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Intentionally inefficient cigarette packaging concept

By Michael DiTullo - July 26, 2010

in Featured Items

As designers, we spend much of our time making things better, but what if to improve someone's life, we had to make something worse? Recent RISD grad (alma mater shout out), Erik Askin recently published "Designed to Annoy: A theoretical look at designing inefficient packaging", a thoughtful twist on the ubiquitous cigarette package. The idea of making something harder to use to encourage a user to rethink their consumption is poignant. I love the thought process and the visual exploration Erik shows. Check out the full project here.

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Danielle

13 years ago

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"what if to improve someone's life, we had to make something worse?"
I don't want you busy bodies to 'improve my live'. I choose to smoke and it's my and only my own business. Sod off.
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Chris

13 years ago

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This isn't a bad solution to packaging, it's a brilliant one. Nice work.
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Jake Z

14 years ago

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Wow, way to go Erik!
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Liam Woodland

14 years ago

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This is a great idea! If you could get Marlboro to do it, which is impossible. Those tobacco companies are dirty in the extreme, they are now targeting second and third world nations, as the first world has realized how much damage they do. They should be locked up.
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Keith

14 years ago

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hmmm not seen a Brando film then! sex appeal and cool from a none and never smoker. don't get me wrong looks nifty, but its missing the point. the couple of hits on the back of the hand, a cigarette pops out so you can give it someone else with out touching it yourself.
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Chris Place

14 years ago

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Interesting thoughts here, Hope the bike is going well. send me a list of dates that you will be exhibiting, we may cross paths at some point.
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Joe

14 years ago

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I REALLY like this experiment, but it starts to feel like a copout project. The hard part of design is not figuring out what's a bad solution, but figuring out what the best solution is. It just feels a bit off to describe the best solution to inhibit an interaction. Then again, that's what draws me to this piece.

Maybe work like this is just one of those things we should do now and then to remind ourselves what's really important to designing these kinds of day to day interactions.

Tainted love,
Joe
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Jordan

14 years ago

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I think this is a brilliant idea, though it'd be murder to implement. There'd be no way to convince cigarette companies to accept this new packaging solution since it DIRECTLY downsizes their profit.

Obvious cons aside, I love the concept of "op-design" (like op-art) that makes this spectacular design plan even better (or even worse...? You pick.) Thanks for sharing!
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