OUGD603
DESIGN PUBLICATION
CONTENT DEVELOPMENT
Now That I have a lot of the aesthetic decisions down I wanted to move onto creating the content. For the double page spreads I am creating I will be using the left hand page to talk about one of my methodology components and what I have learnt about this - For example what I have learnt about colour and luxury packaging. And the right will show an image overlaid with text from the designer/studio of the work shown in the image.
I began putting what I had learned into my own words for each component across all 3 types of packaging.
Luxury:
Colour:
A smaller colour pallet is most frequently preferred and appropriate when working with luxury brands and packaging. Neutral colour pallets often dominated by black or white produce the most luxurious appeal, which stems from the concept of restraint, and the unnecessary needs to sell such high quality products based upon colourful packaging and therefore advertising. The idea of restraint can be taken further by doubling up on colour schemes and using a pallet such as black on black, thus portraying further the promise of exclusivity and feeling of privacy.
Shape:
When working with shape and packaging the brand owners and customers spectate heavily. Luxury brands look to shape their packaging so that it appears strong and exudes power. Luxury packaging is always well crafted and often features bold angles and smooth curves. It is very frequently found that the shape of the packaging is dominated by the brand story.
Context:
The background and context of a product often determines its luxury and this can be heightened through packaging. Consumers of luxury products like to understand the journey of the product, and telling the unique story of a product increases is quality and exclusivity. Storytelling is an important feature that can be communicated via packaging through both image and type.
Texture:
Texture and overall feel of the packaging is something that can be experimented with to increase its luxury appeal. Processes such as embossing increase the perception of effort and craftsmanship and therefore quality. Production methods alike to embossing or letterpress for example, are seen more rarely which boosts the impression of individuality.
Sustainable:
It is often understood that for something so heavily reliant on mass production such as packaging that luxury and sustainability is not something that can be achieved. Materials often associated with sustainable packaging have an aesthetic of heavily grain or come in colours from cream to brown. However through careful research into and choice of stock, printing and production techniques packaging can be certified sustainable and appear luxury.
Finishing:
Production and finishing is the cherry on top of luxury packaging, and experimenting with such processes can dramatically increase the quality and worth of both the product and the packaging itself. Finishing techniques such as foiling are extremely popular within the luxury arena due it its glossy, clean and crisp aesthetic, especially when used against smooth and imperfection less stock. Using finishing techniques that appear clean and elegant in all different types of lighting and contrast the stock raise the understanding of meticulous and thorough care for craft.
Haptic:
The routine of opening the packaging should be well considered when designing for luxury products, as the journey to the product should attempt to create just as much excitement as the end product itself. Hand positioning and how many times the user has to rotate, or undo sections to get to the product can increase its quality. However ease must also be considered, the ease of moving from one place to the other directly links to packaging quality, although exciting and requiring effort, luxury packaging must always be smooth to open.
Anticipation:
Relating to Haptic qualities the building of excitement through the journey of packaging boosts the promise of exclusivity. Having packaging that requires the user to unveil layers heightens the users want to acquire the product. However Anticipation is easy to over do, and so the layers must be well considered, creating only a short interruption. Over anticipation can cause the consumer to hesitate and reconsider the purchase, which may result in its return.
My Interpretation:
Becket Beccari.
Floral packaging.
Beckett Beccari is a brand created for a luxury florist based in Chester, England. The touch points and introduction of luxury extend from its logo, to its flower carriers in which act as packaging for the brand. The brand utilises components such as finishing, colour, shape and texture to promote a luxury brand. The overall colour scheme of Beckett Beccari is dominated by black, with only a small but strong punch of white. The black on black pallet created via smooth black matte black stock and black foil printed logo, appears crisp and clean reflecting the light, but also projects exclusivity and privacy, when the logo is hidden in certain lights. Tactility and texture is heightened through layering of materials used to wrap the flowers, tulle and tissue paper encases the flowers inside a matte black card carrier with textured black ribbon handles. The power and uniqueness of the brand is extended through small details such as the message card holders which are produced in the shape of the brand logo, increasing rarity and adding details which no other will have.
My Interpretation:
MAC Cosmetics.
Make up packaging.
The MAC cosmetic packaging plays upon the luxury stance that the brand has already captured, using a colour scheme lead with black, printed with inkjet that is rich dense and imperfection free. Although the colour pallet is very broad due to the illustrations, they are injected carefully into the design, and the contrast against the dense black back drop allows them to also appear luxurious. The foil finishing conflicting and shimmering against the opaque black back drop appears clean and reflective logo that shines from some angles and disappears in others, reflecting both the privacy of a luxury brand and mystery from the films atmosphere.
Sustainable:
Honest:
Honesty in sustainable packaging is a great tool to use, visualising the purity of the product in a clean and uncomplicated design is a simple but effective way to allow consumers to understand the clarity of the product. A utilitarian approach towards the packaging using ink and materials only where definitely needed helps to reduce waste and unnecessary substances.
Simple:
Simplicity is key when executing the message and green or sustainable values of a product. Over complicating the message can lead to lack of customer interest and so adorning packaging with lengthy messages about the sustainable aspects of a product or company. When designing packaging for a sustainable brand the designer should seek to communicate such information in a simple and direct format that will be easily understood.
Friendly:
Sustainable packaging should always seek just like the brand to be friendly, approachable and welcoming. Sustainability should be communicated in a positive way. People are born with fight or flight mechanisms, and when sustainability is communicated through a negative outlet creating a stressful situation,consumers will run away rather than support the product. The packaging should communicate self empowerment and inspire the consumer to purchase, trying to lead the consumer in on sympathy will only have a negative outcome.
Production:
Wherever possible certified sustainable packaging should seek to be produced with as little impact as possible. This includes monitoring and implementing appropriate stock choice, considering print and production methods and what is a necessary amount of packaging for the product in question.
