Miss Hilary

What is the purpose of packaging? What is the packaging trying to convey? What will it look like? Will the package create a desire for the consumer? Will the package hold the product in place? As we discussed in week 1, packaging can be separated into the structural part of the package and the graphics on the package. This week we focus on the structural form of the package. This includes the material that is used to make the package as well as the shape and size of the package.  The basic principles of design and the "Top Four Attention Grabbers" are essential elements of the packaging’s structural design to achieve effective visual communication in the distribution and consumer markets (Klimchuk & Krasovec, 2006). The basic principles of design consist of balance, contrast, tension, positive & negative elements, value, weight, position, alignment, hierarchy, and texture. Principles of design fortify the two-dimensional composition of the packaging scheme which is imperative in establishing the perception of a product (Klimchuk & Krasovec, 2006). Accordingly, the "Top Four Attention Grabbers" of color, physical structure & shape, symbols & numbers, and typography coupled with the basic principles drive marketability of a product and its success in the congested distribution arena (Klimchuk & Krasovec, 2006). As the elements, aforementioned, are the collaborative variables that capture a product's concept and value to the end-user. The consideration of costs, protection, sustainability, and transport feasibility must also be leveraged in the overall packaging design (Thackston, Galvarino, Ouzts, & Pham, 2011). As such, the distribution environment plays a major role in the solidification of packaging structural design to increase competitiveness and integrity of the product in the versatile retail market (Hussain, Ali, Noreen, & Ahmad, 2015).  To answer the question that was proposed take a look in your pantry, your local stores, and your utility closets. A picture is worth a thousand words. The structural design is made from paper, plastic, Styrofoam or maybe some type of metal. However, paper and plastic are the most widely used. Plastic and paper are the cheapest form of material and can be easily printed upon. Paper  Paper or more like cardboard is used to protect products. Milk cartons, cereal boxes, cookies, pet food, and few other products you can think of uses cardboard. Pictures, the name of the product, and other vital information are printed on the package. Marketers spend a lot of time to make the package speak and attract. Cardboard has advantages but also has disadvantages. Cardboard is easy to discard when done and is not bulky. Cardboard is cheaper than plastic and does not need labels. Liquid items are used in cartons. However, there is plastic coating used on the inside to protect the carton. The disadvantage of paper is  that if it gets wet, then the structure becomes weak, and the product can become jeopardized. Some products will be wrapped in plastic inside of the boxes to give an extra level of security. Plastic  Plastics, from hard plastic to the thin plastic bags, have many uses. Some plastics have the printed material on them such as potatoes chips. They make the picture look good, and the product is kept safe because of the packaging. The hard plastic is great for liquids. Manufacturers can manipulate plastic into a shape that is aesthetically pleasing to the eye and easy to handle. Labels are uses to convey product information. Lotions, soaps, and other products are also put into plastics. As you can see, product integrity and protection is the main usage of packages and marketing is another usage. Other material Products are used in other materials as well. Can you guess what they are? You got it -  glass and metal (aluminum). Most companies have switched from glass to plastic because of cost and plastic is easier to manipulate. Glass, however, has it one disadvantage; it breaks. One good drop and product and glass are everywhere and you have one upset customer. Better yet, while in transit, if not loaded properly, you can have a big mess on your hands. Plastic… well you know what happens if it drops, it just bounces. I remember commercials that tried to introduce the switch from glass to plastic. Marketers spent money to make sure that consumers were going to accept the switch. Aluminum is used for soups and sodas. The structure of this material protects its products, and the cost of the material can be expensive. Even if the product drops, the product is still protected. With these products, labels are used, or they can have the image or words on the package. Packages are attention grabbers. They usually have some way of being pleasing to the eye. Have you ever picked up something because of the attractiveness of a package? Transporting  Before you even start designing a package, you must understand the entire transport chain for the product. The assurance of effective transport packaging of goods and the considerations of the distribution environment are vital to the successful delivery and sale of products (Fiedler, 2014). The analysis and examination of a product's transportation network from the manufacturer to retail distributor are key factors that must be applied to the fundamental package design (Cooksey, 2015). We will first look at the transport environment. It is important to understand the environment in which a product will move before designing the package. To ensure maximum protection and effectiveness of packaging throughout delivery, a comprehensive, realistic analysis, which considers modes of transport, routes of distribution, environmental exposure, and intermittent and final storage factors, needs to be developed to optimize the supply chain (Fiedler, 2014). The quality and value from transport and retail packaging must also save costs while maintaining flexibility and meeting regulatory directives during a products life-cycle to drive logistical efficiencies and sustain performance throughout the distribution network (Saghir, 2004). Ultimately, as stated by Mazen Saghir (2004), "the packaging activities must fulfill safe, secure, efficient and effective handling, transport, distribution, storage, retailing, consumption and recovery, reuse or disposal and related information combined with maximizing consumer value, sale and hence profit" (p. 11). For example, packaged product shipping in the following scenarios will each encounter an entirely different experience:   · UPS or Federal Express · Freight truck · Air · Ship (in a container)   So we will look at some of the hazards that different types of products moving through different systems may encounter. You must also understand the types of hazards that might occur for different types of products. For example, the types of damage that might occur for food products is different than the types of damage that can occur to electronics. And each individual product within a classification will have different risks. For example, different types of food products carry different risks of different types of damage.   In some cases, a product may require two different types of packaging if it will be shipped different ways. For example, it does not make sense to package all of the products for UPS shipment if some will be shipped UPS and others will be shipped palletized in a truck.   References   ITC. PACKit Cross-Cutting Module-Packaging Design

Cooksey, K. (2015). Distribution environments are critical. Retrieved from  http://www.packworld.com/trends-and-issues/distribution/distribution-environments-are-critical

Fiedler, B. (2014). Designed for distribution. Retrieved from http://www.chainalytics.com /designed-for-distribution/

Hussain, S., Ali, S., Noreen, A., & Ahmad, S. (2015). Impact of product packaging on consumer perception and purchase intention. Retrieved from http://www.iiste.org/Journals/index.php/JMCR/article/viewFile/21725/21921

Klimchuk, M. & Krasovec, S. (2006). Packaging design: Successful product branding from    concept to shelf. Retrieved from http://library.books24x7.com.ezproxy1.apus.edu               /assetviewer.aspx?bookid=17151&chunkid=619462242&noteMenuToggle=0&l leftMenuState=1

Saghir, M. (2004). The concept of packaging logistics. Retrieved from  http://www.pomsmeetings.org/ConfProceedings/002/POMS_CD/Browse%20This%20CD /PAPERS/002-0283.pdf

Thackston, K., Galvarino, J., Ouzts, A., & Pham, A. (2011). Consumer purchasing based on  packaging structural design/product visual display in a retail environment. Retrieved from http://andrewd.ces.clemson.edu/courses/cpsc412/fall11/teams/reports/group7.pdf

 

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