Gedung Despro Lt 2 Kampus ITS Sukolilo, Surabaya 60111, Indonesia Phone : +62‐31‐5910283 Fax : +62‐31‐5931147 Email : icci2011@prodes.its.ac.id, dyah_ayu@prodes.its.ac.id Website : http://www.icci2011.wordpress.com Form Characteristics in Packaging Design Creativity Nedina Sari Research Group Human and Industrial Product Design Institute of Technology Bandung Nedinasari@gmail.com Abstract This paper presents results from form exploration for a number of souvenirs or gifts that are considered representing a particular region, or specific gifts that are available in touristic marketplaces in West Java. A number of circumstances that influence the forms are, among other, the materials and resources and local cultural traditions where typical snacks are produced. In Creative Industry clustering, unique packaging forms can be included in the craft cluster that represents the diversity of cultures in Indonesia. A case study was conducted by selecting samples from a variety of popular snacks that are available in touristic marketplaces in West Java. Form exploration was conducted by a number of arts and design students as creativity agents, collaborating with a number of gift/souvenir sellers and producers of traditional packaging, who were selected to represent a number of regions, in order to discover new alternatives for packaging. The approach and creative focuses are the use of renewable materials with minimum ecological impact, and their applications within a growing form exploration. Exploration and innovation of characteristic forms of packaging are things that should be done simultaneously, and are the main capitals that give actual contributions to the increase of product sales in industrial productivity. Therefore, it is necessary to conduct a research concerning the development of packaging forms that can continuously be applied in the activity of providing gifts in touristic marketplaces. Index Terms—packaging design, creative industry, forms exploration I. Introduction This research is a brief part of a series of a research about Form Studies or Three Dimensional Basic Form, and their influencing factors. In these Studies, among the assumptions about factors that influence the form is that environment and culture are included as the change agents. Taking a modest example for this matter, packaging for food as a souvenir or a gift is chosen since, as a study case, it is within range and easily accessible, since it is available in our daily lives, especially in the city of Bandung, a touristic city that provides a selection of snacks for gifts. The trading activities always seem to require a form of packaging, in order to make the snacks appear valuable as a gift. In the development of Creative Economy in Indonesia that was composed by the Trade Industry, a number of industries that are identified as ‘creative industries’ are, among other, design, crafts, advertisement (and promotion), and research and development i . These industries are involved in tourism. Focusing around the subject of food-gift industry, it can be related to a statement that as a supporting media in the promotion of particular food, next to its flavours and uniqueness, design and crafts of the packaging also act in positioning the food as a representative of the region it comes from. The function of research and development in this matter is to search and find a way to optimize the resources that we have into a form of creative industry. The uniqueness of food-gifts that are particularly packed becomes the main subject of this research. According to the Determination of the Indonesian Minister of Commerce, Kepmendagri No. 050.05/30Bangda dated 7 January 1999, a region’s best products, or those produced by the region’s industries that bear the region’s characteristics and that involve communities (local employers), contain a huge portion of local materials, and are able to promote local cultures within the context of providing a progressive increase, is a form of creative economy. Below is a scheme that shows pillars that contribute to Creative Industry, stated by the Department of Commerce.