packaging design principles

Whilst surfing the Internet I found an interesting account on the principles of packaging design. The article talks about the roles of packaging, the purposes and mentions statistics about packaging design.

http://www.designcouncil.org.uk/en/About-Design/Design-Disciplines/Packaging-design/

I have learnt from this article that product packaging serves as much more than just a 'sales canvas' and they can serve as a part of the product, in the form of puzzles on the back of cereal boxes for example.
It also tells me that perhaps advertising that your product has eco-friendly packaging material and is recycable might entice more people to buy your product, as they feel strongly about environmental issues.

There are also a few statistics in there:

• over 70% of purchase decisions are made at point of purchase.
  
• A pack on a supermarket shelf has less than 3 seconds to grab attention.

evolution of cereal boxes - coco pops

Here I will be researching and evaluating versions of Coco Pops packaging.



This earlier box of Coco Pops is quite busy as it features a lot of information. There are really only two main colours used here, brown and yellow. Brown is used because it relates to the colour of coco, and yellow is a good contrasting colour of that and it is also a ‘friendly’ colour.
The Kellogg’s logo stands out well as it is red on yellow, it is also placed directly above the title of the product, which will make it be read.
The image of the cereal with milk pouring into it tells you it should be served with milk, and the notepad placed behind it acts as a checklist of nutritional information, which the monkey has assessed and checked off the properties on the list. This is important for potential consumers as they would want to know of the nutritional values in the food they buy, so this can reassure them that they are buying the right product.
The monkey is the mascot for the product, and has a very cartoony appearance, this would be engaging to the younger audience, as the monkey looks very friendly and fun.



This is the latest Coco Pops box, it has the same characteristics as the previous one, albeit with a few changes. The text is in the same font and size, although the colour has been changed to make it brighter, and more appealing.
They have changed the appearance of the monkey completely. It is now more realistic, but still cartoony, and looks friendlier.
They also have the compulsory GDA chart which tells the audience the nutritional percentages and stats.
One major thing that is different is the big red shape at the top with the price in it. This stands out a lot and lets the audience know the price, which is useful for if some cereal isn’t clearly priced in a shop.

evolution of cereal boxes - rice krispies

Here I will be researching and evaluating versions of Rice Krispies packaging.



This fairly old Rice Krispies packaging features a few large real life images and a few hand-drawn cartoon images. The Kellogg’s logo stands out quite a bit on this box, as the red text is placed upon a bright oval shape, giving it a strong contrast and therefore standing out clearly.
Opposite the logo is some text, stating that this product is fat free and features essential minerals. This is important information for parents of children, as it lets them know that this product is healthy, and people who take interest in nutritional statistics in their food.
The title on the box is placed in the direct centre, the text is in a large font and it has a white fill on a dark blue background, which makes it stand out but isn’t too much of a strong contrast in which it distracts from the rest of the box.
The real-life images used are a bowl of the cereal, and a cube of the cereal. This tells the audience that the product is a cereal, to be eaten with milk and perhaps fruit. It also tells them that the product can be used to cook with, as there are many ingredients found in which Rice Krispies can be used in home cooking, there were also separate snack bars launched using Rice Krispies as the main ingredient.
The three mascots; Snap, Crackle and Pop, would attract the interest of a younger audience, as they appear friendly, energetic and seem to be of a young age. There is also a free bag of marshmallows on offer, this would also be of interest to the younger audience because free gifts often influence their decisions on products.



This is a newer version of the packaging. It is a lot brighter than the previous box, and is much plainer. The Kellogg’s logo still stands out, as it is bright red on blue, a good contrast.
One major change from the previous box is the font, it is now much more bubbly and friendly, as the characters are unaligned and change in size. It would be much more appealing to children, as the last font was very serious.
They feature a picture of the cereal in the bowl of milk, again, with the three mascots behind it, jumping in joy.
There is still some nutritional information, as it tells you what vitamins are inside it and it also displays the GDA chart at the top right-hand corner.

evolution of cereal boxes - cornflakes

Here I will be researching and evaluating versions of Cornflakes packaging.



