Unboxing love: The quiet art of tech packaging (pictures)

Just as a product's design is important to a user's overall impression, so is its packaging. In order to extend brand loyalty, package designers do their best to make sure a customer's unboxing experience is seamless, effortless, and joyful.

Here, Google Glass' lead designer Isabelle Olsson (left) and industrial designer Matthew Martin sit down with CNET to discuss the thought process and design philosophy behind the wearable's packaging. From the materials used to how long it took the box to fully close, every detail was considered.

Check out the rest of the slideshow for some interesting packaging designs for today's tech products.

Instead of a user manual, the Google Glass team decided to clearly label the different parts of the device using simple words. "In terms of the language around Glass as a brand, it's all very human," says Martin, who wanted its packaging to reflect that same element.

The packaging to Glass deliberately slows the user down. "All there is is the brand," says Martin. "No details, no FCC warnings, just one thing at a time."

The second item from the left is a sheet of vellum paper, which sits between the lid and the device itself. According to Olsson, it was one of the hardest things to find. The paper is meant to be peeled off so that the user feels as if he or she is the first person to ever access the box.

California-based design firm Uneka has created several packaging designs for some of tech's biggest names. The company designed the box for Google's short-lived Nexus Q media device. Uneka's creative director Chris Palmer praised their end-product as thoughtful, but due to exclusive paper choices, the package turned out to be more expensive than anticipated.

The friendly, earthy aesthetic of theNest Protect box.

One of the major issues package designers constantly deal with is the eco-sustainability of their materials. The HP Chromebook 11 box is highly recyclable, and is made of bamboo and sugar cane pulp.

Clean and bio-degradable as the box is, it's also structurally strong enough to protect the Chromebook 11 that sits inside.

When Barnes & Noble approached Uneka to design the package for its Nook HD+,  the company wanted the e-reader to be raise upwards as the box opened. After several trials, Uneka came up with a moving paper hinge that lifted the tray underneath the device.

The minimalistic labeling around the Chromebook Pixel manages to put Google's branding front and center, without going overboard.

With every device, Uneka's aims to make the product the hero. For the Pixel, "[It] is right there when you lift up the lid, rather than it being swallowed in a cavity or down below accessories," says Palmer.

Mirroring the twisted angles of Adobe's Ink & Slide stylus, Character in partnership with Uneka designed a box that featured intricate angled layers as well. The package itself is made from premium uncoated papers and pulp.

Apple's layered approach to its iPhone packages started with the handset device in 2007. The company is cited by both end-users and professionals alike as setting the gold standard for tech packaging with its minimalistic design and premium materials.

The packaging for the Anki Drive was also conceived by Uneka. The rigid folds of the edges evoke the aerodynamic, industrial and handsome aesthetic of cars.

The austere and restrained packaging of the Razer Blade 14 gaming laptop.

To reflect the fact that its Surface Pro 2 could be angled at two different viewing positions, Microsoft sliced out a small triangle from the tablet's box (left). However, because the device's successor, the Pro 3 could be angled anywhere between 22 and 150 degrees, it found the slice to be too limiting, and the company opted for a straight edge this time around.

The "3" on the Surface Pro box has been treated with spot gloss. Microsoft's packaging and brand manager William Morrison says this element "adds a layer of quality" to the product without appearing too unapproachable.

Pebble has come a long way from its startup roots. Perhaps that is why the packaging for its Steel is significantly more high-end than its past smartwatches.

Another one of Uneka's eco-friendly creations is the box that holds the Amazon Kindle. Made of kraft paper and molded pulp, the package is both easy on the eyes and easy to recycle.

Continuing the stylish look of the Nest 2.0, the thermostat's packaging appears breezy and simple.