The role of packaging is to protect, promote and facilitate the use of the product. It protects products from transport, physical and barrier protection for instance from germs and other issues; sells the product promoting it and communicating with potential buyers while attracting their attention and being different from competition and also provides important information about the e.g. ingredients, instruction of use etc. facilitating the use of it.
According to various reports packaging has less than three seconds to grab the consumer’s attention and considering that more than 70% of “purchasing decisions” are made at the shelf, that pack has got to work hard. The problem with packaging nowadays is the pollution that it makes and the huge amount of rubbish it generates. The focus for years has been on using sustainable and eco-friendly materials which can be recyclable.
Good packaging designers have two key tools to grab the consumers’ attention, graphics and structure. Designers have to make sure they convey information, about the cost of their product, the ingredients it contains, and whether or not it can be recycled. Packaging graphics must do more than simply look pretty.
About graphics they must think about:
They must also think about how to make the product easier to use and create standout, for instance some products are recognizable simply from the silhouette of their pack. Before 30 years trends were to improve aesthetics and sales of the product, using different materials and most advanced print techniques to make a standout for their product. However, now the trends are to minimize the over use of different non eco-friendly materials towards more simpler and more functional product packaging. Sustainable packaging also considers issues such as carbon footprint, the total amount of greenhouse gases produced directly and indirectly during production process, transport, sale and consumption usually expressed like (CO2). Some brands and retailers on their packaging carbon labels include information on how to reduce a product's carbon footprint when you use it and in some cases it will tell you how it compares to similar products.
According to various reports packaging has less than three seconds to grab the consumer’s attention and considering that more than 70% of “purchasing decisions” are made at the shelf, that pack has got to work hard. The problem with packaging nowadays is the pollution that it makes and the huge amount of rubbish it generates. The focus for years has been on using sustainable and eco-friendly materials which can be recyclable.
Good packaging designers have two key tools to grab the consumers’ attention, graphics and structure. Designers have to make sure they convey information, about the cost of their product, the ingredients it contains, and whether or not it can be recycled. Packaging graphics must do more than simply look pretty.
About graphics they must think about:
- Color - The first thing you remember about a brand may well be its color.
- Story - Building a story into the packaging of a product. A way to convey brand essence. Doing so allows consumers to connect with the product on an emotional level.
- Illustration - When designing pictures onto a piece of packaging, practical considerations like the printing process and substrate onto which the image is going to be printed must be made to ensure they express the exact mood needed.
They must also think about how to make the product easier to use and create standout, for instance some products are recognizable simply from the silhouette of their pack. Before 30 years trends were to improve aesthetics and sales of the product, using different materials and most advanced print techniques to make a standout for their product. However, now the trends are to minimize the over use of different non eco-friendly materials towards more simpler and more functional product packaging. Sustainable packaging also considers issues such as carbon footprint, the total amount of greenhouse gases produced directly and indirectly during production process, transport, sale and consumption usually expressed like (CO2). Some brands and retailers on their packaging carbon labels include information on how to reduce a product's carbon footprint when you use it and in some cases it will tell you how it compares to similar products.
Green packaging is a demonstration of commitment to the environment. It is also the growing awareness to the impact that packaging production has to the protection of it, creating packaging products that can be recycled, reduced (materials) and reused. Traffic light labeling is a system for showing the consumers information about their food product and it`s levels of fat, sugars and salt in their product using different color coding to indicate the level of nutrients.
Mood garden tea
”Being in the right mood at the right time can make a world of difference. Getting in that right mood can sometimes be as simple as a cup of tea. Mood Garden is a tea company that focuses on providing Fair Trade loose leaf tea in the convenience of tea bags. Each tea blend corresponds with a unique color and flower to help visualize these moods. When the tea drinker removes the tea bag from the stick, a prompt followed by a small flower is revealed. Since many tea drinkers read while brewing, the vertical orientation of the stick makes it a very convenient book mark. Designed by Alexander Chin.
Nooka Glueless Packaging
“Nooka is continuing its tradition of green packaging with the introduction of the Nooka Glue-less custom box. This paper packaging is truly eco-friendly, requiring minimal material, minimal labor and is biodegradable. ” Via Lovely Package
HANGERPAK
This project won First Prize in the D&AD; Student Awards 2007 category 'What else do you do?'. Steve Haslip's HangerPak comes from a slightly different point of view; his packaging design turns in to something you can use with what comes inside. Even if a cardboard hanger has a limited lifetime, it still gets an extra life cycle instead of going straight from package to recycling bin (or, worse, the landfill).
http://www.treehugger.com/slideshows/sustainable-product-design/packaging-design-at-its-best/page/4/
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