Interview with Andrew Gibbs from The Dieline
It was created out of passion in 2007 as a simple blog, but today The Dieline is a reference point for package design and has become the most followed website by the designer community. A daily source of inspiration for professionals and fans of packaging, in only 4 years The Dieline has grown into a series of side projects: a book (Box, Bottle, Bag), an International award (The Dieline Packaging Design Awards), an annual conference (Package Design Conference), a forum (The Dieline Forum), a list of all the published projects (The Dieline Package Design Directory) and a resource for those looking for work (The Dieline Job Board).
How the idea was conceived, how it has grown and what The Dieline is today. We discuss all this with its young creator and director, Andrew Gibbs.
What work experience brought you to develop The Dieline?
When I started The Dieline in 2007, I was an in-house Production Artist for a gourmet gift company. I had just graduated from design school and was eager to begin my career as a package designer. My primary role at this company was to assist the designers with getting their graphics ready for production, and creating the dielines for the structure of the packaging. Eventually, I had become quite good at taking a 2D sketch of the structure and turning it into a working dieline.
Soon after, I was promoted to Graphic Designer, where I was in charge of creating packaging, graphics, and branding for several product lines, and dozens of individual products, each week! In a given week, the design team would develop around 15-30 new designs each.
It was then, that I realized that the package design community needed a home. I needed fresh inspiration, and a place to see what was going on in the world of package design. I think it’s vital to stay connected and involved in your industry, so when I realized that there was nothing for package designers, I created it.
The Dieline was born.
How has The Dieline changed since 2007? What was the turning point in terms of web traffic?
When I first started The Dieline back in 2007, I would work on the blog in my spare time on nights and weekends. I wanted to create a site where I could collect all the packaging that inspired me - my favorites! As it turned out, there were package designers around the world who were also being inspired by them.
Anything I considered exceptional and could get my hands on, I posted. I would go into stores and secretly photograph all the cool packaging with my digital camera - sometimes I would even get kicked out of stores! I would scour the web, design magazines, books, and any place I could find remarkable packs to share. I would blog about packaging any chance I could get and eventually people began to read.
The site has grown gradually. We have never advertised or really promoted The Dieline. As far as we know, it was all word of mouth. Looking back on the last five years, there was never a pivotal moment where traffic spiked - our growth has been gradual year over year.
How did design firms first react when you posted their packaging on The Dieline?
Not like they do today! It’s funny to look back. Some design firms were very wary of sending us their work at first. Some even asked us to remove their projects. I had to do a lot of convincing!
When The Dieline was born, you managed to work both as a designer and as The Dieline’s Editor-in-Chief. Why did you choose the Dieline? Don't you miss your previous job?
I really do!
The growth of The Dieline, and the growth of my career as a package designer, sort of went hand in hand. I had learned so much about package design from The Dieline, it really helped me become a much better package designer.
I went from a production artist to the head of the entire design division at my first job in a couple years. From there, I went on to become Creative Director for a beverage development company where I designed, developed, and launched new beverage brands. It was my dream packaging job! I had worked there for several years, and was able to see my products in stores around the world, which is the most rewarding thing you could imagine as a package designer.
At the same time, The Dieline had grown from a little blog, to a highly regarded design resource read by hundreds of thousands of package designers around the globe. My little creation was heading in its own direction. I had completed our first book, Box Bottle Bag, and was getting ready to launch The Dieline Package Design Awards when I realized I couldn’t do it all. I no longer had the time to do both, without sacrificing one or the other - I had to make a decision.
It was my boss who made the choice easy, he told me to quit! He was a self-made businessman who grew his company from nothing but hard work, and encouraged me to do the same. I quit my job and The Dieline became my career.
Packaging is the most tangible expression of graphic design. What aspect of packaging are you trying to stress and communicate?
There is not one specific attribute. There are so many attributes and factors that make a package stand out. There is so much variety and so many innovative ways products can be packaged. As trends and culture itself changes, so does packaging. There is always something new, something innovative, and something special. That’s what we communicate to our community. What is going on now, and what is next. The Dieline has become a compendium of package design. You can literally look back 5 years and see how packaging has evolved and changed.
What kind of packaging caught your eye back in 2007 and what now?
A lot of people ask us how we pick the projects that go onto the site. We don’t have a set criteria or list of specifications that a design must meet. We simply ask a few questions of each piece. Is it innovative? Is it inspiring? It is fresh? Is there something special or unique about it? Is it beautiful? Will it inspire other designers? If the answers are yes to most of these questions, then it gets featured.
By what standards do you select the winners of The Dieline Package Design Awards?
The Dieline Package Design Awards are judged by a highly esteemed panel of 10 industry experts, and awarded based on quality of Creativity, Marketability, and Innovation. Debbie Millman, President Emeritus of AIGA and President of Design at Sterling Brands, serves as the chairman of the judges.
This year will be the first year that we will be handing out an Editor's Choice award. Every year, we always see one or two projects that we are sure will win an award – we are usually disappointed when our favorites don’t always make the cut. This year, I wanted to acknowledge the projects that inspire me, so we are introducing The Editor’s Choice Award.
