ASSIGNMENT: Packaging Design Critique

Objectives

? Practice analysis of elements and principles of design as expressed in a package design;
? Consider functional and usability factors and their impact on overall product perception and satisfaction;
? Express and support comparative critical analysis of two designs;
? Hone writing skills to express key ideas using concise and clear language.

Assignment:

This assignment encourages the development of your awareness of design in your surrounding environment and it asks that you consider visual and functional factors in order to determine the strengths and weaknesses of designs for packages that are typically found in the supermarket or grocery store. Using your knowledge of visual design elements and principles (and remember those 20 rules of good design???), criteria that indicate a positive functional experience, and consideration of semiotic factors, write a critique of two packages that articulates the key characteristics of the following factors:

? Ability of construction and materials used in the packaging to communicate the identity of the product clearly;
? Typography, form and color and their ability to communicate the nature of the product;
? Impact of the manufacturing process (if evident) on the character of the container and its ability to serve its purpose and communicate the identity of the contents;
? Ability of the packaging to impact the consumer in a positive manner.

Write one page of text that describes, analyzes, and criticizes the packaging of each of two different products: one that you consider to be a successful packaging design and another that you consider to be a less-than-adequate packaging design. Place photographs of the packages (good and bad) on a third page. (That's three pages total!) Be sure to describe the purpose of each of the packages and support your argument for the success or failure of each of the packaging designs. Include photographs of the product/packages (preferably your own), and look at contextual factors such as the ability of the packaging to stand out among its surroundings. You should also consider its placement within the store and within the display case in which it resides to indicate its relative importance and how the store intends it to be perceived. By heightening your sensitivity to all of these factors, you will cultivate your designerly knowledge of how the situation of designed objects in the world influences the ways in which they are perceived. Choosing packages that are well-known to you will add to your ability to create an informed critical discussion of their strengths and weaknesses.