Lotao Brief

I had an opportunity to work on the brief together with one German designer- Kersten von Sohlern.
The brief was:
This summer Lotao will start with a new salt serie. We are planning to start with two types of “Flor de Sal”: one pure version, and one version with “Tiger Pepper”.  The salt is made in Indonesia, at Bali island.

Target group: High End Consumer

Working title:

•  Bali Breeze. Fleur de Sal aus Indonesien

•   Tiger Breeze. Fleur de Sal mit indischem Tiger-PfefferThe 

Packing we are looking for:

150g Tin/Box

Black/White Color, maybe Blue for the Pure Version, and Red(?) for the Pepper Version.

Maybe this Salt-Tins/Packages should fit to the Kiss Series – more than to the Lotao Series.

This is example of the packaging for Kiss Series. The new Salt series should be similar to this one. And also I was given the measurements of the label, so I couldn't play with the structure design much. It was more about    the graphic.

Criteria:

1. The packaging has to be connected with Kiss series.

2. Pure version of the salt-blue pepper version-red

3. It has to be for 150g of salt

4. Thera are two names:

*Bali Breeze. Fleur de Sal aus Indonesien

*Tiger Breeze. Fleur de Sal mit indischem Tiger-Pfeffer

5. It has to be for High End Consumer.

6. The packaging has to show the value and quality of the product.

I created some draft sketches of the packaging: 

These tins I made with the exact measurements I was given. I came up with wave idea as it associate with the sea and breeze. I had to make it simple. It has to be connected with the Kiss series so I was trying to do similar layout. As i had given alrady the measurements by the company I couldn't play with the structure of the package. So I stared to make the graphic design for it. 

I was trying to reach the Bali atmosphere on the package so I was using images of traditional methods for collecting the salt from the sea.

But the images were a bit too complicated so I stayed with the wave and salt. 

i think they doesn’t look bad. I replaced the real wave picture with some kind of iconic wave drawing. It looks more interesting I think and has even more power than the real photo. 

As the real Bali salt has a shape of piramid cristals I used the photograph of it. And it actually looks more interesting than the normal salt. However there wuld be a problem I think because most peaople will not know what is this. 

For the pepper version I made the wave shape in red and for the salt I added some pepper.

In the last I removed the black stripe and in my opinion doesn’t look bad. The whole image for me looks like sea food or something which is connected with sea and that’s the point for this project.

The brief doesn't say anything about structure but I wanted to make it long to look more classy. The volume of the package is the same as the first ones I just made the a bit taller and thinner. I think with the shape like this they would stand out form the shop shelfs.

Ergonomics... why it is important in packaging design?

What is Ergonomics?

Ergonomics it’s about combining the science of the human body with

design to create products that look great, perform flawlessly, and fit

perfectly. It’s about fitting the users’ physical, cognitive, and emotional

needs. It may be defined as the application of scientific informations

concerning human beings to the problem of design. Ergonomics

require some kind of evidence that a satisfactory match between

product and user has been achieved.

The most important function of ergonomics in packaging design is

physical and psychological relationship between objects and the

people who use them. User has to interact with the equipment in

healthy, comfortable, and efficient manner.

Ergonomics is to make the usage of the given
product easier, more comfortable and clearer to understand.

“When simple things need pictures, labels, or
instructions, the design has failed.”
Donald A. Norman (2000,p.9)

I believe that Norman’s sentence is based on ergonomic regulations.

If the science of everyday life doesn’t communicate with the user as it

should, or directing him in wrong way I can assume the design wasn’t

ergonomically created.

I have to present the term of affordance as it refers to the perceived

and actual properties of the thing. Those fundamental properties

determine how the thing could possibly be used.

Each object has some affordances. They provide some clues to the

operation of things. For example knobs are for turning, balls are for

throwing or bouncing, glass is for seeing through and for breaking,

doors are for opening, closing and going through, etc. When the

affordances are taken advantage of, the user knows what to do just by

looking.

Affordance refers to what an object invites us to do.

However the design of the product or its packaging has to be clear that

invites the user whatever action is most sustainable and appropriate. If

you want people to carry out a specific action with a packaging, do not

rely on instruction, however clear and obvious they might be.

There are two main considerations in the design of a physical object,

its form or shape and the ergonomics of that form. The form is what

the object looks like and the story that this tells, while its ergonomics

consist of how it is designed in order to maximise user efficiency and

reduce strain.

To achieve the point above we need to familiarize with the subject of anthropometric. It is I suppose one of the most important branches of ergonomics. Anthropometric deals with body size, shape and strength. ‘Anthropo’ means ‘human’ and‘metrics’ means ‘measurements’. A general rule of ergonomics seeks to achieve the greatest possible level of comfort (or other satisfaction) for the greatest possible number of users. That’s why anthropometric is so important. To create a good design we have to know measurements of human body or just part of it. For example designing packaging for jewelry probably we need to know average measurements of the human hand.

I think for packaging ergonomics the most important part of humans 

body is a hand. Our hands interact with every packaging, we touch ,

carry, hold, open, close and grab it by our hands. Anthropometry in

case of packaging design concentrates mainly on hand measurements 

and capabilities. Through ergonomic design process the measurement 

should be taken for consideration as well as the hand movements and 

positions in particular actions.

