How many ways are there to build a box?

There's a box for practically every purpose, and building it begins when the box-plant salesperson asks the box-buying customer just what kind of box is needed, how many, and how soon?

Then a box designer starts planning. He or she has plenty to consider: the size and shape of the customer's product, the size and shape of the finished box, the strength of the material it's made of, the color of the corrugated board, the size of the flutes or paper ridges within it, the number of boxes to be made, the coatings and printing they'll bear, and just when they need to be made and shipped.

How will the customer put the box together, fill it, and close it? How will the customer's customer open the box? Will the product-filled box be moved by hand or by fork lift? Stacked in tall piles or singly? How roughly will it be treated?

A computer helps crunch the numbers. The box designer adds human creativity and insight. The design, drawn on paper or a computer screen, might look like a puzzle.