Mesa Tampons

Design: Apurva Gupta
Location: India
Project Type: Student Project
School: National Institute Of Design
Tutor: Tridha Gajjar
Packaging Contents: Tampon
Packaging Substrate / Materials: Paper
Printing Process: Digital Printing

Why Packaging for Tampons?
Many women grow up in a society which doesn’t facilitate talk about sex, the reproductive organs, the vagina, or sanitary issues. Too many women still face the stigma of bleeding – their period. It is now increasingly important and urgent that we step up the conversation around women’s reproductive health.

We need to talk to each other about our periods, own our periods, and ensure that we reclaim the options that are available to us. Apart from sanitary pads, there are tampons available in market. But many people don’t understand how the product will actually work. Some believe that using a tampon means you’re not a virgin.

When we see packaging of a tampon box at pharmacy or supermarket, we see flowers and bright colours and abstract flowy lines. Existing visuals are too indirect and does not represent the actual context.

Storytelling in the Packaging
The narrative needed to pick up steam, and cater a real story to a real woman. Tampons are designed to fit inside vagina of the female reproductive system. So, the idea was to show the working of tampon in the packaging itself.

Once you hold the thread and pull it, the lock of the box opens. The experience of opening the box mimics the motion of taking out a tampon. The tampon (lock) comes outside the periphery (slit) of vagina which can be seen through the window.

Branding, Visual Language & Booklet
Product was thought to be named as “something which goes inside (the body)”. Hence, mesa was chosen. Mesa is a Greek word which means inside. Shades of pastel pink were taken to show nurturing, warmth, hope, calming, sweetness, feminine and intuitive energy.

Bree Serif was chosen as the typeface for the name as it is friendly, energetic and mature slab serif. An accordion fold booklet was designed to guide users about the product and how to use it. The one side of the accordion talked about knowing tampons while other side talked about using tampons.

What’s Unique?
This packaging design could be viewed as part of the product experience itself. This packaging will educate people about the use of tampons by not just with visuals but with the experience of opening the box.

The motive was also to initiate real conversation around menstruation. The packaging brings a significant part of menstruation out of hiding. Once we keep the tampon box on the table, a conversation gets started.