Hang-It-All Packaging Mock-up

Much of the packaging design for Eames products often began with the production of miniature mock-ups, such as this one for the Hang-It-All—a 1953 design that skirts the line between toy and functional object. Produced by Tigrett Enterprises, the manufacturer of several Eames toys, the Hang-It-All offered children a structure of welded metal rods terminating in vibrant wooden balls that were intended, as the packaging explained, “for children to hang things on.” To suggest the range of hanging possibilities, Ray draped a roller skate, kachina doll, petticoat, and ribbon from the device for promotional photos. No such items appear on the package, however, which presents the Hang-It-All in two-dimensional silhouette on both sides of the box. On the front, the rack appears attached to an oversized tag, as if to suggest its suitability for gifting. Above this, the piece’s name is rendered in uppercase lettering that mimics the design of the piece itself, with dots decorating each of the letters’ terminals. On the mock-up, the individual graphic elements appear on separate pieces of paper, which allowed them to be arranged and re-arranged to explore different compositions before being glued into place.