrity.
Color was crucial. We wanted each flavor to have a distinct identity, but also to feel part of a harmonious visual family. The color palette was carefully selected for its freshness and emotional impact. Each color had to reflect the essence of the flavor—cool greens for mint, soft reds for strawberry, mellow browns for chocolate—but also enhance the feminine tone of the brand. The characters’ hair became the perfect place to express this. By combining flavor and character visually, the design forms a memory trigger for the consumer, enhancing emotional recall and making the packaging memorable.
That balance between practicality and personality was at the heart of the project. We used glossy nylon and cellophane, printed with flexography, which offered both food safety and a sleek finish. This material preserved the freshness of the homemade ice cream while allowing our minimalist design to shine. The homemade aspect came through in the human touch of the illustrations and the purity of the composition. We avoided excessive decoration to let the authenticity of the story breathe. It was less about “selling” the product and more about inviting people into the world of these three sisters.
It began as a playful idea—a sketch of a woman with a scoop of ice cream for hair—but quickly revealed itself as a rich visual metaphor. Hair is deeply expressive; it holds identity, character, emotion. By blending that with the product itself, we created a poetic symbol of femininity, flavor, and personality. Each hairstyle is shaped like a scoop of ice cream, directly linking the creators to the creation. This choice was more than visual—it was narrative. It tells the consumer: this ice cream has a face, a name, and a story.
The key was subtlety. We didn’t impose gendered stereotypes—instead, we infused the design with real emotion. The sisterhood concept is universal, whether you’re a woman or not. It speaks of love, unity, and shared tradition. The feminine elements—the curved lines, delicate color palette, and warm expression—appealed to customers who value craftsmanship, not just aesthetics. And by keeping the design clean and human, we avoided alienating any demographic. In the end, authenticity resonated more than any marketing strategy could.
Working with BOPP and cellophane had technical implications, especially around printing and texture. The flexographic printing process meant we had to simplify details and work with strong, consistent lines. That constraint actually pushed the design toward minimalism, which aligned beautifully with the brand’s essence. The glossy finish brought vibrancy to the colors, making each flavor pop without needing gradients or effects. Every decision—line weight, spacing, color use—was tested against the material’s limits, and the final outcome proved that limitations can fuel creativity.
Three months is short, especially for a project that needed both soul and strategy. I began by deeply understanding the sisters’ story—their product, values, and dreams. That clarity served as a compass throughout. We moved quickly because the vision was strong. I kept communication direct and iterative, sharing sketches early and often. The minimalist style also helped—we weren’t juggling dozens of elements. It was about refining a clear idea. In fast timelines, conviction matters most. When the concept is right, execution flows.
This project showed that consumers crave connection, not just convenience. I believe packaging will increasingly become a stage for personal stories, especially in food. Illustrations, minimalism, and character-led design offer a fresh way to express values. Personalization doesn’t have to mean printing someone’s name on a label—it can mean showing a human face behind the product. I think more brands will adopt this approach, using design to build trust and emotional resonance, especially in saturated markets like food and beverage.
The puristic design was intentional from day one. We wanted something iconic, something that didn’t need to compete with loud fonts or visuals. The three illustrated sisters became that symbol. They’re consistent across flavors but always adapted with color and expression. The simplicity of the layout ensures the packaging works at every scale and is easily identifiable in freezers and on shelves. Functionally, it checks all the boxes—durability, clarity, freshness. Emotionally, it invites recognition and builds trust. The result is a package that not only protects the product but protects the story.
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