There is nothing worse than looking at a package or product and not knowing what it is, or what it does. What ever happened to K.I.S.S? (Keep it simple stupid)

Take a look at Scotts new Snap Spreader System. Their new packages were designed to take the guesswork out of lawn care. The product line includes a spreader and specially formulated products for specific lawn care needs, such as controlling weeds, killing insects and fertilizing.

The idea behind this was to of course help consumers know which product would be the best for their lawn care needs. The design needed to communicate its key features and benefits loud and clear. Getting these benefits were wrapped around the idea of  ”A beautiful lawn is just a snap away.”

Take a look at the type face–it is very easy to read, modern looking and of course locked up with the existing Scotts logo. Notice the graphics and bright colors used on the “Snap Pac.” To correlate with each color is a close-up circle device which depicts the solution to lawn care. What makes the package work is that all of these correlate with one another including a blue sky on the upper half of the bag and vibrant green grass imagery on the lower half to showcase the end benefit.

Lastly, a three-step instructional inset of Snap, Lock and Go illustrates how simple it is for homeowner’s to use the lawn care system. Easy enough right?

Sure we may all know of the classic Franzia wine bag within a box, but that is not what I am talking about here. In reading up on new packaging techniques, I came across an article that I found to be quite interesting. Overall, the concept makes a lot of sense. This new package design is a double gusseted stand up pouch used for wine called the AstraPouch.

Highlights:

• the pouch’s clear laminated film can be displayed on ice without damaging the decoration

• die-cut handle can double as hanging holes if a retailer wants to hang the pouch from a peg

• due to its size, it can fit right in a six-pack’s place in a convenience store’s cooler case

• the lightweight pouches cost less to ship. Unfilled Astrapouches reduce gas emissions by 85% compared with unfilled standard glass bottles on a per-liter basis.

• the Astrapouch reduces landfill volumes by at least 70% compared with glass bottles

• the pouches are so much less prone to breakage than glass bottles, so they also require less tertiary packaging

But the end question will be, would you drink wine from a pouch?

Turns out the key audience for this endeavor is millennials. From research, it is said that the demographic has a completely different view of wine than other demographics and that they are more likely to experiment with new things. This pouch also holds about two bottles worth of wine!

So let’s get down to the good part–the package design. This package is clearly larger than an ordinary wine bottle, so therefore gives any designer a much larger area to work their magic. A designer can decorate the entire front of the package, and the AstraPouch’s double-gusseted design makes sure the art isn’t distorted by bulges and creases in the front panel. Multilayer film pouches, such as the AstraPouch, brilliantly display designs by overlaying a transparent film over the printed film. This gives the pouches a bright, glossy appearance. And the pouch printing-and-converting process doesn’t require the gripper edges associated with many other package deco-and-manufacturing processes. So designers can have their artwork bleed off edges. (source)

So now that we have talked about the package itself, what about the design? The name of the company that took the plunge into the wine pouch world is called Bluebird. Instead of using the traditional wine color pallet, the design company hired to make this pouch come to life, CF Napa opted for the use of blue. Blue is not typically used in wine packaging which would be a signature move for the company and not to mention it helps reinforce their brand name which so many people have trouble remembering.

Choosing light blues as the primary colors also enabled CF Napa to play with complementary colors, such as the reverse white and bright orange, in their design. The resulting look, is crisp and clean, and it really stands out on retail shelves.

With all of the hype on portion control and calorie counting, I find it odd that not more of these types of products are out in the world today. Sure, there are the 100 calorie pack and the new nutrition keys–but a lot of the foods and beverages out there can be deceiving. You think that you are eating or drinking something that is low calorie but when you look closer– what you just ate was three times the amount per serving!

I am a fan of the more direct, clear cut line of thinking. So of course when I saw this line of packaging, I had to read more. This is yet another example of how color can play a key role in package design. Here, the calorie count is big, and the colors are bold and eye catching. Just because you are calorie counting doesn’t mean your food or drink needs to be boring or not look as appetizing. The colors each have their own significance; for example the magenta means that the items contains beef or pork.

In reading this article, the use of color coding makes this line very easy to understand and still pleasing to the eye. To read more on the color codes click here

Even though baby food is clearly for baby consumption–that does not mean that the baby is the decision maker/purchaser of the product. Moms and dads are the audience that these products appeal to. So with that said, should the package designs be kid friendly?

Take a look at Little Duck Organics. This package in particular was awarded “Best Packaging” at Expo East 2011 for their new packaging designs. They product is a wholesome organic children’s snack “Tiny Fruits.” This packaging clearly speaks to adults with a very simple yet innovative personal tone. The brand recognition is simple, as are the flavors. The claims are clear and you can see what the product looks like.