Packaging and Merchandising Design- Exercises: Case Study

3/9/2023- /9/2023 / Week 1 - Week 4

Chuah Kwai Pin / 0348376
Packaging and Merchandising Design / Bachelor of Design (Hons) in Creative Media / Taylor's University 
Task 1: Exercises 

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INSTRUCTIONS

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LECTURES

Week 2- What is Packaging

Introduction

• Packaging is the container or wrapping that holds a product and protects it
• It is the process of making the packaging look attractive, with consideration of target audience, brand identity, ease of use and sustainability
• Encompasses various elements: shape, colour, typography, imagery and material choices.
• A successful packaging design must balance the need for functionality and aesthetics to be both effective and visually appealing.

Week 3- Understanding Board Tools & Techniques

Introduction

Tools that a packaging designer should have:

• Metal ruler
• Scoring tool
• Cutting mat
• T-square
• Adhesive- spray mount, PVA glue
• Cutter, scissors

The structure of packaging

• Goods have to be packaged correctly and the products are protected when they are transported
• Packaging comes in a variety of shapes, sized and colours

The six-sided box

• Most common polyhedron used in storage structures
• Simple to construct and practical to stack, transport and display
• Most recognisable form in retail packaging

The pyramid

• Designed with 3 or more sides
• Base will change accordingly to the design

The cone

• Similar to pyramid, but base is round with single triangular side that turns around onto itself along the base.

The cylinder

• Has a single vertical side that curves around onto itself
• Usually made with moldable materials such as plastic and metal instead of paperboard

The Studio Techniques

• Die cutting
• Embossing
• Perforations
• Pop-ups
• UV Varnish

Week 4- Boxes type and boxes style

Common types of boxes

1. Folding Cartons

• Most common type of boxes
• E.g. Cereal box

2. Rigid Boxes

• Sturdier and do not fold or collapse
• Not always used for higher end products where perceived value is important
• Used when the product is heavy and in need of extra support

3. Corrugated Boxes

• Commonly referred to as brown cardboard boxes
• Typically has three layers
• A wavy or fluted layer is sandwiched between two flat layers
• Mostly used to ship retail-ready products to stores all over the world

Common Elements in folded cartons

• Not only for style, but in dimensions as well
• Two types of tuck top: 
• Reverse Tuck End (RTE)
• Straight Tuck End (STE)

Reverse Tuck End (RTE)

• Top closure tucks from rear to front
• Bottom closure tucks from front to rear

Pros to RTE

• Cost effective because can run more boxes at a time
• Easy assembly
• Works well for light-weight products
• Relatively quick to load product into packaging

Cons to RTE

• Cannot hold heavy products well
• Not as aesthetically pleasing, can see visible raw edges at the front of box

Straight Tuck End (STE)

• Both the top and bottom closures tuck from front to rear

Pros to STE

• No white raw edges visible, looks more luxurious
• Avoids any blockade between tuck flap and front window film
• Easy assembly
• Works well for light-weight products
• Relatively quick to load product into packaging

Cons to RTE

• Cannot hold heavy products well
• More expensive, manufacturers less boxes at one time

Tuck Top Snap-Lock Bottom (TTSLB)

• Known as "1-2-3 bottom"
• Has bottom closure that closes in 3 simple steps

Pros to TTSLB

• Easy assembly
• Compact storing
• Works well for heavy-weight products
• Relatively quick to load product into packaging

Cons to TTSLB

• Takes more time to set-up
• More expensive than bottom tuck box

Tuck Top Auto Bottom (TTAB)

• Has a bottom closure that makes setting up box easy

Pros to TTAB

• Super fast assembly
• Compact storing
• Works well for heavy-weight products
• Super speedy to load product into packaging

Cons to TTAB

• More expensive than bottom tuck box or snap-lock bottom

Week 6- Packaging and Branding

What is a packaging?

• A container for a product
• Cover and protect the physical appearance of the product
• Includes design, colour, shape, labelling and materials used
• Plays a role in communicating the image and identity of a company

The Importance of Packaging and Branding for Businesses

Attracts attention and differentiates from competitors

• Well-designed packaging can grab the consumer's attention and make a good first impression

Builds brand identity and recognition

• Consistent branding can reinforce brand image and create a strong brand identity
• This can lead to customer loyalty and trust

Branded house: A strategy where more than one company's products are sold under one name

House of Brands: Each brand has its own brand identity, often representing a separate demographic, need, or occasion.

