I’ve been watching the “Breaking into Tescos” series and am interested to learn that the last task involves package design. You’ve got to hand it to the contenders: not only must they be good cooks, but their product has to be well-managed and well-packaged. Of course any business person will tell you that while a strong quality product is the most important thing you have in your arsenal, without effective management, steady cashflow of expenditure v.s income, and good marketing, you may as well tuck that beauty on your top shelf and take up knitting. Good package design will create an emotional response to the product. Are you after a strong sense of country hills and fresh air? Or maybe fire-side winter food, that’s warm and glowing? Is your target after intimacy or grandeur? How you use your imagery, typography, and the space between the two is crucial. Starting with a blank canvas is fun but nerve-wracking for most people. Starting with pre-conceived ideas can sometimes limit your progress. The solution: take it to a design company. Good designers can’t switch off their ideas, even if they try. Constantly observing and catching all the detail that rounds off the final image, it’s a designer’s tangential thought that will provide a range of concepts on how best to approach your marketing and promotions. But more than that, as a client, selling your products to a retailer or customer, you should know when the packaging or design work just ‘feels right’; when it speaks to you and bridges the gap, it will do so to your target market.
Entry: Traci Rochester.
