Packaging and Merchandising Design - Final Project
Packaging and Merchandising Design Final Project
Final Project / Bass Tech Ltd BT Pulse Merch Drop
July 2026
Wang JiHeng / 0378904
Bachelor of Design (Hons) in Creative Media
Packaging and Merchandising Design - Final Project
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Instructions
Project Overview
Research and Concept Process
Reference Research and Development
Final Merch Collection
POP Display
Promotional Strategy
Feedback and Refinement
Reflection
Final Project Reference Presentation
Instructions
Final Project
Project Overview
In Project 2, BT Pulse was developed as a wireless over-ear headphone brand for teenagers and young adults. The visual identity used Midnight Violet, Cosmic Purple, Orchid Pink, bold condensed typography, sound-wave graphics, and halftone textures. For the Final Project, the aim was to extend this identity into products that the target audience could actually use and buy.
The main idea is a BT Pulse Merch Drop. Rather than creating unrelated promotional items, each product was designed to feel like part of one audio-lifestyle collection. The collection connects music, study, commuting, gaming, and personal style. The merchandise supports the BT Pulse brand while the headphone product remains the main identity behind the collection.
Research and Concept Process
This project did not start directly with the final mock-ups. We first returned to the Project 2 identity and used the Week 12 concept presentation to organise the research, target audience, and early product directions. The process helped us check that each item could extend BT Pulse in a believable way instead of only placing a logo on random merchandise.
Brand DNA and Visual Direction
The design direction was carried forward from Project 2: deep violet and purple represent the night-mode audio feeling, while orchid pink adds youth energy. We kept the white BT logo, repeated sound-wave shapes, soft glow, rounded forms, and halftone texture. The target audience is teenagers and young adults who listen to music, study, commute, game, and use fashion as part of their personal style.
Reference Research and Development
We collected references before designing the items. The references were used to understand real materials, product layouts, display structures, and the way people use these items in daily life. They were not copied directly. Instead, we selected useful qualities and translated them into the BT Pulse visual system.
POP Display Reference Research
For the retail display, I looked at audio-product display stands and their basic structure: a strong header, clear product zones, side shelving, central feature area, and a base for storage. This research helped us make the display look like a physical retail fixture rather than only a poster. We later changed the centre panel to a plain deep-violet background so that the merchandise could remain the focus.
Sticker pack: I looked at sticker packs as a low-cost and shareable item. This led to a transparent purple pack with small BT Pulse graphics that can be used on laptops, notebooks, and bottles.
Protective storage case: I researched hard headphone cases to understand their rounded form, zip placement, and protective function. The final case was designed for the BT Pulse headphones as a non-folding product, so the case
gives the headphones a practical way to be carried safely.
Graphic T-shirt: I looked at youth streetwear and graphic T-shirt layouts. The reference work showed that one clear central graphic can be more wearable than too many small details. This informed the large waveform print and small BT logo placement.
Sling bag: I looked at compact daily bags used for commuting and campus life. This gave the product a simple front-facing structure and adjustable strap. The final bag uses the BT Pulse waveform print as the main visual connection to the T-shirt and storage case.
Final Merch Collection
1. BT Pulse Sticker Pack
The sticker pack is the most accessible item in the collection. It uses the BT logo, headphone outline, wave marks, and the phrase “Low Frequency Experts”. The stickers can be included with a purchase, offered at a campus event, or used as a small giveaway. This item helps the brand appear on laptops, notebooks, bottles, and other student belongings.
2. BT Pulse Graphic T-Shirt
The white graphic T-shirt uses the BT logo and a large purple-and-pink waveform print. A white base was chosen so that the coloured graphic has strong contrast and can be worn easily with different outfits. The T-shirt turns the audio identity into a visible fashion item and supports the streetwear direction of the merch drop.
3. BT Pulse Sling Bag
The sling bag is designed for commuting, campus life, and daily movement. It uses the same light purple, pink, and violet waveform graphic as the T-shirt, so the two items look like part of the same release. The small BT logo is placed on the front to keep the product branded but not too heavy.
