Product Packaging Design and Weakness of a Product - Assignment Example

Product Packaging Design Product packaging design is a topic on Step Inside Design and it discusses how product packaging helps sell products makingthe packaging just as essential as the product itself. In-depth thought process and consumer analysis goes with the creation of the product packaging design. The evaluation of todays trends is an element that helps the designer create the packaging for the product. This is not an easy process because if one is too early with a trend, the customers may not gravitate towards it or if one is too late then it can be interpreted as old news. Careful consideration has to be taken when designing a product package as it represents the product itself and will play a vital role in the selling of that product. Trends have to be weighed when developing a product package. A trend can be defined as a direction in which something is geared toward, however it is not guaranteed that people will gravitate toward the trend. When introducing a product to the customer, it is desired that the trend will appeal to a measurable amount of consumers. Some trends come with resistance at first, for example tattoos were an outward expression from someone who originally may have been deemed rebellious, however they have become a norm standard in society. Trends life cycle can be drawn as a hill. They gain upward mobility as more people gravitate toward the trend, but they begin to slope downward as new trends emerge. All this must be taken into consideration when developing a product package. The designer must consider cultural, economic, social and technological trends of the consumer. These elements will influence the artistic expression of the designer and the product package development itself. The artistic expression and product design will then influence the media marketing trend and how the product is introduced to the market. The product package is not isolated to just a manufactured product. When product packaging is referenced it also pertains to anything that utilizes a customer base and influence people. For example, a singer off American Idol, the popular singing contestant show, can be unofficially considered a product as the contestants have package design. The contestants are made over and given style, persona and image that will appeal to the music trend of today. Even the music that is selected for them to sing fits into a pre-existing trend and is packaged accordingly. The product marketing package of the artist is a cause and effect by-product of the packaging designer and it impacts media marketing. The packaging of the singer fits into a media marketing trend as the customer preference has to be considered to identify the customer base for the singer. The show itself is a sampling as it measures and strategically identifies who the market is for each contestant. Once the customer base for the contestant is identified, then the artist has insight as to the preference and likes of the customer base and then attempts to package the singer to fit into that genre. The visual design of the product goes hand-in-hand with the retail distribution of the product. The best way to advertise the product is considered here. Should the internet be blitz, or television and billboard ads. Here, the product is introduced to the market and the product has to gain acceptance by the people in order to create a customer base. Although samplings had been done to gauge the acceptance by the people, the variables will now come into play and which can skew anticipated results. Once a product packaging design is introduced into the market, if the product is embraced by the people then the product may develop staying power. For instance, Nike swoosh is a symbol that has gained a loyal customer base. Nike customers pay upward of $200 to wear the infamous shoes and apparel that contain the symbol. Although product packaging entails artistic expression and derivatives of measurable data, sometimes the designer miss the mark. Misinterpretations of trend demands can cause the package to kill the product. For instance, a juice maker made a grave mistake when they packaged their juice products in bottles that were shaped like liquor bottles. The concept may have worked if juice were for adults only, however juice has no age limits and it stirred great controversy from concerned parents. Sometimes, trend is too heavily measured and it suppresses individuality and growth. This can be applied to new artists that emerge in the music industry that has been tailored made to fit into the trend of today. The entire package from the persona to the music appears scripted therefore they develop no staying power. Although trend is measurable, it is not predictable because the preferences of people is swayed by too many variables. What is a hot topic today may not be hot topic tomorrow. Some products need no savvy product packaging as the product sales itself. For example, a flat screen television would not need anything more than a cardboard box. However, there are products where the product packaging acts as a marketing tool in itself. For instance, a candy bar that is new to the market will experience fierce competition from other candy bars that have staying power and brand name recognition. In order for the new candy bar to appeal to a measurable customer base, then the packaging will have a role in tempting the customer into trying the product. Product packaging design is extremely important to introducing and selling the product to the public. The product packaging can act as a marketing tool itself and is create using data gathered from marketing analysis. Careful consideration must be taken when designing the product package as it can actually make or break the product itself. Weakness of a Product The charging stations for plug-in electrical hybrid vehicles have many weaknesses. This a relatively new concept and the demand for the charging units will increase with the demand for the hybrid cars. As of right now, the home charging stations are given by the manufacturer when a plug-in hybrid vehicle is purchased. However, if one needs to charge their vehicle away from home, then public charging stations must be utilized. The market for charging stations is still under development. Little pre-existing information is available as the market is too new to form a consensus on the demand for the product. Although the industry is still evolving, the need for plug-in hybrid charging stations is growing. The home units have flaws as they are used in the garage of the home owner and they require lengthy periods for a complete charge. This becomes a problem for several reasons. First, the homeowner may not have a garage. Although garages are standard in the newer constructed homes, existing homes may not be equipped with a garage. Unfortunately, if the home is not equipped with a garage then the owner of the hybrid electrical charging unit is left with little other options for using the charging station at home. Another set back to the product is the time it takes to fully recharge a vehicle. This can be a lengthy process as some cars can take up to 8 hours to endure a full recharge. This is solely based on the vehicle itself as they range in recharge time from 2 hours upward of 8 hours. Although there are vehicles that may take as little as 2 hours for recharge, this can be a setback as well when time is of the essence. Another weakness to having an at home charging station is learning how to utilize the product. Although the product is relatively easy to use, this may not go over well with those who dont engage with technological instruments. The older generation may not engage with technologies and may even steer away from a product that requires technological know how. Also, the usage of the at home charging units will increase the electrical usage therefore impacting the electrical bill of the home. This ties in with the usage of the charging unit and how long it takes to full recharge the vehicle. The longer it takes, the more electricity will be used and the higher the consumer electrical bill will be. There probably is data available as to the average increase in the electrical bill, but with the industry being so new and information not so readily available the estimate may be more of a guesstimate as actual numbers may not be available or accurate. The cost of an upgraded at home charging units is a weakness as well. The customer is given a standardize version when the vehicle is purchased, however the advanced versions come with an enormous cost. Of course the upgraded version comes with perks that make the process easier however, the cost of the unit compared to the benefits should be considered. The benefits of the upgraded version of the at home charging station does not be outweigh the cost as now the cost of the vehicle, charging station and increase in electrical bill must be considered. Another setback for the public plug-in hybrid charging units is the lack of infrastructure. Currently there are only a few major cities that have the infrastructure laid out and fully running. If one with a hybrid vehicle wants to charge their vehicle via public usage, then quantity or the lack of becomes an issue. Once a charging station is located, then availability is an issue because of the length required to recharge a vehicle. The lack of the charging stations infrastructure is a problem in itself because of the feasibility to construct one. Should constructing a charging station infrastructure be a private or public initiative. This may be an issue in itself as the cost may not reap profits as technology relentlessly advances which may render installed charging units out-dated. The charging stations for plug-in hybrid vehicles have many weaknesses. The demand for usage, whether at home or public is gradually growing. Currently, the time it takes to recharge a vehicle and the lack of quantity of public charging units are both tremendous weaknesses to the product. There are several other weaknesses cited throughout the paper as well. Read More