There’s a longstanding industry term for the visual aspect of packaging: “Decoration.” Unfortunately, this arcane term represents everything wrong with the old way of thinking — that design is merely a façade to “fancy something up.” If a brand views design as the exterior of their packaging, they’re likely missing out on the deeper connection design has to a brand . Good design can inform the way the products are organized through to how the information is meant to be revealed at retail.
Too often we see great packaging containing lousy products, and vice versa. So few are able to deliver on the promise of the packaging. Personal care products share an intimate relationship with you. They are on your body all day! If it seems as if the people making the product have never spoken to the people designing the packaging, you’re right on the money.
Why is this so? It’s usually a strict adherence to “the way things were” and an unwillingness to deviate from processes that have been in place for decades. Unwillingness to take risks is likely the main reason so few companies adopt more modern working practices that could foster a more creative outcome. Most are too caught up in the day-to-day to innovate. Most are very beholden to corporate hierarchy to appreciate good that could come from asking fundamental questions.
