Disruptive Package Design (eBook)

Paul Siems (Autor)

eBook Download: EPUB

2022 | 1. Auflage
154 Seiten
Bookbaby (Verlag)
978-1-6678-0855-0 (ISBN)

Packaging is everywhere we go - in every business and household. Consumer goods fall into the most competitive, fastest-growing, look-based market sectors on planet Earth. To create an emotional reaction in your consumer and trigger that 'buy now' response, your package design needs to disrupt the visual space in its category. This book outlines a common-sense approach to the matter and methods that can be executed on any budget.

Packaging is everywhere we go - in every business and household. Consumer goods fall into the most competitive, fastest-growing, look-based market sectors on the planet. To create an emotional reaction in your consumer and trigger that 'buy now' response, your package design needs to disrupt the visual space in its category. This book outlines a common-sense approach to the matter and methods that can be executed on any budget. Take the following into consideration:How do I create category-busting designs on a minimum budget?How do I find design solutions when there is no market research to reference?How do I deliver concepts that will outperform others on the shelf?How do I understand my clients' expectations?Why do graphic designers need to ask questions? Whether you're a graphic designer, a product developer, a start-up looking for that edge, you'll find value in what this book has to offer. You are going to be able to find creative direction for package design at your competitor's expense as well as project management solutions, and much more.

CHAPTER 2: FOR YOUR SANITY

Know your Parameters

I cannot stress the importance of knowing your print specs, restrictions, and general compliance standards enough. All of this should be included in the creative brief, with all of the pertinent information about the product development history. The print specs should speak to elements such as windows, transparencies, die-lines and color. The restrictions will be defined by compliance standards and print specs. You may find that you have certain restrictions on the amount of colors which you can implement in your design, as part of a print spec restriction. That being said, you would want to rule out using full resolution photos in your design. Finally, if compliance requires a certain font size for specific elements, you will have to keep that in mind. Compliance standards, as laid out by the regulatory officer, will be based on all government regulation requirements such as a guarantee analysis and weight statements. They should have official records to support any and all product claims. You can’t just go and stick the words “Vegan Suitable” on the side of a box and call it a day. If there is no scientific and legally binding evidence to support this fact, then anything found to be contrary of the claim is going to land your client in hot water.

As previously mentioned, these parameters are going to guide you in terms of your creative direction. It will inform you as to where you can place text, imagery and graphics, as well as where to provision space for product information and a barcode, if applicable.

So, what information should be included in the creative brief in terms of parameters; and how do you set about collecting this information? Remember, the word of the day is collaboration. Before you can even begin to put pen to paper, mouse to monitor or stylus to touchscreen, you need to get in touch with the necessary stakeholders first. Everyone from the regulatory authority to market researchers and even the printers need to be on your list.

The Regulatory Authority

Before you can begin navigating your way through print specifications and the like, it’s always best to ensure that your client’s product has gone via the necessary regulatory authority in order to ascertain what product claims they should be using in their product design. They will most likely have had to go through a governmental organization such as the US Food and Drug Administration, or the FDA. Make sure that you’re aware of the relevant regulatory authorities in your neck of the woods. Not only this, but you should also be aware of the regulatory authorities that are responsible for specific, or niche, sectors such as cosmetics. If you were designing a package for a cosmetic product in Ireland, for example, your client would have had to go through the Health Products Regulatory Authority, or the HPRA. While it isn’t technically your responsibility to ensure that product claims have been correctly handed down by the relevant regulatory authority, it makes for more ethical work practices. If you’re working for a ‘newbie’ in the industry, they may be unaware of the fact that their product claims need to be scientifically verifiable and handed down to them by the relevant overseeing organization.

Interview the Stakeholders

Print specifications will vary from project to project and they will be very specific to the manufacturer or print provider. Most of the print providers that I have worked with have their own graphic design team that handles the preflight, or separation, process. If you are working with a print provider who provides this service, you are in luck! They will be able to apply finishing touches to your artwork file in areas of the print specs that you may not have understood. This takes loads of stress off of you as a graphic designer as you are not pressured to get the file perfect. Ultimately, it allows you to focus more on creating the art itself.