Principles of Ergonomics in packaging design:

1. Reduce extensive force.  
Excessive force on your joints can create a potenti al for fati gue and
injury. In practical terms, the ergonomic design is to identi fy specific
instances of excessive force and think of/come across with idea/ ways
to make improvements.

 

2. Minimize fatigue and static load.

Holding the same position for a period of time is known as static
load. It creates fatigue and discomfort and can interfere with work.
Ergonomics deal with that to create packaging solutions witch would
be more comfortable to don’t force your muscles or joints.

 

3. Suitable size of the package.

The packaging has to suit your hand. In this case anthropometric will

have a significant role to adapt the packaging handle to the average

person or specific audience hand. But also size of the package has to

be suitable for the products. The package has to be designed to create

unity together with the product.

3a. Appropriate Weight of the packaging according to audience and the product.

The packaging shouldn’t be heavier than the product, but only in some

cases as for example beer crate. Because the product is heavy (24

beer bottles) the crate shouldn’t be heavier then it. It will be heavy

anyway so the packaging-crate has to be the lightest as it can (plastic,

cardboard).

 

3b. Proper Height and Width of the package suitable for product and audience.

The packaging should be appropriate for human size/audience size. If

it is something which is the size of the hand it should be designed to

hold it easy. It can not be very high or long unless it meets

requirements for easy to use.

 

4. Comfortable, stable, good structural and simple shape.

Shape has significant role as well. The shape give us the ability to

hold or carry the product stable. Here as well the designers should be

based on anthropometric and narrowly the measurement of humans

hand as most packaging we hold, open, carry, by our hands. The

product/packaging has to be easy to use-show easily its affordances

without any instructions.

 

5. Easy to read Color contrast.

It seems to be not really coherent with the science of ergonomics, but

actually color is also important. Ergonomics is about making the life

easier. It is the art of design which deals with all bad, uncomfortable,

difficult to use products. It is important to provide significant contrast

between type and its background.

 

6. Font easy to read.

The same thing is with the text on the packaging. It has to be easy to

read, simple otherwise it won’t be ergonomic as we will not be able

to read it.

My research is based mainly on books:

1. Norman A. D. (2000) The Desogn of Everyday Things, New York: Basic Book
2. Pheasant S. (1999) Bodyspace - Antropometry, Ergonomics and the Design of Work, London: Taylor&Francis
3. Pheasant S. (1987) Bodyspace - Ergonomics-standards and guidelines for designers, Suffolk: British Standards Institution

How to apply Perception of Luxury for everyday products?

Brief:
Design a package for peas that presents the idea of luxury brand, taking into account dominant signifiers of "luxury" from a wide range of packaging and other visual communication examples.


Visual Landscape for Luxury:



How is established perception of luxury?

How paradigms like surface design, structure and materials create perception of luxury?

Main packaging paradigms have significant impact on product perception. 

1. surface design – Luxury is presented mostly by colors as gold, silver or black. Used typeface decides as well about product perception.
2. structure – Luxury "looks" simple, clear, tidy but innovative/surprising. Window or transparency in package makes it more luxury as you can see what inside and feel about the product more confident.
3. materials – glass, wood, thick cardboard or even fabric as satin or silk. The material has to show precision, touching the luxury package should give impression of something special. Also weight of the package decides on product perception. It is commonly considered that heavier product is better/worthier.

CRITERIA

Luxury packaging should:

• have innovative shape but easy to use
• provide specific luxury colors as gold, silver or black
• be made from proper material (heavy, made with precision glass, metal,thick cardboard, satin)
• provide a window or be transparent
• have typeface which suggest luxury (uppercase letters)

My first idea was to make transparent plastic pea ball...

But actually it doesn't meet all luxury requirements... it is only transparent and plastic package wouldn't show its exceptionality because all current pea packages are plastic.

My another idea was to create a plastic can which looks like metal through surface design.

My designs don't look very real and luxury. And the costs of production would be more expensive than current plastic bag package. And we have to remember that package can not be more expensive than the product. This idea wasn't too bad considering the lid with dispenser, window in the tin and colors. I would have to work more on designs and visualization of that package to have better outcome. However I decided to move on and create something more effective and looking more luxury.

Similar surface but different shape and material. That one would be cheaper than previous one because it is just from cartoon box inside with same kind of foil like juice box.

As my designs weren't luxury enough I tried another approach...

Do peas need packaging at all? The pea pod gives peas a natural packaging.

What if peas in pods will be sold in an expensive shop in a big containers/wooden boxes?

• the shop has to provide a packaging for peas in pods next to the container/box
• customer can pick the product by himself – as much he want 

As peas are in pods and they are in a shop in the container they already look natural. Why don't make a package which looks natural/organic? 

Nowadays naturalness is considered as better value. I came up with ideas like: 

Paper bag with natural looking surface design and a natural string became as luxury as gold satin package. Luxury of the package depends on the product and current retail trend and habit and customers preferences.
Firstly I made the bag with the string then I make it more simple as it looks like envelope.
I set my criteria as the luxury packaging has to be gold or silver, shiny and be made from stable materials as glass or metal. But in this case for luxury pea pod packaging my idea met only with one of my criteria: shape easy to use. Is it enough?
I think that in my principles and paradigms I forgot to mention that nature nowadays is very luxury thing.  In the beginning of the project I didn't realize/notice that naturalness plays quite significant role in product value perception.