Communicates brand message

• Packaging design can be used to convey information about the product (quality, ingredients, and benefits)

Influences consumer perception

• A well-designed packaging can make the product appear more premium or high-quality.
• Can influence a consumer's perception of the brand as a whole

Supports Marketing and Promotions

• Seasonal packaging can create excitement and drive sales around a product during specific times of the year.
• Packaging can be used to promote special offers or discounts

Consistency in Packaging and Branding

• Customers are more likely to make purchases and commit to your company if they recognise your brand and have a positive association

Week 7- Introduction to Shelf Display

• The whole point is to stand out from a crowd
• One of the most effective ways of grabbing attention is through point-of-purchase display
  

P.O.P Display

• Well-designed POP display can help separate a product from its competitors, focus consumer attention, & serve as a firected advertisement.
• Should complement the current advertising campaign and show package in its best light.

Shelf-Talker P.O.P

• Small signs attached to a retail shelf ledge. Utilised with data strips.
• Attract and communicate with customers as they are wandering the aisles

Wobbler

• Tags stuck shelves, or other surfaces to stand out
• They point customers to your product, making it stand out against other competitiors

High-Back Countertop P.O.P

• Floor standee

Window Displays

• Gains interest of passer-bys and kindles a desire to buy the product on display

Floor Sticker 

• Perfect for reinforcing existing advertising.
• Great space savers, ideal for supermarket aisles, shopping centres, etc. 

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TASKS

Exercises: Case Study

For the first 4 weeks, we are required to conduct a case study on four market products with poor packaging design. In the case study, we have to cover:

Product Analysis

• Identify challenges and shortcomings
• Consider factors including functionality, aesthetics, sustainability, target audience and branding

Market Research

• Assess how the current packaging aligns with the expectations and preferences of the target audience

Competitor Analysis

• Research and analyse the competitor products of the same category
• Identify the trends and best practices in design within this product category

Week 1

Fig. 1.1 OSK New Family Japanese Green Tea (Front & Back)

Fig. 1.2 OSK New Family Japanese Green Tea (Side)

The first thing about this packaging design that caught my attention from the shelf was its vibrant green colour. Taking a closer look at the front view design in Fig. 1.1, it is not the most visually pleasing to look at as the typography lacks proper hierarchy and it overlaps with the visual image included below. The visual image looks like it was just slapped on top of the design and does not look strategically placed to showcase the product. Besides that, the textured pattern in the background is distracting and makes it difficult to read the words printed on top of it, especially those in long paragraphs of text. It would require a lot of effort to squint the eyes to read the information.  Although the side information on the right looks attractive, there is a weakness in communication as it reads "50 extra 10 bags free". At first glance, it was confusing because I interpreted it as 50 extra, which was too good to be true. A better way to rephrase it would be "50 bags with extra 10 bags free". 

Looking at the structure and functionality of the packaging, the box is made of thin cardboard that is strong enough to hold 60 lightweight teabags. The material of the box used is suitable to protect the teabags, provided that they are not transported with heavy items that would crush the boxes. One commendable trait is that the box is perforated, making it easy to tear open.

Target Audience: Middle-aged to elderlies who enjoy drinking green tea.

Looking at the design style of the packaging, it seems to adopt a more traditional style which would be favoured by older people. The design is very direct and straightforward, without the use of decorative elements and proper photography to market the product. 

Fig. 1.3 Twinings Green Tea Packaging

The recent trends in green tea packaging designs can be seen in this modern design style used for Twinings Green Tea packaging, Fig. 1.3. Similar to OSK's packaging design, the main background colour is green, except the shade of green in Twinings' design is a lot more soothing and comfortable to look at. There is also a very clear text hierarchy, and the use of negative spaces makes it easy for consumers to digest the information in bits. There is also the use of relevant visual images such as the green leaves in Fig. 1.3, unlike OSK's design in Fig 1.2 which displayed the teacup and teabags literally. 

Overall, the functionality of OSK's packaging in Fig. 1.1 is commendable as it is of standard with their competitor products. However, OSK's packaging design is significantly less attractive and visually appealing compared to the more modern and recognised brand such as Twinings in Fig. 1.3.

Week 2

Fig. 1.4 Nita's Creamy Peanut Butter

While looking through the aisle of peanut butter and jam, this particular packaging for peanut butter caught my attention because of how complicated it looked. There are too many colours used in the background and in the typography, which makes the overall design a lot messier and uncoordinated. In terms of text hierarchy, it is defined rather clearly, except the typography used can be improved by keeping it simple without any effects. The longer paragraph of the product description is very difficult to read as the font is small and placed on such a busy and colourful background. As for the visuals, real images of peanuts have been used for the background and as a visual representation of the product at the front, highlighted in a white outline. There is also an illustration of an elephant on the bottom left of the design which is not very relevant to peanut butter, besides the fact that they like to eat peanuts. The brand might have attempted to make the elephant their mascot. 

