Yesterday, a box was delivered to my house. Although I know that I was expecting a MacBook Air in the mail but the box looks small. I brought out my old MacBook package for a comparison (Yes I still keep them after 6+ years) and start to do some comparison. Yes, the new shipping box is much smaller and I realise that the new MacBook is slightly smaller than the old one but it cannot be that much different. Here is the comparison. The old one (the silver one on the bottom) is slightly larger but it wasn't that much smaller. The carton inside it was not that much different in size either.
(Picture comparing the size of the MacBook, the inner carton and the outer shipping container of the new and the old)
The answer of the smaller box lie in the "fixture" inside the box and that is what I think it is the most wonderful thing. The old box uses 4 separate pieces of moulded pulp at 4 corners of the inner carton to hold it in place while shipping. The new one cleverly re-design the box so it has a built in fixture that does not require a whole lot of empty space inside the box.
(Picture of the fixture inside the old MacBook Air shipping container)
(Picture of the fixture inside the new MacBook Air shipping container)
What is even more impressive about the new fixture is it also serves as a convenient function. when I lift up the side flap, this fixture push the inner carton so it come up close to the top of the container so it can be easily taken out (especially those who has big fat finger).
(Picture of the fixture that is lifted up when the side flap opens)
The inner carton is wrapped with a plastic film but with the user in mind. It has a pull tab so the plastic wrapping is easy to tear open. This lead to opening the box without using any cutter. Once the box is opened, the MacBook wrapped in a delicate vellum is revealed. I think the presentation of the product by itself really showcase the product well but the vellum maybe a little over packaged. It mays serve the purpose of the abrasion prevention but the inner side of the lid is already a soft surface. However, the vellum wrap was design so that it has a pull tab that would guide you to peel along the glue line and take the wrap out easily.
(Picture of the carton with the pull tabs for easy opening)
Lied underneath the beautiful MacBook Air is accessories and booklet neatly packed in a very simplified layout. I am particularly impressed with the way they packaged the cord of the adaptor. It was neatly coiled into circle and the cord holder was purely made of paper with no glue and it is easy to unsnap to uncoil the cord.
(Picture of the accessories and booklet underneath the MacBook)
I gave apples 10 thumb ups for their packaging development idea that has user in mind when designing because it solves many of our pain point in opening packages. Also another 10 thumb ups for their effort to try to lessen environmental impact by using less materials and better cube utilisation as it leaves very little empty space inside the shipping container. And another 10 thumb ups for their minimalist style - doing less for more. They presents a very clean look and They use the same layout for most, if not all, of their products. I think the latter gives a sense of familiarity to the product and you can find what you are looking for in the box. All in all, it is a well-designed package and I truly love it!
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