Design Process: Packaging

Packaging is one of the areas where materials and labeling meet. It is not clear if this is the most relevant area, or just the most prominent for discussions about recycling materials. Other materials, such as water or concrete, might need similar attention too?

Schifferstein HNJ, Lemke M, Boer A de. (2022) ‘An exploratory study using graphic design to communicate consumer benefits on food packaging’. Food Quality and Preference. 97, 104458. [DOI].

Aim of visuals: Are some mediums (text, image, style) more suitable for conveying certain consumer information than others on packaging? Focus on health, environment, and other benefits.
People: Each variant was rated by 59–92 USA-participants. 500 in total.
Method: Designer response + online survey.
Effect of visuals: ‘The findings suggest that consumers can handle multiple packaging messages, but finding an optimal configuration remains a design challenge.’
Suggestions for design: The cooperation with a skilled designer is essential for conducting these studies (page 12)
Suggestions for policy: -
Comment: The study claims: ‘This is the first study – to our knowledge – that explicitly considers the design process as an essential part of creating product packages.’ The detailed description of graphic design elements of the test materials is very good.

Kovačević D, Brozović M, Možina K. (2018) ‘Do prominent warnings make packaging less attractive?’. Safety Science. 110 (Part A), 336-343. [DOI].

Aim of visuals: Possible effects of warning messages on the packaging’s visual appeal.
People: 24 students in Zagreb, Croatia; 26 students.
Method: eye-tracking, [package was shown on screen.]; actual mock-up: likert scales.
Effect of visuals: Large and thick pictograms were noticed more quickly than small and thin pictograms, and this did not affect people’s perception of the packaging’s attractiveness.
Suggestions for design: The results suggest that pictograms should be enlarged and thickened to effectively attract attention.
Suggestions for policy: -
Comment: A non-standard warning pictogram on a package that was designed for the experiments. It is unclear how the warning relates to the product.

Apprich S. (2021) ‘Packaging design for recycling. A global recommendation for ‘circular packaging design’. University of Applied Sciences FH Campus Wien. Section Packaging and Resource Management. [Website].

This report of the World Packaging Organisation gives detailed guidelines for the design of sustainable packaging related to packaging materials.
Comment: The recommendation uses a traffic-light system to indicate ‘best case’, ‘if necessary’, and ‘to be avoided’.

Frommeyer B, Koch J, Scagnetti C, Lorenz M, Schewe G. (2024) ‘Recycled or reusable: A multi-method assessment of eco-friendly packaging in online retail’. Journal of Industrial Ecology. 28, 100–115. [DOI].

Aim: Eco-friendly packaging in online retail. (eco-friendly packaging = consisting of recycled or renewable materials, using non-hazardous materials throughout the life cycle, and allowing for effective recovery in closed-loop cycles.)
People: Germany: 1491 participants,
Method: Online Survey, 8 qualitative interviews with online retailers, website homepage-comparisons.
Effect: Consumers strongly prefer packaging made from recycled paper for both product and transport packaging
Suggestions for design: -
Suggestions for policy: Political authorities could also intervene by banning packaging options that are unambiguously harmful to the environment. The EU directive on single-use plastic products, adopted in 2019, can serve as an example of such regulatory influence (EU Directive, 2019/904)
Comment: Clear that eco-friendly packaging is preferred by consumers. Avoid plastics. [No illustrations of packaging.]

Stergiadou Z, Darzentas J, Bofylatos S. (2016) ‘Designing for sustainability: a dialogue-based approach to the design of food packaging experiences.’. Design Research Society. Conference, 27-30 June 2016, Brighton, UK. [DOI].

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