Taking a look at the functionality and structure of the packaging, it serves its purpose of keeping the peanut butter safe from spillage. However, since the packaging is designed with a detachable lid instead of a cap, the product might not have a long shelf life as the lid may not seal the container tight enough. The form, size and height of the packaging are quite ideal as they make scooping the peanut butter easy for consumers.

Target Audience: People who enjoy cheap, locally-made peanut butter

By studying the design style of the packaging in Fig. 1.4, it looks like a locally made product. The reason behind this is because of its poor design that does not look very reliable and promising. A well-established brand would put more effort into making its products look appealing, delicious and premium. The peanut butter in Fig. 1.5 would be a good choice for those who favour cheap and local-made goods.

Fig. 1.5 Skippy's Peanut Butter

An example of a good peanut butter packaging design is by Skippy in Fig. 1.5. The colours used are very captivating. With the two shades of blue in the background, the contrasting red colour used for their brand logo really stands out from the rest. There are also relevant and straightforward illustrations used which are the peanuts and the peanut butter itself at the bottom of the design. The choice of typography is also suitable as it looks very interesting and full of personality just like the rest of the design. Unlike in Fig. 1.6 Nita's design, the typography used looks very boring, monotonous and hardly legible.

In short, Nita's packaging design for their peanut butter in Fig. 1.4 does not appear aesthetic enough to convince consumers to purchase them. Especially when their brand is not well-established, with a poor design, the product may look unreliable and low in quality. Although the structure of Nita's packaging in Fig. 1.4 does prevent the peanut butter from spillage, it is still not as safe and protective as Skippy's jar in Fig. 1.5 which has a cap that can seal tight.

Week 3

Fig. 1.6 Bird's custard powder

Walking through the bakery section, this packaging design stood out to me because of its bright, vibrant and contrasting colours. The colours used are mainly the 3 primary colours, blue, red and yellow. However, for a custard powder product, those 3 colours are not the most ideal as it does not really suggest a food product. Without reading the product name, it is difficult to tell that it is a custard powder product due to a lack of appropriate visuals. In terms of text hierarchy, it is well defined as the brand name is in bold with a large font size, followed by the product name that has also been given emphasis by using a big font size. The brand logo however is not that noticeable as it is placed rather small in the bottom corner of the packaging design. As for the product information on the back of the packaging, there are 2 languages used which are English and Chinese. Due to the large amount of information to include, the font sizes are very small and it is hardly legible. One commendable trait is that the important headings are in red to differentiate them from the rest of the black text. There is also a visual image included at the back of the packaging that shows a few types of desserts that can be made from custard powder. However, it would be a lot more attractive if the visual image is included at the front of the packaging so that it shows clearly what the product is.

As for the functionality and structure of the product, it is typical for powdered food products to use plastic packaging. Based on the thickness of the material, it feels sturdy and secure enough to prevent any rips or tears that will cause spillage. For better protection, it is advised to use a box as it can prevent direct contact with the plastic packaging and prevent risks of spillage.

Target Audience: Traditional bakers who value trusted brands.

Taking a look at Bird's packaging design in Fig. 1.6, it looks simple and traditional, making use of its brand colours as the main point of attraction. The reason why this brand is well-known is because of its long history that goes back to 1837. Due to this, many consumers and frequent bakers are familiar with the brand, which makes them purchase the product repeatedly despite it not being visually appealing. Being a well-established brand, consumers put trust and loyalty into the product, which is why the packaging design is not the most important factor for the brand.

Fig. 1.7 Weikfield's custard powder

Fig. 1.7 is a good example of custard powder packaging by Weikfield. The colours used are comfortable to look at, and they look appetizing unlike Bird's design in Fig. 1.6. The main colours include cream for the background and red and green for the brand logo. A visual image of a custard bowl with fruits is also included to show consumers what the product would look like. As for the text hierarchy, the brand logo is placed clearly at the top of the product, followed by the product name which has been given emphasis by using a larger font size and different font. One commendable trait about this design is that the main information to be conveyed is all found at the center of the packaging and is further emphasised by a red-coloured shape, in contrast with the background. Weikfield has also used a box to protect and package their product, which is a much more secure choice compared to Bird's packaging.

