Discussion on "degree" in Packaging Design (I)

In modern marketing, the packaging and decoration of goods is an important promotional tool. The basic function of packaging is to carry and protect goods so that they will not be damaged, spilled, spilled, or deteriorated. In addition to improving the basic functions of early packaging and developing standardization, generalization, and containerization, the packaging of modern goods is a major trend in modern packaging.

The psychological functions of packaging mainly include identification function, convenience function, beautification function, value-added function, promotion function, function of guiding consumption, distribution function, protection function, advertisement function. The psychological strategy corresponding to the packaging function requires that the packaging design should be based on the characteristics of the group of consumers as the main design basis, and the characteristics of consumer individual needs as the main basis for the design. Designers should comprehensively analyze and study the various factors of the commodity itself, market factors, and consumer psychology, so as to design a packaging style that can reflect the characteristics of the product, adapt to the market competition, and meet the psychological needs of consumers.

The packaging design of goods should pay attention to "degree", where "degree" is a standard and adaptability. However, in real life, many companies do not work hard at product quality in pursuit of high profits. Instead, they emphasize the value-added and promotion functions of packaging. They start with “packaging” and pay attention to luxury and style, causing serious over-packaging. This caused the attention of the whole society. This article intends to discuss the "degree" of packaging design on the basis of analyzing the essence and harm of overpacking.

First, excessive packaging and its harm

According to the "Beijing Youth Daily" published on September 24, 2004: In Kunming, a moon cake is priced at more than 310,000 yuan. Moon cake gift box is equipped with an Olympus digital camera, a camera, a bottle of Wuliangye, a Parker gold pen, a brand-name lighter, but also with advanced health products, tea and so on. More bizarre is that this box of moon cakes also comes with a set of more than 100 square meters of housing.

From the above typical examples, it can be seen that "excessive packaging" is a functional and overvalued commodity package. Its performance is the consumption of excessive materials, over-volume, high-grade materials, luxury decoration and other packaging products, so that it exceeds the functional requirements of the protection of goods, beautify the goods, giving consumers a sense of non-compliance, Increased economic burden. Therefore, "excessive packaging" refers to the excess of the protection function, the surplus of convenient functions, the surplus of communication functions, and the excess of decorative functions.

Judging from the situation reflected in the market, excessive packaging is mainly found in non-durable products such as cigarettes, alcohol, food, clothing, and other commodities that can be used as gifts. The hazards can be roughly represented by the following aspects:

1. Waste of resources. According to statistics, the average annual production of shirts is 1.2 billion pieces, and the amount of paper used in the box is 240,000 tons, which is equivalent to cutting off 1.68 million thick trees. If you count the amount of paper used for packaging of all commodities and the trees to be felled, it is undoubtedly an alarming figure.

2. Pollute the environment. According to statistics from the environmental sanitation department, the packaging of various commodities is about 280,000 tons per 100 million tons of garbage, of which 200,000 tons is an overpack that can be reduced. In particular, non-degradable polymer materials therein seriously pollute the environment. At the same time, some of the pigments in luxury packaging printing also have an adverse effect on the environment.

3. Lead to unfair competition or even commercial fraud, harming the interests of consumers. Many companies often use unfair competition methods such as over-packaging, price cuts (below the normal cost price) to attract consumers when quality technology cannot compete with their competitors. The result is that "gold and jade are outside, and the culprits are among them," causing consumers to suffer unnecessary economic losses.

4. Promote unhealthy practices. Ritual exchange is one of the traditional methods of interpersonal communication in China. In most cases, the utilitarian “gifts” often give people the impression that “the person who buys does not buy it, the person who buys it does not use it”, and the ultra-luxurious overpacking is as above. There is no doubt that the buyers of “10,000 yuan moon cakes” are used for their own consumption, and those who accept “moon cakes” are in any case too difficult to take bribes. This shows that over-packaging has an impact on the social climate.

Second, the degree of packaging design

Excessive packaging design will have adverse effects on consumers, social atmosphere, and the environment. However, we cannot ignore the role of packaging and even return to the “unpackaged” state. The author believes that as long as a certain "degree" is grasped, the enterprise or designer can and should design a packaging style that can reflect the characteristics of the product, adapt to the market competition, and cater to the psychological needs of consumers.

1. Degree of security

Any packaging must first carry and protect the goods so that they will not be damaged, spilled, spilled or deteriorated. This is a manifestation of the basic functions of packaging and is an important consideration in packaging design and must be taken into consideration. In this case, the characteristics and attributes of the product itself should be fully taken into account, and different packaging materials and methods should be selected accordingly. For example, in the packaging of foods and medicines, it is necessary not only to ensure that the packages are not damaged or deformed in the process of transportation and sales, but also to fully consider the shelf life and dose size of the packages.

(to be continued)