Sprout teamed up with Sparx, an at-home ice skate sharpening product line, to develop a structural and visual packaging system and in-store merchandiser for the retail debut in Pro Hockey Life (Canada’s largest hockey retailer) this fall. Originally launched on Kickstarter in 2013, the Boston-based company develops and manufactures a direct-to-consumer line of skate sharpening products and related accessories that allow hockey players to customize their skate sharpening experience. The project required an expedited timeline to get from design brief to production-ready packaging and Sprout had the additional challenge to bring Sparx to brick and mortar retail debut.
Our design team's core goal was to develop a modern, clean, and minimal system that allows customers to easily understand and differentiate accessories. The result pushes 3D product renderings to the foreground of each package front with clear product identification. With multiple accessory options such as the 16 different grinding rings (each one applies a unique edge to the skate blade suitable for different skating needs and styles), integrating consumer education played an important role in the packaging and merchandising systems. Each package is accompanied with custom illustrated demonstrations, iconography, and product benefits.