4. BT Pulse Protective Storage Case
The protective storage case is designed especially for the BT Pulse non-folding headphones. Because the headphones do not fold, the case gives the product a practical way to be carried and protected. The round case has a dark violet side wall, black zip, and a purple-to-pink waveform top panel. This makes it both functional and visually connected to the rest of the collection.
Visual Consistency Across the Collection
Visual consistency was the main design goal. All four merchandise items use the same colour family and repeat the BT sound-wave language in different ways. The T-shirt and sling bag use a larger waveform for a more expressive fashion look. The storage case uses the waveform more quietly on the top surface. The sticker pack uses the same elements in small collectible graphics.
Using one visual system helps the collection feel recognisable in a retail setting. Even though the materials are different, the customer can understand that every item belongs to BT Pulse.
POP (Point-of-Purchase) Display
The POP display is a freestanding merch display for a campus pop-up, retail event, or selected store. The design follows the rounded display structure from the BT Pulse retail reference, with dark violet panels and purple LED edge lighting. The header uses the same composition as the original BT Pulse display: a large BT and sound-wave mark on the left, with “BT Pulse Merch Drop” on the right.
The final display is merchandise-only. The T-shirts are placed on the left hanging rail, the sling bags are shown on the right hooks, the storage case is centred on an acrylic shelf, and the sticker packs are displayed clearly along the lower shelf. The centre panel uses a plain deep-violet background so that the products remain the focus. No headphone packaging boxes are included in this final POP display.
The campaign idea is “Move With the Pulse.” The strategy promotes BT Pulse through real daily situations instead of only showing product specifications. The target audience is students and young adults who study, commute, game, listen to music, and care about personal style.
TikTok and Instagram are the main channels because short videos can show the headphones and merchandise in realistic situations. Content can include study sessions, commuting, gaming, music playlists, styling the T-shirt and sling bag, and carrying the storage case. Student, music, and gaming micro-influencers can create real-use content before and during launch.
The POP display supports the digital strategy with a physical experience. At a campus event, visitors can see the collection together, scan a QR code, receive a sticker pack, and take photos with the display. The launch is organised in three stages: tease the visual details, launch the full collection with creator posts and the POP display, then sustain interest through user-generated content and a giveaway.
Fig 3-18. BT Pulse “Move With the Pulse” Promotional Strategy
Feedback and Refinement
Display Refinement
During the final development, the group feedback was that the display needed to be more coherent with the merchandise designs. The first direction was too close to a headphone retail display because it included headphone packaging. Based on this feedback, I redesigned the POP display as a merchandise-only display.
I also refined the top header so that it follows the original BT Pulse display structure more closely. The large BT and sound-wave mark are placed on the left, while the title is placed on the right. The central panel was simplified to a plain deep-violet background so that it does not compete with the storage case and the surrounding merchandise.
Final Result
After the refinement, the display reads more clearly as a merch drop. Each item has its own display zone, but the colours, wave graphics, and header structure connect the full collection. This final version is more consistent with the Project 2 identity and more suitable for a student retail pop-up or event.
Reflection
Experience
This Final Project showed me how a packaging identity can continue beyond the original box. In Project 2, I focused mainly on packaging structure, protection, and the product brand. In this project, I learned how the same identity can be applied to apparel, accessories, and retail display while still looking like one system.
Observation
I observed that visual consistency is not only about using the same colours. The product types, graphic scale, display layout, and target audience also need to connect. For example, the storage case responds to the practical problem of carrying non-folding headphones, while the T-shirt and sling bag make the brand visible in everyday life.
Findings
My main finding is that a successful merch drop needs both visual appeal and a clear purpose for each item. The BT Pulse sticker pack supports participation, the T-shirt supports style, the sling bag supports daily movement, the storage case supports protection, and the POP display brings all of the items together in a retail environment.
Overall, this project helped me understand how packaging design can develop into a wider brand experience. The final BT Pulse collection connects product, merchandise, retail display, and promotion in one youthful audio-lifestyle system.
Final Project Reference Presentation
This presentation records our Week 12 concept development and reference research. It is included here as supporting evidence for the process behind the final collection.
LINK：
Appendix A. BT Pulse Final Project Week 12 Concept Presentation
上传 PDF 到 Google Drive 后，在 Blogger 的 HTML view 里把 Google Drive preview 的 embed code 放在这个位置。
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