Packaging can make or break a product, crowded along the shelves with millions of other alternatives, crying out for attention. More often than not, this importance is reflected in the quality of design that goes into the packaging, as well as the budget behind it. Some of my favourite places to check out fresh packaging ideas, are Winners and Homesense. These places have lot of products that people don't really need, but they might buy if they get snared by appearance. I often find myself really excited about a set of flatware, because of its luxurious packaging, even though I have no interest in the actual product.

A nice example of unique, fancy packaging is this box for dorset cereals. Grainy type cereal is a dull sell, but the packaging makes it seem a bit more luxurious. Decent colour combos and simple typography compliment the die-cut window and foil stamped logo. The paper type used for the box even has a textured feel to it. Not that I dislike the zany packaging in the kid's cereal aisle but when every cereal looks the same, sometimes doing something different is worth the risk.