"My brain is wide open." When I first saw "X Box", there was really no other word to describe it. No, not a game console, but a clever "X Box Packaging X-Perience" kit, which is simple and a dream of packaging creators. Not only does it greatly help designers and customers develop the perfect packaging experience for their projects, but it is also a jaw-dropping example of super-intelligent design.

"X Box" is a portable course on the power and importance of "user experience" in packaging-in this collaborative effort between printer Eberl & Koesel and designer Marc Clormann, every detail is clearly passed through Well thought out.

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My "experience" started with the gorgeous, super-sturdy girdle that surrounds the box, which is secured by interlocking technology while providing a super-strong handle. The girth is made of 310 grams (200 pounds) of Gmund Gold Oro and double-sided laminated black cardboard, which exudes just the right amount of golden luster. I was stunned before opening the box! But I must open it.

Closing the cinch reveals a beautiful lid with the name of the kit in gold ink printed on it with a rich tonal pattern of James Cropper Real Black. At first glance, this may look like an ordinary retractable cover with an exposed golden neck, but in fact the packaging setting is contrary to what we usually see, which implies the uniqueness of the treasures inside.

Remove the lid, you can see the two document pockets connected at the bottom, each pocket has a die-cut X, and the backing is Gold Gmund Oro paper that matches the neck and inside of the lid. Pocket 1: A visual guide to the featured box inside. The booklet itself is a combination of tri-fold and stepped accordion folding. Pocket 2: carefully selected and decorated paper patterns to help customers decide which substrate is most suitable for their envisioned packaging. This is just the lid, people.

Since this is a reverse stretch packaging, the 14 different boxes inside are presented like precious jewels on a pallet. Some squares, some rectangles, nestled in a grid of black foam cores. Although all are printed in the same basic style—the name of the box is centered on top of the patterned background—their subtle personal characteristics are immediately apparent.

They range from simple folding cartons ("X-Pert") to cuffed boxes (X-Factor) where you want to find fine jewelry. How complex is the sample? Try the X-Perience box, which is held together with magnetic fasteners and folds up like a puzzle box-you really have to see it with your own eyes to believe it. Then there is X-Centric and. ...To be honest, I can make a series of videos about these wonderful works.

Seeing them all presented in this way, displayed like a candy sampler, I held my breath as the true power of X Box gradually emerged. For many reasons, this series is the perfect Rosetta Stone that brings designers, customers, and printers together so that everyone can reach a consensus when creating the perfect package:

In this era when it seems more difficult than ever to get people to agree on anything, the X Box Packaging X-Perience kit provides an inspiring and thought-provoking...experience.

Sabine Lenz is the founder of PaperSpecs.com, the first online paper database and community specifically designed for paper specifiers.

Sabine grew up in Germany, started her design career in Frankfurt, and then moved to Australia and the United States. She has participated in design projects ranging from corporate image to major road shows and product launches. From startups to Fortune 500 companies, her client list includes Oracle, Sun Microsystems, Deutsche Bank, IBM and KPMG.

Seeing designers all over the world trying to keep up with new papers and paper trends, Sabine inspired him to create PaperSpecs, an independent and comprehensive web-based paper database and weekly electronic newsletter. She is also a spokesperson for paper issues and the paper industry. Some people affectionately call her the "paper queen". She combines her passion for this wonderful substrate called paper with a practical method of sharing knowledge. 

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