Talking about product packaging design

Abstract: We should treat modern packaging design as a form of culture. From the three levels of cultural structure, we can see that the structure of packaging design culture is composed of multiple physical layers. The three are interconnected. The packaging design culture is both national and contemporary, and they are manifested in different aspects of the cultural structure. Together constitute the packaging design culture as a whole. The color of packaging is our concern and it occupies a particularly important position. Make the product have a visual feature that is distinct from other products and it will guide consumption.

Keywords: packaging design, cultural form, packaging design, packaging, color design

As an important part of the product, product packaging is widely used in life and production. As early as 3000 BC, the Egyptians began to artificially cast and blow the original glass bottles for containing objects. At the same time, the Egyptians used papyrus' hearts to make a kind of original paper for packaging. In 105 AD, Cai Lun invented papermaking and appeared in China with paper stickers. In the development of human history, packaging design has promoted the continuous development of human civilization. Today, packaging not only stays at the level of product protection, it has brought humans the visual pleasure and value of the perfect combination of art and technology. Psychological enjoyment.

As a packaging designer, we must give packaging a new design concept. We must understand the society, understand the company, understand the products, understand the consumers, and make accurate design positioning. The idea of ​​packaging design is a strategic design guideline. Without positioning, there is no purpose, targeted, there is no target audience, the product will not be sold out, which will lose the significance of a new era of packaging design, only to follow the design rules in order to make the design suitable for the needs of the development of the times.

First, modern packaging design is a cultural form

Packaging design culture is both national and contemporary, and they are manifested in different aspects of cultural structure. Together constitute the packaging design culture as a whole, modern packaging design is a culture-based, life-based, modern-oriented design discipline. Therefore, both in theory and in practice, we should treat packaging design as a form of culture: In modern society, the study of design theory is not only an in-depth analysis of a discipline, but should be a variety of Interdisciplinary views. Looking at the packaging design activity as a cultural phenomenon is not only a matter of simple material function satisfaction and spiritual needs, but also a connotation that must be explored by modern designers. The layer is the most active factor. It is active and frequent, and exchanges are convenient. At the same time, foreign advanced science, culture and technology, and product infiltration are playing a leading role in this cultural shock. In the market, product packaging is updated. An endless stream. The organizational system layer is the most authoritative factor, which stipulates that the overall nature of the packaging design culture is an important link for maintaining the inter-group relationship of design, and it is also a guarantee for the scientific and effective implementation of packaging design. This level consists of a set of intrinsic criteria systems, which are used by packaging designers as designers. Different design concepts will bring different behavioral styles and social outcomes, recognizing new requirements imposed on us by the new environment, and mastering new ideas, concepts, and new methods that meet such new requirements. This is the new design concept. height.

Packaging cultural elements spread in space and time, exist in a certain space, that is, the inevitableness of the same social crowd, resulting in the nationality of the packaging design culture, because the culture exists within a certain period of time, that is, the inevitable changes in the social historical changes In the past, the packaging culture has created the era and nationality of the packaging design culture, the nationality of the packaging design culture, and the genesis of culture. It is precisely because the culture of the world does not originate from the same source, and there must be national issues. Therefore, it will inevitably form a unique national culture. The nationality of packaging design culture is mainly reflected in the conceptual level of the packaging design culture structure, which reflects the psychological commonality of the entire nation. Different cultures and different cultures lead to different cultural concepts, directly or indirectly, in their own design activities and products. Such as the German design of science, logic and rigorous, rational style, Japan's novel, smart, light and exquisite and full of human features, and Italian design and romantic sentiments, etc., these are all born in their different ethnic cultures In the atmosphere of ideas, another example is the smoothness of Chinese packaging design style, complete morals, formal integrity, and symmetry, which are also the reflection of the introverted psychological characteristics and relatively conservative social consciousness of the Chinese people.

Packaging design culture is ethnic, but also the era. Packaging design culture has its time, mainly reflected in the organizational structure of the packaging design culture and the material outer layer. However, design is closely related to the times and focuses on ideas. With the globalization of economy and the rapid development of science and technology, the subjective forms of society have undergone fundamental changes. Different eras have their own standards, and today’s or yesterday’s can’t be regarded as an absolute, sole criterion. The packaging design culture that must be known for the evaluation of historical design culture has its own absolute content, has its own concept system, has its own historical development status, and has the imprint of this era, so it also has corresponding eras. Limitations, without these understandings, we cannot have a comprehensive grasp of the era of packaging design culture.

Each ethnic group’s packaging design culture forms a design culture system. Each ethnic group's packaging design culture of a certain era also forms its own cultural system. Different packaging design culture systems contain some common cultural factors. Some different cultural elements, the former show the universality of the packaging design culture, the latter shows the particularity of the packaging design culture.

Second, understand the cultural concept of packaging design, now on the design of the packaging design and color design to explain

The configuration of product images, text, and background in the packaging pattern must focus on attracting customers' attention and directly promote the brand. The stimulation of the customer's packaging pattern is more specific, stronger, more convincing than the brand name, and often accompanied by immediate purchasing behavior. The general principles of its design are:

1. The form and content should be the same, clearly and clearly, you can see the product itself when you look at the package.