I believe that it is this reason that many graphic designers are intimidated by package design projects. They view it as too difficult to meet these specs. This should not be the case and should be viewed as a very rewarding experience.

The designers who are tasked with this role at these manufacturers are very helpful and are always willing to take time out of their day to help you understand everything that you need to know about their processes. I recommend calling them to arrange a visit at the start of any project, regardless of whether or not you understand their specifications documents. Most of the time they will give you information that isn’t covered in those documents, such as services, or shortcuts, that could save you a ton of time. When it comes to package design there are a lot of elements that could make or break your final product. These specs form part of those elements, so don’t be a hero! Ask for as much information and guidance as necessary so that you are not scrambling to correct a whole slew of errors in the midnight hour.

In many cases, you will also have to reach out to a co-packer, or manufacturer, who places the product into the packaging. There are situations in which the company that produces the package may not be the one which fulfills the orders and ships them. Not all die-lines will indicate where a lot-code or best by date will be printed on the package. It is usually determined by the production line equipment capabilities. This is very important to know so that you can designate an area for that code. Can you imagine having to change your entire design in a hurry at the last minute in order to compensate for a lot-code? You’ll end up with sloppy work and a substandard design that is nowhere near where you or your client envisioned it to be. Prevention is better than cure, so prepare yourself with all the details before you get started. Once areas for this information have been determined, add it to your die-line layer within your artwork file. I’ll show you just how to add this in to your artwork in Chapter 7.

Something you need to address very early on is whether or not your client will allow you to contact their manufacturing partners directly for any questions that you have. The creative industry can also be quite cut throat; and as such, clients are very protective of their contacts. In some cases, all communication will need to go through your client’s project manager.

Paper Might Grow on Trees, but Money Doesn’t

If, for any reason, your client would like you to stick to a traditional or standard package, the printing partner will be able to present you with the die-line templates which are used for that specific package. More often than not, a client will want to stick to standard packaging due to budget constraints. Remember, money isn’t everything when it comes to a creative design. Show off your creative flair now and your client will likely use your services again, and who knows; they could be in a better financial position to allow you creative freedom the next time round.

The printing partner will need a vector file in order to process the print request. Be sure to ask them whether or not this file will need to be a layered file; include cut-lines, or any other print-ready demarcations.

If your client is on a tight budget, they will likely have opted to use the services of a more budget friendly printing partner. While it doesn’t occur across the board, you may find that the printer does not have a wide range on their pantone matching system. Before you can put a design together, be sure to get the pantone palette that your client’s printing partner has. There’s no point in designing certain color elements that are not going to show up well on the final package.

Knowing the scale of the product for which you are designing will affect the type of printing that your client opts for and thus your design as well. If your client’s product is a short-run, custom product, the chances are that they will use digital printing. Digital printing is done electronically, and the cost remains the same at all scales. Offset printing is done via a custom, laser-etched, aluminum plate and works particularly well to curb the cost on large scale, long-run products. In essence, digital printing works well for smaller markets, while offset printing works well for mass markets.

Package Structure Notes

There are some pertinent pieces of information which you will need in order to make up your package structure notes. These notes are going to be your starting point with the project manager, manufacturer, or co-packer. Let’s have a look at the list below:

1. Are there display windows?

Display windows are commonly used to showcase a product. It’s like a sneak peek into what the customer is getting when they buy your client’s product. This can work wonders for your overall design or completely decimate it. It’s always best to opt for a window when the product lives up to the packaging. It should enhance the product image, not deplete it. In some cases, a package could have a window that’s not incredibly clear. Depending on the product, unclear design windows can make the product inside...

Erscheint lt. Verlag	5.1.2022
Sprache	englisch
Themenwelt	Wirtschaft ► Betriebswirtschaft / Management ► Marketing / Vertrieb
ISBN-10	1-6678-0855-9 / 1667808559
ISBN-13	978-1-6678-0855-0 / 9781667808550

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