In their own words
The style had to be at the right volume where engaging, while at the same time effortless and supportive of its game mechanics.
The die-cut window acts as a small portal into each game’s universe.
We constantly ask whether a component is essential to the game mechanic. If it isn’t, it goes.
The artwork revealed through the die-cut always corresponds to the back of the cards inside. If you place one of the cards on the box, it aligns perfectly.
What seemed simple turned into eight months of back-and-forth to get right.
Supreme works beautifully at large sizes and equally well in small print, which was crucial for rulebooks.
It was challenging, but also constraints can be good to define the brief, as long as these make sense and are solid!
While it is a new brand, there was a strong emotional component to the history and legacy of the family business.
The reality, however, was that all we had as a reference was one image.
Nor that’s what we would intend, instead, we tried to capture the essence of that vernacular universe.
Articles & interviews5
- SMLXL puts windblown dogs on Midnight Cosmetics bottle
SMLXL, a Barcelona and New York-based studio, designed playful packaging for a collaboration between Midnight Cosmetics and pet brand HotDog. The project merges Midnight’s minimalist aesthetic with HotDog’s exuberant energy through gouache-painted illustrations of dogs in motion. The result is a vibrant, tactile design that communicates the product’s softness and joy while showcasing SMLXL’s conceptual approach to design.
- SMLXL and Principi use motion blur to illustrate a fruit fight
SMLXL and Principi collaborated on the visual identity and packaging for CMYK’s card game Fruit Fight, part of the Magenta collection. The design uses motion blur to depict fruit in motion, combining vibrant colors and minimalist composition. Lineto’s Supreme typeface and a fluorescent magenta packaging system unify the collection under a clean, modern aesthetic.