Influences over Practical Element

Persuasive Advertising

Evidence-based Principles

J. Scott Armstrong

Persuasive Advertising has been an interesting and useful book throughout the creation of the practical element. Although it is primarily about advertising a lot of it has been applicable to packaging design as this is in a sense, a form of advertising.

Page 78

2.5.1 Associate products with things that are favourable and relevant to the product.

This statement and also the informative pages that follow have had a lot of influence over the practical design. The whole box has been designed to show off the scenery and paint a picture in the viewers mind as to where the air is captured/product is made. The scenery is both favourable and relevant to the project; its relevance is in the products manufacturing location and it is favourable because it is seen as idyllic. The scenery that continuously surrounds the box is a 'perfect' ideal of a moor, in the sense that it misses out the less pleasant aspects like the sheep poo and tick ridden bracken. This leaves the consumer with an idealised image.

Page 228
8.6.1 Consider using visuals that create favourable associations with the product.

'Ads that include images that the target market views favourably might lead customers to associate favourable feelings with the product.'

Air's target market would be middle class city, dwellers, aiming at those who have a disposable income and are willing to try alternative cures to relieve their problems such as stress! Stereo-typically it tends to be more middle class people who enjoy long walks across the countryside. However the target audience are based in the City with cash rich, time poor careers meaning they are too busy to take the time out to actually get fresh air and go for the long walks. Air offers them the benefits with none of the hassle. The package design's idyllic scenery creates a favourable association with the product. The consumer subconsciously relates the product to the feelings of tranquility and peacefulness they have experienced in those situations previously.

Chapter 3 - Emotion
This chapter has been an interesting read and has given me an understanding about design with emotional elements and how it affects consumer expectations. 'The more people expect a product to make them feel relaxed, the more relaxed they will become.' The emotional elements can affect the satisfaction experienced from using the product.

On the front of the packaging in the bottom left corner its says 'Proven to relieve stress'. This gives the consumer the ease of mind that it will in fact relieve their stress.


Colour Management 
A comprehensive guide for designers
John Drew and Sarah Meyer

Colour is a vital part of any design as it communicates to the customer what category the product falls into and how it should make them feel. The book has been useful for both the theory and the practical, the essay spoke about the importance of colour in package design and the design has put this theory into practice.

Behavioural Effects of Colour 
Chapter 7
"Throughout history,humans have assigned meaning to colour, both consciously and unconsciously, in order to understand and define the environment around them. Modern medical science has been actively pursuing the understanding of physical, psychological and/or learned behavioural effects associated with colour for more than a century. Anthropologists and historians have also been studying the effects of colour on human endeavours. To ignore the wealth of colour information is to overlook the most powerful communicative tool designers have." The book goes into a lot of depth about colour and the effects it can have on the public. Interestingly the phycological effects of any colour can be altered by changing its qualities such as tinting, purity and saturation.

Colour Associations 
The colours chosen for the package design were limited to the extent that it had to accurately reflect the moor scenery, however there has been free range in choosing the correct colour tones. Page 208 in the Colour Management book describes the associations linked with the colours. Green is associated with new growth, life, motion, tranquility, health and nature. The different shades of green used in the rolling hills enforces these associations. Paired with the blue gradient background which is associated more with peacefulness and serenity. Together the two colours accurately reflect the product to the consumer.

Packaging Design 
Successful product branding from concept to shelf
Marianne Rosner Klimchuk and Sandra A. Krasovec

This book has been full comprehensive, it goes into a lot of detail about the different aspects of packaging design. One section that wasn't touched on in the essay but has been crucial in the practical side is typography. Chapter 5 goes into depth about the typographic principles for packaging design. It states that typography on package design should be legible from a few feet away, it should be understood by a diverse audience and should also be credible and informative in the communication of product information. 13 principles are given which should be followed when using typography in package design.

The first principle is Define The Typographic Personality. The typography must fit with the personality and style of the product otherwise it will not promote it accurately. The mix of fonts used work collaboratively to portray to the consumer the personality of the product. Jenna Sue has a hand written script appearance, it makes the product feel more personable and less corporate. Helsinki has been used for key text as it is bold and easy to read from a distance. The font is a refined version of the creators hand writing, its naturally curved letter forms make the boldness less harsh and instead portrays the products personality as friendly and personable. This font has been used to show the product is 'fresh Devonshire air' as well as 'proven to relieve stress'. Displaying the two statements in the same font helps to link them together and highlights that it is the fresh Devonshire air that is proven to relieve stress. Arvo has been used for body copy as it is legible and comes in a variety of forms. The ability to combine bold and regular has helped to set out a clear hierarchy when reading the information. The typeface is different from the other two used, being a slab serif means it has grounded the design and works well against the gradient background. Principle 2 - Limit Typefaces has been influential whilst carefully considering the typefaces. It argues that three typefaces is the general limit in package design. Following the typographic principles has made the design more inline with the personality of the product.