Best Practices for Graphic Designers, Packaging

(Ray)

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Chapter 13

packaging for kids

work and Play. fun for all. Packaging for kids’ products is about

as much fun as you can have. Following our belief that to best understand

and dene a design direction, you need to relate (or become) that person,

this is an opportunity to be a kid again.

•••

(Ray)

(Fogra 39)Job:07-30903 Title:RP-Best Practices For Graphic Designers Packaging

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(Fogra 39)Job:07-30903 Title:RP-Best Practices For Graphic Designers Packaging

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(Ray)

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best practices for graphic designers: packaging

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W

e certainly appreciate

the austere renement of

designing for luxury brands,

but often wish that a super-soaker client

would come our way. With even just

a mention of super soaker, everyone

reading this probably has a mental image

of what the packaging looks like. Taken

one step further, how about introducing

squirt guns for toddlers, senior citizens,

or even lower-volume versions for oce

use? While we certainly don’t condone

violence in any form, a squirt gun could

be brought to market with a message of

positivity when packaged appropriately.

By focusing on fun, age-appropriateness,

and orienting the aesthetics to the

emotional outcome of a squirt-gun ght

(hint: it’s happiness and laughter), the

package could really help sell product,

even to new audiences.

While not exactly kid-specic, we would

be remiss not to mention how we like

to orient ourselves when considering a

design solution. Rather than focus on

the obvious—this is a squirt gun, this

is for kids, we should use very bright

colors and more than one exclamation

mark—we instead choose to focus on the

most emotional outcome of the product’s

intended use. This is a very important

mental state to achieve because this is

where your package design will connect

with the most likely consumer. No

matter what you design, if you appeal to

the emotions of your audience in a way

that feels honest and sincere, people will

develop a bond with your brand. Legacy

brands are built this way. Coke doesn’t

sell sugar water, McDonald’s doesn’t sell

fried potatoes, and Lego sure as hell

doesn’t sell little plastic bricks. Everyone

sells experiences, and to be successful, an

experience must tap emotion.

Enough heavy stu. One important

element to consider when designing for

children is the physical dierence in

their bodies. What may feel comfortable

in your hand may be unwieldy in the

hands of a child. Likewise, while we

are not advocates of dumbing things

down, you will be competing for a very,

very short attention span. Keep your

imagery specic and with an exaggerated

scale, your messaging direct, and your

emotional appeal on point. One other tip

is that children love to discover new ways

to amuse themselves. In essence, constant

amusement (educational or otherwise)

is what denes our dream-scenario

childhood. Turning a used raisin box

into a quick toy with a few folds is not

about the toy, it is about the experience

of transformation and discovery. It is

(Ray)

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(Ray)

(Fogra 39)Job:07-30903 Title:RP-Best Practices For Graphic Designers Packaging

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(Text)

packaging for kids

EROSKI DIAPERS

Supperstudio, Spain

PROJECT DESCRIPTION & DESIGN STRATEGY:

In order to break from the traditional imagery

seen on diaper packaging—cute, crawling,

happy babies—Supperstudio decided instead

to craft imagery that spoke directly to

the end consumers, those cute, crawling,

happy babies. They started by establishing

a color that would differentiate them from

the competition and then began creating

images that would appeal to young ones,

and therefore their parents. Elephants,

giraffes, ducks, cows, and hippos became

the identifying characters that help make this

product line unique and memorable.

tip

Be wary of a trend that falls into the “everybody’s doing it”

category. While there might be good reason so many of the

competitors chose a certain path (you’ll have a very happy baby

if you choose these diapers), it’s also the perfect chance to catch a

consumer’s eye by doing the exact opposite.

(Ray)

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(Fogra 39)Job:07-30903 Title:RP-Best Practices For Graphic Designers Packaging

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