Fun:
Sustainable packaging should be fun, just like any other product on the market, sustainable products should aim to draw people in by how great the product is, not how green it is. Consumers like to pick products according to quality and function and so this should be at the forefront of the packaging, which also acts as advertising for the product. Sustainable product packaging also doesn't have to only be produced in brown or green, using an array of colours and making the product appear bright, fun and positive can help to draw the consumer in.
Post packaging:
Post packaging is also an important consideration for sustained packaging. The impact of packaging after primary use is crucial in its green stance, as it must make as little impact as possible. After life of a product can include making sure that as much as possible, if not all materials can be recycled when the packaging no longer has a use. Other successful methods of cradle to cradle is giving the packaging a secondary use or other uses so that it does not have to be discarded as waste.
Luxurious:
Sustainable products can be luxurious right from design through to production. Stocks can be chosen carefully according to the brand to match the luxurious identity that the brand has already captured. Options such as starch-based laminates are available to match the aesthetically of foiling, which is often used in luxury packaging for its glossy appeal.
Tactile:
Tactility can help to improve the attraction between the consumer and the product, die cuts, letterpress and embossing are become widely used by sustainable brands to create another relationship between the customer and the product that relies on other senses instead of sight. Traditional processes such as embossing have low impact using a plate to repeatedly stamp a design wastes no ink and is reusable for as many times as the emboss plate lasts.
My Interpretation:
John Lewis.
Delivery packaging.
Something that John Lewis prescribed within their delivery packaging D&AD redesign was that the production and afterlife of the packaging would be considered from a well sustained point of view. Working in collaboration with Caitlin, we decided that as well as giving the boxes a second purpose such as storage, we made sure to create a packaging system that used only recyclable and sustainable materials such as FSC paper and corrugated card. The boxes are also highly tactile due to their unique opening in which reflects that of a gift. Other parts of the packaging have the ability to be torn away and recycled whilst the remaining leaves a box in which can be used for other needs.
My Interpretation:
Heavenly Chocolate.
The main aim of Heavenly chocolate was really focused on the design and communication strategy over production, although it was produced using FSC card. The brand was made to sell Heavenly on the product itself rather than the cause in which it supported which was to acquire palm oil sustainably. The aesthetic of the packaging and name of the brand was based upon the chocolate itself, regarding the taste and aesthetic. Foil details were added to contrast the brown backdrop and allow the product to stand out from its counterparts on the stand. It is only after the purchase of the product that consumers really learn about the brands sustainable story which is told in a simple, positive and self-empowering way.
Low cost:
Colour pallet:
When designing packaging for lower budget brands colour is a very important component of the design and can be used to help distinguish the product from its competition on the shelf. Colour can also be used as a key and coding system within the design. As other aesthetic qualities don't dramatically differentiate across product types, for example with basic lines and supermarkets, colour can help the consumer to distinguish the type of product.
White space:
White space is another aesthetic tool used by designers of low cost packaging, not only does reducing the amount of ink reduce the cost but it also allows the visual information to be easily readable and distinguishable. A white background also allows a clean slate for illustration and photograph application to take place, and makes the necessary information on the product such as name or flavour easy to find.
Basic illustration and photography:
Basic illustration and photography is often used across more value ranges, whilst small doses of illustration allow the packaging to still appeal somewhat unique, the addition of photography gives the customer the transparency and visual they want of the more 'value' product before they purchase. Consumers like to be able to see what they are purchasing, more so if it originates from a more low cost range.
Simple:
Customers expect and look for simplicity when shopping for lower cost products, and it has more so become a trademark of more value ranges. Where more luxury items express stories such as the journey of ingredients, low cost packaging should aim to keep information a simple as possible. When shopping for budget items shoppers go to purchase with the intention of already knowing what they want, this needs to be simply represented to them so that they find such products with ease, they do not need to be sold by stories about the product itself.
Friendly and approachable:
Low cost packaging should aim to be friendly and approachable, and unlike its luxury counterpart which aims for exclusivity and a select audience, should welcome all. It can do this by tone of voice in which the packaging in its communication can take on a more conversational and informal tone of voice, projecting that the product is good enough for everyone rather than a select few.
Human aesthetic:
Some packaging designers when working on more value ranges like to further their approach to a more welcoming brand by adding human value to the aesthetic of a product and not just a message. Elements such as hand written type can convey a vision of everyday conversation and also honesty. Rather than being sold and persuaded into buying a product from a more luxury range through a sequence of cues, value brands sell based on honesty that is often derived of excessive adjectives.
Low cost print:
Lower cost packaging not only denominates from more simple design work but also lower costs in production. Whereas for luxury packaging extra steps such as foil blocking, embossing or other rare and more costly production techniques may be used, Low cost budget aims to keep production costs as low as possible. Therefore lower cost printing is usually produced using less printing processes and often just one such as digital print over others such as screen printing where a variety of colours can be printed for a low cost.
Cheaper materials:
Materials can also be thoroughly considered in order to keep costs down, and it can be seen by viewing cheaper packaging that materials are based solely upon function rather than decoration. Within the budget packaging arena, stock should be chosen based upon its ability to remain sealed and satisfactorily protect the item, from which materials price will then be considered.
My Interpretation:
Value Packaging should aim to be simple and identifiable in comparison to its counterparts. The composition should be laid out so that the vital information is easy to find. Colour should be used to allow the packaging to stand out from its competitors, and make the products easy to navigate whether by a key system or simply east to recognise on the shelf. The packaging should aim to be friendly and approachable and take on a product for everyone attitude over exclusivity. Whilst It should still boast an appearance that people fell proud to put into their basket or home and it should seek to be as low cost as possible without compromising function in relation to both printing and materials.
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