Why does staggering design and creativity go into
something that is just going to be torn apart and discarded? Well, lets see
now; because; that's why.
Packaging has a long and storied history and
these days it has become downright spectacular. Primarily packaging design is
meant to maximize visual impact. In an ocean of direct competing and other
dis-similar products, it's critical to catch the eye of the customer. Bright
colors; bold fonts; unique shapes and clever graphics all work in conjunction
in an effort to attract the eye of the passerby.
The attractiveness of packaging can work against
the product itself, however, in that if the product itself isn't what the
customer expected or is simply of poor quality. We've all experienced this and
it does have a lasting impact. Such as a large pretty package containing very
little of the product it is touting. As you may be beginning to realize, there
are many variables and details that go into packaging and the design thereof.
With nearly everything sold these days being
encased in colorful packaging, it's important to realize that all of the
materials that make up the colorful, protective wrapping that we see on every
product every day requires a massive packaging supply industry to feed it, and
with the ever discerning consumer becoming more and more environmentally aware,
design elements may sometimes be reduced to the bare minimum in an effort to
reduce the use of the raw materials for making packaging supplies. This
presents another challenge for the talented package designer. Customers might
be conscious of the fact that they are going to be discarding the packaging of
the products they purchase every day which might affect their decision.
Package design is a massive business and the
talented package designers are not just skilled labor workers. Years of study
in focused areas in Art & Design are necessary and the competition is
fierce because for all intents and purposes; it's a pretty dang fun job to
have.
Clever and unique designs are the crux of the
industry of packaging, and success isn't always apparent until the numbers
ultimately come in. But none the less; promoting any product with visual
devices has become super duper important and can mean success or failure for
any product.
Sometimes simplicity is the key and if the
product is well established; design efforts can be reduced. Conversely, if the
product is new and doesn't catch on right away, crafty design may be in order.
Overdoing the design could, however, have the opposite effect as intended.
Customers are fickle, shrewd and sharp. If they think the visual elements are
too much, they may perceive it as overselling for reasons unknown and simply
move on.
The design world of packaging is fascinating to
say the least. Yet we're all familiar with it in that we're exposed to it every
day, and we become somewhat de-sensitized to a degree and focus on what we're
already familiar with. That's when classic designs which have stood the test of
time become the kings of the product package design universe.
So you can see that we humans have created a
marketing monster that isn't likely to be defeated or tamed any time soon, and
those mad designers with crazy hair will ever be among us.
