Marina Veziko and Packhelp’s typographic maze showcases the reality of small business owners

Helsinki-based designer and creative director Marina Veziko has partnered with sustainable custom packaging company Packhelp to craft a playful range of typographic mailer boxes. Designed to acknowledge the struggles faced by small, independent businesses and business owners, while celebrating their entrepreneurship.

Achieved through visually striking narrative storytelling, the typographic pattern on the boxes encapsulates the notion of backing one’s big ideas; taking the semi-kaleidoscopic form of the thoughts and feelings faced by many, and creating a visual maze in the process. “I think there’s 29 in the final design,” Marina Veziko tells us, “but obviously the list could go on and on!” she explains, discussing the numbered list of experiences common to independent business owners.

Taking us through the typographic maze is Florian Karsten’s serene sans serif FK Grotesk Neue. “I first tried using a couple of different typefaces with a little more ‘character,’” Veziko explains, “but somehow those felt too distracting,” diverting from the core concept of the design, and taking attention away from the subject matter featured. “FK Grotesk Neue was subtle and timeless enough,” she adds, “clean and simple.”

Similarly striking this sense of simplicity is Veziko’s colour choice and material decisions, having been given free reign to work with any of Packhelp’s products – finding herself spoilt for choice. “Like with choosing the typeface, as minimal as possible felt right for this project,” Veziko recalls. “A lot of Packhelp’s own packaging designs are pretty colourful and fun,” she concludes, “so I wanted these designs to stand out from their existing collection,” in doing so championing small businesses, the role they play, and the struggles they face.

Marina Veziko

Packhelp