Packaging Design with Abraham Lule
Written by Abraham Lule
I once heard the following quote from a famous designer and it was if someone consolidated what I was thinking in a single line:
“Not everything is design. But design is about everything. So, do yourself a favor: Be ready for anything.”
That was Michael Bierut and it is a quote that I still think about all the time.
I don’t remember being interested in anything else that isn’t what I do now. I was the kid that was good at drawing and art classes. I once filled a sketchbook with packaging ideas with fake advertising campaigns for each of them. When I was about 9 years old, I got a job at a local bodega in México. All I remember is describing the labels to customers, organizing the packages by size and color, being surprised by people buying products with not-so-good looking packs, and investing my ‘salary’ in the most interesting packaging: a chewing gum package in the shape of a measuring tape.
Of course, I had no idea there was such a thing as packaging design and branding or that people were making a living out of drawing. But, my attention and excitement were there!
These are moments I still preserve close to my design method where I remember having a naive interest in the design discipline (which I then mix with what I’ve collected as knowledge so far). This may sound contradictory, but the fine balance between knowing nothing and knowing too much is the hot spot for creativity. I often get asked, “where do you find inspiration?” or “what inspires you?” and I never have the right answer. What I know is that since the design, indeed, ‘is about everything,’ having open eyes and an open mind is paramount.
Let your self like and try what is beyond your personal preferences, and you’ll develop an eye for detail, observation, and criticism; which ultimately are the parameters to curate your taste and turn the whole world into a source of inspiration.
One of the challenges I’ve faced in my profession was the understanding of design as a collaborative practice. I one day had this realization and decided to do it more intentionally than I had in the past. It means to collaborate with printers, illustrators, lettering artists, photographers, glassmakers, structural designers, 3D artists, etc, in the making of the final product and let them spread their own quality onto your ideas.
You don’t need to be good at everything, and knowing what you are willing to be bad at is even more important.
Packaging design involves many disciplines and the variety of clients is endless. In my work, most of the projects are for the food and beverage industry, but what is behind each brand; their stories, their processes, their goals, their dreams! That is the inspiration behind what I do.
I strive to create a unique piece that stands out on its own, that can live proudly in the hands of both the client and consumer, and make quality tangible. Then, we just need to be ready for anything.
About Abraham Lule:
Born and raised in Mexico, Abraham Lule describes his body of illustration, typography, and packaging work as design with a human touch. His spectrum of skills is flexible and ever-changing, bringing a truly unique crafted flair that is undeniable in his work. He has worked for clients such as Facebook, Capitol Records, Jose Cuervo, and Diageo. He is also a Typography Excellence Medallist and the Type Directors Club recently chose him to be an Ascender.
