Product branding and design are elements of a business that go hand in hand. When there is a plethora of detergent brands to choose from, it becomes only natural for consumers to choose products which appear the most attractive to them.
Companies are increasingly coming to the realisation that big brand names matter less to the younger generation of consumers. Many opt to change their product packaging every few years to keep their look fresh and relevant.
Coca-Cola, for example, has always been a front-runner when it comes to packaging. Not only does the beverage come in different types of cans and bottles across the world, its design also often changes according to season and occasion.
Product design is a crucial part of branding. It is so crucial that you could say design almost single-handedly defines the brand of a product. Good design impresses consumers and invokes a sense of curiosity in the potential buyer.
A good design is however, useless if paired with a subpar product. Besides, how can a company stand out from a sea of well-designed products? For some firms, the answer is user convenience.
If you have ever eaten chicken wings out of a paper bag, you will understand how useful the dual-compartment paperbag (pic 23) designed by Noémie Cotton is. It allows you to place your food in one compartment and the remains (bones and shells) in another compartment. While simple, its design is also incredibly clever and impressive.
Another cool design belongs to designer Guo Lili who understands the frustration many people have to go through when trying to squeeze the last bit of toothpaste from an almost-empty tube. Her ingenious design (pic 19) allows you to simply tear off the end of the tube to squeeze out every last drop of toothpaste.
These days, good design incorporates not just pretty colours and attractive packaging. Incorporating the consumer's needs into packaging design is what makes ordinary products stand out.
