Packaging Aesthetic Perfection

Sussex Taps are leading innovators of premium, perfectly precise and aesthetic design artistry. Hidden away in their unsuspecting Northern Melbourne showroom, inside boasts the creative detail and innate beauty of their instantly recognisable handmade tapware range.

Sussex was born after Dutchman Nicolaas Johannes van Putten arrived in Australia in 1960 with business ambitions and a natural talent for watchmaking. Today, Sussex is in the capable and caring hands of Nick’s daughter, Vanessa Katsanevakis, now Director of Sussex Taps.

For the new Sussex generation, customisation and expression of individual tastes are exciting, forward-thinking motivators. With one eye on the future, the business confidently encapsulates cutting edge design, while upholding Nick’s legacy and dedication to precision and first-class quality.

Each tap is meticulously crafted with the upmost care and consideration, often with bespoke elements or custom colour-matching to suit plush interiors.

You can view the Sussex Tap collections here. Along with flawless functionality, each piece is designed to be an ‘exquisite object,’ capturing the essence of personal expression that could only be made by hand.

Such stunning products should only ever be enveloped in packaging that protects its elegant craftsmanship, and reflects their incredible range of designs.

Having undergone a re-brand in mid-2016, Sussex was in dire need to update their packaging, presenting PPI with a highly important task for the tapware company.

The main challenges raised in Sussex’s packaging design brief were:

1. Create an adaptable solution to suit varying tap sizes and models within each range. With over 1,000 different products available, Sussex supplies a great range of choice for their customers but various customised tap models meant they had to store large volumes of product packaging onsite in numerous sizes, taking up a lot of space. This was highly inconvenient and also increased assembly time for their staff, making simple packaging tasks both arduous and time-consuming.

2. Eliminate the excess use of foam and plastic. As can be seen in the above image, the previous packaging design had too much complexity and too many elements with polystyrene blocks, plastic, and even sticky tape as a make-shift fastener. The use of the bulkier materials meant the packaging took up a lot more space than necessary at warehouse level.

3. Make the packaging more eco-friendly. As innovators, Sussex wanted to ensure they are doing all they can to be more environmentally conscious. The packaging needed to be more eco-friendly, whilst presenting Sussex’s products as truly premium and high-end. The use of foam and sticky tape was not only wasteful but didn’t reflect the quality and level of craftsmanship undertaken in the making of these products.

4. Communicate clear and memorable branding. Sussex’s previous packaging was not representative of their premium product range, leaving customers with a lacklustre unboxing experience that was not uniform with their brand. It needed to capture the essence of the brand’s high-end image, of unmistakable quality and care, before the box was even opened, allowing these taps to really shine.

“Karl from PPI was fantastic. He met up with us as needed, offering ideas and valuable solutions for quick-assembly, materials and organisation of the packaging.”

– Vanessa Katsanevakis – Director, Sussex Taps

Sussex needed their new packaging to be dynamic and scalable into their future. Working in close partnership with Vanessa the Managing Director, George and our engineers at PPI created a whole new packaging experience for Sussex and their customers.

By making the packaging cardboard-only, PPI was able to introduce a flat-packed alternative. Inside, the taps fit neatly within adaptable, engineered protective inserts that are easily interchangeable and customisable to the varying tap sizes and models.

On the outside a sophisticated, branded finish against sturdy, engineered cardboard now leaves a memorable impression on the customer.

This new, multi-use, adaptable packaging design not only reduced packaging assembly times and optimised storage requirements but it also improved production costs and reduced their carbon footprint. As of now, for all Sussex products, there’s one simple packaging solution.

What’s more, Sussex’s tapware retailers noticed the update straight away.

“We also apply coloured labels on our packaging to distinguish the collection and identify the products through product codes and finish names,” says Vanessa.

“This has improved our processes on so many levels – in dispatch, to locate and identify at a glance, and our retailers can identify our separate collections and find products on-hand. Overall, it’s a massive success.”

We pride ourselves on our ability to turn an idea or packaging need into a striking, unique solution that’s functional, protective, environmentally-friendly and importantly, a true reflection of your brand. Sussex’s new packaging better showcases their sleek product range, and the re-engineered box with custom protective inserts goes a long way to maintaining long-held brand associations of precision, quality and care.

“We absolutely feel that PPI’s packaging design ties in with our overall brand. It’s given our tapware the home it truly deserves; safely reaching our customers and reflecting the quality of our products.”

– Vanessa Katsanevakis

Our knowledgeable team of onsite packaging designers and engineers at PPI will create customised logistics packaging or display solutions to meet the specifications of your product.

We also offer storage and stock fulfilment services to suit your packaging supply needs. You can find out more about our services here.

With complete, in-house design, manufacturing and fulfilment capabilities, we work in partnership with your business to engineer your perfect packaging outcome. Questions? Call us now on 1800 25 8000 or connect with us to book your free initial packaging consultation.