I am very excited for this new category, because it gives me the chance to select something really special from the competition.
What future do you envision for The Dieline?
The goal of The Dieline has always been to inspire, support, and promote the package design profession as a whole. It is our passion and goal to extend this vision to our community in any way we can.
Photos via thedieline.com
How the idea was conceived, how it has grown and what The Dieline is today. We discuss all this with its young creator and director, Andrew Gibbs.
What work experience brought you to develop The Dieline?
When I started The Dieline in 2007, I was an in-house Production Artist for a gourmet gift company. I had just graduated from design school and was eager to begin my career as a package designer. My primary role at this company was to assist the designers with getting their graphics ready for production, and creating the dielines for the structure of the packaging. Eventually, I had become quite good at taking a 2D sketch of the structure and turning it into a working dieline.
Soon after, I was promoted to Graphic Designer, where I was in charge of creating packaging, graphics, and branding for several product lines, and dozens of individual products, each week! In a given week, the design team would develop around 15-30 new designs each.
It was then, that I realized that the package design community needed a home. I needed fresh inspiration, and a place to see what was going on in the world of package design. I think it’s vital to stay connected and involved in your industry, so when I realized that there was nothing for package designers, I created it.
The Dieline was born.
How has The Dieline changed since 2007? What was the turning point in terms of web traffic?
When I first started The Dieline back in 2007, I would work on the blog in my spare time on nights and weekends. I wanted to create a site where I could collect all the packaging that inspired me - my favorites! As it turned out, there were package designers around the world who were also being inspired by them.
Anything I considered exceptional and could get my hands on, I posted. I would go into stores and secretly photograph all the cool packaging with my digital camera - sometimes I would even get kicked out of stores! I would scour the web, design magazines, books, and any place I could find remarkable packs to share. I would blog about packaging any chance I could get and eventually people began to read.
The site has grown gradually. We have never advertised or really promoted The Dieline. As far as we know, it was all word of mouth. Looking back on the last five years, there was never a pivotal moment where traffic spiked - our growth has been gradual year over year.
How did design firms first react when you posted their packaging on The Dieline?
Not like they do today! It’s funny to look back. Some design firms were very wary of sending us their work at first. Some even asked us to remove their projects. I had to do a lot of convincing!
When The Dieline was born, you managed to work both as a designer and as The Dieline’s Editor-in-Chief. Why did you choose the Dieline? Don't you miss your previous job?
I really do!
The growth of The Dieline, and the growth of my career as a package designer, sort of went hand in hand. I had learned so much about package design from The Dieline, it really helped me become a much better package designer.
I went from a production artist to the head of the entire design division at my first job in a couple years. From there, I went on to become Creative Director for a beverage development company where I designed, developed, and launched new beverage brands. It was my dream packaging job! I had worked there for several years, and was able to see my products in stores around the world, which is the most rewarding thing you could imagine as a package designer.
At the same time, The Dieline had grown from a little blog, to a highly regarded design resource read by hundreds of thousands of package designers around the globe. My little creation was heading in its own direction. I had completed our first book, Box Bottle Bag, and was getting ready to launch The Dieline Package Design Awards when I realized I couldn’t do it all. I no longer had the time to do both, without sacrificing one or the other - I had to make a decision.
It was my boss who made the choice easy, he told me to quit! He was a self-made businessman who grew his company from nothing but hard work, and encouraged me to do the same. I quit my job and The Dieline became my career.
Packaging is the most tangible expression of graphic design. What aspect of packaging are you trying to stress and communicate?
There is not one specific attribute. There are so many attributes and factors that make a package stand out. There is so much variety and so many innovative ways products can be packaged. As trends and culture itself changes, so does packaging. There is always something new, something innovative, and something special. That’s what we communicate to our community. What is going on now, and what is next. The Dieline has become a compendium of package design. You can literally look back 5 years and see how packaging has evolved and changed.
What kind of packaging caught your eye back in 2007 and what now?
A lot of people ask us how we pick the projects that go onto the site. We don’t have a set criteria or list of specifications that a design must meet. We simply ask a few questions of each piece. Is it innovative? Is it inspiring? It is fresh? Is there something special or unique about it? Is it beautiful? Will it inspire other designers? If the answers are yes to most of these questions, then it gets featured.
By what standards do you select the winners of The Dieline Package Design Awards?
The Dieline Package Design Awards are judged by a highly esteemed panel of 10 industry experts, and awarded based on quality of Creativity, Marketability, and Innovation. Debbie Millman, President Emeritus of AIGA and President of Design at Sterling Brands, serves as the chairman of the judges.
This year will be the first year that we will be handing out an Editor's Choice award. Every year, we always see one or two projects that we are sure will win an award – we are usually disappointed when our favorites don’t always make the cut. This year, I wanted to acknowledge the projects that inspire me, so we are introducing The Editor’s Choice Award.
I am very excited for this new category, because it gives me the chance to select something really special from the competition.
What future do you envision for The Dieline?
The goal of The Dieline has always been to inspire, support, and promote the package design profession as a whole. It is our passion and goal to extend this vision to our community in any way we can.
Photos via thedieline.com
6 January 2012
4.8/5
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License