Print Based Packaging & Branding - Workshop (1)

Today, I was involved in a workshop which continued the development of investigating into branding and packaging. Our initial task was to bring in the 5 packaging items and 5 branding items. We first took out the packaging, in groups of 6 giving us around 30 pieces to work with. We then had to lay them out into three columns which was Top, Middle and Bottom in regards to the best types of packaging. Here is some photographs of the investigation...

There was many different reasons why which piece of packaging fell into which category and, as a group, we tried to pin point some of them by making lists. We jotted dow 5 main reasons why each piece of packaging belonged in each category and here is what we came up with...

High (High Quality)

• Nice Feel and Stock
• Sustainability
• Looks Expensive or Luxurious
• Durability 
• Net Complexity 
• Use of Colour (Black, Gold and White are generally considered high quality)
• Print Processes (Foiling, Embossing, Varnishing, Etc)
• Functional

Medium (Average Quality)

• Disposability 
• Durable, but poor design 
• Mundane
• Familiarity To Design (we become familiar to some design we see day in day out and it becomes boring and unappealing) 
• Ephemera
• Good and Bad aspects
• Functional, but not in excess of the standard of whats needed

Low (Poor Quality)

• Overcrowded Design
• Looking Mass-Produced
• Poor Quality images used on Design 
• Attempting Mimicry of other Brands/Designs
• Unnecessary Packaging 
• Sometimes Gaurish Colours (In Context)

Colour is contextual, so the choice of gaurish or subtle colours may suit the product. 

Design and feel is also subjective to an individual, making this task hard as many individuals disagree on what makes quality design.