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MoMA: Two packages analyzed. – Tamara Rosenfeld
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I chose two packages to analyze which I found at MoMA. The first is a Typography Calendar for 2013. It is in a small, though not tiny, box. The colors are orangey-red, white, and black. The typography on the box itself is refined, the color of the box is eye-catching. It advertises the product inside very well. The description on the back of the box is succinct, and makes one want to know more and open the calendar.
The second package is cylinder-shaped. It is a calendar with the phases of the moon. The outside of the package is all black, with almost glowing white type on a sticker around the center of the cylinder. It would make anyone interested in astronomy eager to open it, and anyone only mildly fascinated with the moon desirous of looking at it some more, perhaps purchasing it.
Please see the link for a slideshow of the images of the MoMA packages.
Hair Net from the 1920s
Vintage versus Contemporary Package – Rosenfeld
From a design point of view there are a few differences between this 1920s graphic and today’s types of graphics.
First the typography. There is no real cohesive flow to the images’ fonts. They are all over the place: Handwritten script, sans serif bold, serif, italic. The typefaces are thrown on. Today, products are meant to advertise themselves on a shelf. Therefore, fonts are chosen carefully, and are not thrown on; and they try to impart what the brand has to offer.
Second, colors. The colors are bright red, yellow, white, black, navy blue. The colors to choose from for packages were not many in the 1920s. Today we would see a selective color scheme. It would be chosen with purpose; perhaps a bright color paired with one that is muted, so that the colored part would be more evident or stressed. Or, nowadays, maybe a number of colors, but ones that would work well together and not fight with each other for attention.
Third, simplicity. The font choices in the image are simple, as are the color choices, because the 1920s offered less availability of what to use. Now we have a whole lot more fonts to choose from; many different colors and shades; and even different materials that can be printed on.
Fourth, abstractly, the tone of the design. The 1920s image speaks to a different era, during a simpler time. There were no computers, no cell phones, and TV was not in the home as yet. Now, we are a more complex society, and maybe that is why we try to simplify or pare down the design sometimes, to make life less hectic, to make us focus on what the brand wants us to.
Lifestyle Packaging – Tamara Rosenfeld
The Cat Food box shows Lifestyle packaging in that it has a picture of a real woman with her cat, whom she obviously adores. The package is saying, if you want your creature to feel happy and loved, you will buy this food.
Unsuccessful and Successful Packages – Tamara Rosenfeld
Unsuccessful Package: Volum’Express Mascara
Though the package grabs attention, I’m not sure it’s positive attention. I think there are other ways to make mascara stand out besides adding bold red to the design. The red makes me think of a red eye, which is not attractive at all. I also do not think the graphics really reflect the product, because of the overdone red coloring. I think that the mascara package looked dusty, a sign that it was a product that did not sell well.
The product itself needs a lot of help with selling, I believe, because it is extremely oversized for mascara. Perhaps the design on it should have been a little more dainty, to balance it out. The design looks rushed; it should look planned out better, even if it is ‘Express’ mascara.
Successful Package: Something Natural Sparkling Water – Blueberry Lemon
This packaging caught my eye in a good way. It does not vary colors much on the bottle; simple, natural, tasteful are adjectives I’d use to describe the packaging. The product looks very appetizing to me. It stands out among bottled water; and it even looks different from sparkling waters. It looks classy. The colors, blue and white, reflect the product very well. It is very creatively done and I would think it sells well.
Volum’Express Mascara (example of unsuccessful packaging design)
Sparkling Water (example of successful packaging design)
Other Photos of Successful Packaging Designs:
Other Photos of Unsuccessful Packaging Designs:
