Packaging Refresh
As part of a broader Harper Wilde brand update and a packaging vendor change, I led a redesign of our core shipping and recycling packaging to bring a warmer, more elevated voice into where brand showed up in customers’ homes.
Organization: Harper Wilde
Role: Senior Visual Designer
Opportunity
Our existing packaging was clean and functional, featuring only the Harper Wilde logo on the exterior. Inside the box, copy leaned playful and pun-driven — most notably “SUP, BRA?” — which no longer aligned with the brand’s evolving tone as we moved toward a more elevated, warm, and values-forward voice.
My goal was to reimagine our packaging suite in a way that:
Ensured brand recognition and sparked excitement and delight for customers
Reflected the evolution of our brand identity
Worked seamlessly across different packaging formats and use cases
Scope
The redesign included all primary customer-facing packaging:
Large and small cardboard boxes used for orders containing molded-cup bras
One-size poly mailer used for orders without molded-cup bras, designed to fold down depending on contents
Bra & underwear recycling kit, including a mailer and instructional postcard insert
Design Approach
I explored several design directions — focusing on small, intentional changes that would be discovered as customers interacted with the packaging — and presented multiple iterations to the VP of Brand and CEO.
Shipping Boxes
For the shipping boxes, I updated all copy to align with the new brand voice, introducing messaging such as:
Welcome to a more comfortable world.
Unreal comfort for real bodies.
Underthings you can feel good in—and about.
These messages were placed along the box edges and interior panels, creating subtle moments of discovery while keeping the exterior clean and recognizable. I also added a note on the bottom of the box to cheekily remind customers of our commitments to sustainability and body inclusivity:
Unrealistic body standards are garbage. This box isn’t. Thanks for recycling or reusing it.
Finally, I added Thanks for recycling to two hidden tabs that would only become visible when a customer broke down their box to be recycled — rewarding and recognizing positive customer behavior.
Poly Mailer
For the poly mailer, the primary challenge was visibility. Because the bag is folded down to different sizes depending on the order, and the shipping label takes up a significant portion of the package (and we had no control over exact placement) a single logo placement risked being hidden.
To solve this, I designed a repeating Harper Wilde logo pattern that ensured the brand remained recognizable from any angle. In between rows of the repeated logo, we included the tagline Unreal comfort for real bodies to reinforce our brand voice and create consistency across the box and bag packaging options.
The poly mailer also included a similar recycling messaging to the box on the back: Unrealistic body standards are garbage. This bag isn’t. Thanks for recycling it.
Recycling Kit
I also redesigned the bra and underwear recycling kit, which previously consisted of a simple logo-only bag. I updated it to a more brand-forward design featuring bold copy.
Beyond reinforcing brand values, this change served a functional purpose — clearly differentiating the recycling bag from return and exchange packaging, reducing customer confusion and improving the overall experience.
Outcome
The updated packaging system helped create a more cohesive brand experience by extending Harper Wilde’s digital presence into the physical world. The tone, messaging, and visual details customers encountered online were reinforced at the moment of unboxing, making the transition from screen to package feel seamless and intentional.
The added personality and moments of surprise and delight turned packaging into an active part of the brand story rather than a purely functional touchpoint.
The result was a more engaging, fun unboxing experience that customers organically shared across social platforms, generating buzz and reinforcing Harper Wilde’s brand values well beyond the initial delivery.
