Guðbjörg Olga Kristbjörnsdóttir, a printer and designer, is one of the country's most experienced consultants in packaging design.
Guðbjörg Olga says that customers are generally looking for ways to replace plastic packaging with more environmentally friendly options. Many factors influence the production process, which calls for good collaboration between designers and those who build the dies. “It is also important that the design takes into account the available machinery,” she says. “If people intend to print here in Iceland.”
In her consulting, Guðbjörg emphasizes environmental considerations and paper utilization. She encourages marketing professionals to seek advice before starting to design time-consuming packaging that then doesn't work with the available machines. “It saves both time and money,” she says.
“The trend in packaging today is that everything has to be brown,” says Guðbjörg. “It's as if people feel it's more environmentally friendly than white paper. However, I point out that my workplace is Nordic Swan Ecolabel certified, and recycled paper isn't necessarily better than paper that comes from a managed forest where one tree is felled and three are planted in its place.”