This Cornflakes box features a lot of vector graphics that make up the image of a chicken. The overall complexion of the design is very simple, and would be very easy to re-create. The logo for the Kellogg’s company is one of the first things you see, as the red text on a white background makes it stand out, you also get drawn to the word ‘corn’ as it is in such a large font size, and we immediately read what is above that word, the Kellogg’s logo, to fully read what could be a sentence or part of the product name.
The only picture on the box is the image of the bowl of cornflakes, by looking at this image we can see, apart from the cornflakes, some strawberries and milk. This suggests that the cereal tastes best with these two added ingredients, which lets potential new users know about the product. Also with the strawberries in the picture it can also promote a healthier breakfast, which would be of interest to food conscious people and parents.
The cartoon chicken is the mascot of the Kellogg’s cornflake brand, and, although it’s less appealing in this version of the packaging, it would be appealing to a younger audience. Also the oval ‘sticker’ in the bottom right-hand corner of the box advertises a ‘basketball game’, this would also appeal to a younger audience, as the font used and the placing of the letters is uneven and ‘fun looking’.
There aren’t many colours used on this box, mainly red and white. These colours don’t stand out too well in a shelf full of cereal, but sheer size of the word ‘corn flakes’ makes it stand out a lot more.



This is the most recent Cornflakes packaging. It has changed a lot compared the one above, the image of the chicken is now more 3D and detailed. The Kellogg’s logo is still situated at the top left-hand side of the page, and it now acts as a mask on the image of the chicken. However, usually the logo is in red but here it is white on a red image, which has a white background so the logo still stands out and is still easily recognisable.
The name of the brand is now positioned vertically on the right hand-side, it is still in a large font size, and even though its place vertically, you can still read it perfectly as it is black text on a white background.
Because Kellogg’s Cornflakes is an intercontinental renowned brand, you can only see a limited amount of the cereal. This is because the cereal is so popular and common enough people know about it without needing to see a picture of the cereal.
The colours used on this packaging are much brighter than the one above, the image of the chicken is much more noticeably improved, as now it has light shades around the edges and more shades of the colours used.

evolution of cereal boxes - sugar puffs

Here I will be researching and evaluating versions of Sugar Puffs packaging.

This old Sugar Puffs box is still similar to the most modern box, it features the face of the HoneyMonster, with the same facial expression. The font used on the packaging is very bold and curvy. It fits the name of the brand Sugar Puffs as the text looks ‘puffy’.
On this box the HoneyMonster is holding a spoonful of Sugar Puffs, compared to the other two examples where he is pictured with a bowl full. Only having a spoonful of the product doesn’t allow the potential customer an extensive look at what the product actually looks like.

The colours used on the packaging are fairly plain, and no gradients are seen. The lack of contrasting colour can work against the product as the cereal wont stand out in a shelve full of other brands.

At the top of the box it says 'Honey Monster' and around the word there are several rips, where you would assume the HoneyMonster has ripped the paper covering its name. This indicates that they are introducing the HoneyMonster, who first appeared in the mid 1970's

This newer Sugar Puffs packaging is very similar to the one above in that the layout and general content are virtually identical. There are a few changes in the graphics, the logo shape for the Sugar Puffs is now filled with a honeycomb texture, and the picture of a bee next to it puts extra emphasis that this cereal contains honey.

The background on the box now features clouds, I can’t think of any reason to do this apart from making the packaging busier and perhaps having white in there might attract more attention to it. This box also has an image of the cereal inside a bowl, this lets the audience have a look at what this cereal looks like, and it also tells the audience that this cereal tastes best with milk, if they didn’t already know that. This box also includes a free gift, which will be appealing to a young audience as it offers as an extra incentive to buy this product so they can play with this toy.
One inclusion on this packaging, that isn’t on the previous one, is the description of the cereal. They use words such as ‘nutritious wheat puffs’ and ‘fortified with vitamins & irons’ to appeal to an older audience, as they would be more inclined in a product that is good for you. The words ‘coated in honey & brown sugar’ would be more appealing for kids as it makes them seem delicious, and kids wont be too bothered by the nutritional information.

The main difference between the two boxes is the colour. The first box is very dull and plain, whereas this box is a lot bolder with a lot of strong, eye-catching colours which will make it stand out more in a shelf of other cereals.

This box, the current packaging, still has some of the same content as the previous two boxes. The text has changed, the words ‘Sugar Puffs’ now have a thick white outline and white shade inside. This gives the words more of a 3D look which makes them ‘jump out’ at you, as well as appearing ‘puffy’. The shape behind the logo still has the honeycomb texture but is now brighter and has a sunburst coming out behind it, this makes the name of the brand really stand out.
There is an image of the Honey Monster pouring milk into the cereal, this tells any potential consumer that this cereal should be eaten with milk. The background colour on this box is plain, and a lot brighter than the previous boxes, this shade of blue further helps the box to stand out. They have more information about the product on this packaging, they have a sticker saying ‘no artificial anything’ and they also have the GDA charts at the top right-hand side of the box. This information is important for the parents of kids who eat the cereal.

new project: packaging yourself

I will be using this blog to document my research for this project. For this project we have to design a soap or cereal box with our own name as the brand. I will also be keeping a sketch book to further add to my research and product development.