Why Milk?

I've noticed lately that milk cartons seem to be the "go-to" object for packaging experimentation. Understandably, the white multi-sided carton provides a designer with much flexibility, as shown below, but why not redesign the actual carton as well?

Christina, a senior at Texas A & M University Commerce in Dallas, designed a can and milk carton design for Sprouts Farmers Market, "a grocery store that incorporates local farmer's products into their produce department.... The cans and milk cartons are designed for the simple metro life. Quick and easy to figure out what is in the can without words or the overused picture of the food on the front of the product." I absolutely love the style; the use of simple icons and recognizable colors will send a clear, direct message to shoppers.

Monika Ostaszewska, a graduate from the Faculty of Industrial Design at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw, takes a very different approach to milk. Her graduation project, "Flavours of Podlasie," embraces the ornamental style of the region that was based on a typical pattern of double-warp fabrics from the Podlasie region of Poland (close to the eastern border of Poland).


Lastly, David Fung, a recent graphic design graduation from the Rochester Institute of Technology School of Design wanted to "use the standard milk carton as the canvas to create a clean, modern, and functional design yet still approachable for the average consumer." While I like the illustrated splash and the typography is nicely set, the color scheme seems a bit out of place.