To sum up, Bird's packaging design in Fig. 1.6 is simple and straightforward, making use of vibrant colours that unfortunately do not represent the product well enough. The front design also lacks a visual image which is a significant design feature that can properly show what the product looks like. As for the structure and functionality of the packaging, the material used looks strong enough to hold the powder, but there would still be a risk of spillage if exposed to sharp objects that can rip the material.

Week 4

Fig. 1.8 Thien Huong Food's Instant Porridge

As I was looking through the instant food items, I found this packaging design for instant porridge. At first, I was really sceptical about the product, because the visual image looked a little ambiguous and unappetising. Although it is written on the product that it is fish-flavoured, the visual image on the design does not look like fish at first glance. Besides the visual image, the colours used on this packaging are also very random, with no fixed colour palette to follow. The colours used are all vibrant, such as red, yellow, hot pink, green, blue from the image and also a bit of orange and grey. However, too many colours make the overall packaging design too busy and messy, which distracts and confuses the consumers as it becomes difficult to read. In terms of text hierarchy, the important headings are emphasised using colours and larger font sizes compared to the rest of the body text. As for the brand logo, it is placed next to the product name which is quite noticeable. One commendable trait is the use of a red rectangular line to separate an area just to include product information. Given that the packaging is in circular shape, the arrangement of product information is relatively neat and easy to read.

As for the functionality and structure of the product, the shape of the packaging is just like a normal bowl that we eat out of, but it might not be very convenient to hold as it is quite wide. In addition, the plastic material used for the product might not be suitable as it is too thin for heat insulation. With the thin material used, the overall weight of the product is also rather light, which may lead to spillage if it is knocked over by accident. A suggestion for the material would be polystyrene or plastic foam as they are thicker and good insulators of heat.

Target Audience: People who are tight on budget and too busy to prepare a proper meal. 

Looking at the instant packaging design in Fig. 1.8, it can be easily identified as cheap and low cost just by looking at the design and material used. For most people who have never tried this product, it will be unlikely for them to try it as the visual image does not look fresh and appetising. However, as it says on the packaging that it is instant, it requires a minimum effort to prepare the food. Hence, people who are looking for inexpensive and quick options would go for this instant porridge.

Fig. 1.9 Knorr's Instant Cup Porridge

Knorr's Instant Cup Porridge packaging design in Fig. 1.9 is a good example of well-designed packaging. The visual image of the corn porridge looks appetising and it directly tells the flavour of the porridge to consumers without having to read the product name. The choice of colours are also very suitable, with green and yellow as the main colours and a bit of red from its brand logo. In terms of hierarchy, the brand logo is found at the top left of the product which is very identifiable, followed by the product information on the right side. The flavour of the porridge is given an emphasis by using a yellow strip to differentiate from the green background. Looking at its structure and functionality, the shape of the container is more like a cup compared to Thien Huong Food's in Fig. 1.8 which looks like a bowl. The cup is a lot more convenient to hold and carry around compared to a wide bowl. Besides that, the material used for Knorr's packaging is of higher quality and is suitable for heat insulation compared to Thien Huong Food's in Fig. 1.8.

Overall, Thien Huong Food's packaging design in Fig. 1.8 looks relatively busy and messy due to its poor choice of colours and visual image. The packaging material is also not very suitable as it is too thin for heat insulation, which would be difficult for consumers to hold and carry around due to the heat.

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FEEDBACK

Week 3

- All 4 of the chosen packaging are suitable to be analysed.

- Talk about the shortcomings of the packaging design, but also include any good traits if there are any.

- For packaging designs that look cheap in terms of design and material, can mention that the target audience is for low-income families.

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REFLECTION

Experience

This exercise has allowed me to analyse (and rant) about a poor packaging design. Although it has become an unconscious habit of mine to study packaging designs whenever I am in a store, I never noticed how disastrous some of the designs are. All 4 of these products were purchased from 99 Speedmart, and I was very careful about choosing the poorly designed packaging as sometimes it might just be a personal preference. 

Observation

I observe that most of the poorly designed packagings are from small local brands or brands that are not well-known. Most of the time, these products are sold at a relatively cheap price and can only be found in convenience stores and Speedmart such as 99 Speedmart, Econsave and Segi Mart. Packaging designs like Nita's peanut butter and Thien Huong Food's instant porridge is almost impossible to find in bigger stores like Jaya Grocer and Village Grocer. 

Findings

I find that the choice of typography, colours and appropriate visual image are the most important elements for a good packaging design. With strategic and proper design, it can even turn a low-quality product into a high-end premium product.