2, to fully display the goods. This is mainly done in two ways. One is to use realistic color photo representations to truly reproduce the product. This is most popular in food packaging, such as chocolate, candy, canned food, etc., realistic color photographs will make the color, taste, and type appear to be dripping; the second is to directly display the product itself. Transparent packaging and open skylight packaging are very popular in food, textiles and light industrial products.

3, have detailed and detailed text description. There are also specific instructions for the raw materials, preparation, efficacy, use, and maintenance of the product on the packaging pattern. If necessary, brief diagrams should also be included.

4, to emphasize the color of the product image. It is not just transparent packaging or the use of color photographs to fully express the inherent color of the product's performance. Instead, it uses the color tone of the image that expresses a large variety of products, and quickly ascertains the content of the package based on color. For example, the upper body of the Marlboro cigarette case adopts dark red, the lower body is pure white, and the color is striking and prominent, reminiscent of the masculinity of the western cowboy. The logo of Philip Morris, which is stamped with gilding on the top of the cigarette case: Two horses guarding a golden crown, together with the black Marlboro logo, make people feel that Marlboro is extraordinary.

5, "Shimen family" type of packaging, it is necessary to focus on the main display of the packaging. Any product produced by a company or produced under the same brand name, regardless of variety, size, size, shape, shape and pattern of packaging, adopts the same pattern, even the same color, gives a unified impression. Customers can see that the product is the Ho brand.

6, pay attention to the efficacy design. The functional design of the packaging pattern is mainly shown in the following aspects: 1 The protection performance design includes moisture proofing, mildew proofing, tamper proofing, shock proofing, leak proofing, shatterproofing, and extrusion proofing. 2 Convenient performance design, including convenience for store display, sales; convenient for customers to carry, use, etc. 3 sales performance design, that is, without the introduction or demonstration of sales staff, customers can rely on the "self-introduction" of the packaging screen to understand the goods, and thus decide to purchase.

Packaging design techniques require consumers to be impressed with their simple lines, vivid personalities, and reasonable colors. Take the Royal Salute 21 in Scotch Whisky as an example. The wine was carefully brewed over 21 years and was decorated with blue, red, and green royal colors in royal porcelain bottles. The bottle was engraved with the image of a knight who held a sword across horses. There were two logos on the brand's logo. Sailing guns and a 21-year old wine certificate issued by the Scotch Whisky Association show that the entire package is elegant and rich. So that some people drink wine, carefully collect the bottle.

Third, packaging color design

Color plays a particularly important role in packaging design. In the fiercely competitive commodity market, it is necessary to make products have visual characteristics that are distinct from other products, more attractive to the charm of consumers, stimulate and guide consumption, and enhance people's memory of the brand. This is inseparable from the color design. And use.

Japanese color expert Da Zhihao had done in-depth research on the color design of packaging. In his book Color Fundamentals, he proposed the following eight requirements for the color design of the package:

1. Whether packaging colors can be clearly identified in competitive products;

2. Is it a good symbol of product content;

3. Whether the color is in harmony with other design factors and effectively represents the quality and weight of the product;

4. Whether it is accepted by the product purchaser;

5, whether it is a higher degree of visibility, and can have a good set of characters on the text;

6, the effect of a single package and stacking effect of multiple packages;

7, color in different markets, whether the display environment is full of vitality;

8. Whether the color of the product is not limited by the color management and printing, the effect is the same.

These requirements are undoubtedly realistic in the practice of color design for commodity packaging. With the diversification of consumer demand and the segmentation of the commodity market, the requirements for brand packaging design have become increasingly strict and meticulous. In order to more accurately grasp the different requirements of different types of product packaging color design, such as cosmetics in the high-end perfumes, soap and women's clothing products, etc.; men use such as cigarettes, alcohol, high-grade candy, chocolate, exotic luxury specialty products. This kind of product requires a unique personality in particular, and the color design needs special atmosphere, high price, and luxury. For example, French high-end perfumes or cosmetics have mysterious charm and show Paris's romantic atmosphere. This kind of product should be elegantly designed regardless of the package type or color. For another example, whisky, packaging design must have a special atmosphere of living in the nobles of the 18th century in France, cigarette packaging design requires a sense of aristocratic temperament. The cigarettes of KENT cigarettes are white in color. A white ancient castle stands in white and is accompanied by the golden “KENT” trademark, which reminds people of the noble life in the old castle. . The packaging of such products should give people a feeling of high-priced brand names. The domestic "Moutai", "Wuliangye" and "China Tobacco" premium packaging are also starting to be designed in line with international brand names.

The purpose of packaging is to make the goods have a shell that matches their contents when they are transported and sold; this requires that the packaging not only has a good technical design to protect and characterize the complete quality of the product, but also has a good visual design effect to ensure the goods The smooth sales. As a specific design activity, a package design, a design that has a wide influence on human lifestyles, if it fully and correctly realizes its potential, it can reduce or mitigate the drawbacks that have emerged; on the contrary, it will exacerbate these conflicts.

About the author: Wang Mi Guizhou Institute of Fine Arts reproduced from: "Packaging Design"