The appearance attributes of designed products noted in the literature often reflect what designers themselves perceive in a product design. This present research, however, provides knowledge on how consumers perceive product appearance by identifying appearance attributes that consumers use to distinguish the appearances of durable products. Descriptions of appearance were generated by consumers in a free categorization task. The descriptions were classified as the attributes Modernity, Simplicity and Playfulness. These attributes were confirmed in a separate rating-task performed by a second group of consumers. The attributes proved stable across different groups of consumers indicating that they are universal. Additionally, the attributes were validated across different product categories and are thus generalizable and not product category specific. The appearance attributes identified in this research provide knowledge of what consumers see in durable product appearance. Knowledge of what appearance attributes are perceived by consumers in a product design can help a designer to communicate certain pre-specified meanings in a product

How consumers perceive product appearance: The identification of three product appearance attributes

Judging a product by its cover: Packaging sustainability and perceptions of quality in food products

The design of consumer packaging: Effects of manipulations of shape, orientation, and alignment of graphical forms on consumers’ assessments

Food packaging plays an important role in attracting consumers' attention and generating expectations in the consumer that in turn affect their product perception and buying behaviour. In the present study, ‘categorizing’ and ‘perceptual mapping’—diametrically opposed methods (predefined criteria vs consumer criteria)—were used to study the influence of packaging design on consumer perceptions of dairy products. Eighty-nine images of milk, yoghurt and yoghurt drink with different graphical designs, sizes, shapes and materials were presented to the participants. The participants were randomly divided in two groups, each of which evaluated the samples using one method: categorizing or perceptual mapping. Both categorizing and perceptual mapping have been demonstrated to be useful, simple and user-friendly methods to determine the packaging design cues that influence the perception of dairy products. However, perceptual mapping provided more subconscious perceptions than the categorizing task. The results of perceptual mapping are objective and provide representative information. Furthermore, it fosters better understanding of the potential for product packaging to be misinterpreted and supports packaging designers in developing packages that better align with consumer perception

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Studying the influence of packaging design on consumer perceptions (of dairy products) using categorizing and perceptual mapping

The success of environment-friendly packages is highly dependent on consumers' understanding and acceptance of these packages In an experiment using a 3 × 2 between-subject design, this study tests how style elements (ie the material and the colour) influence perceptions of packaging environment-friendliness when an environmental claim is either absent from or displayed on the package Next, the study tests the effects of the style elements and environmental claim on the evaluation of the social responsibility of the brand as well as on the inferences about product environment-friendliness Based on the responses of 207 participants from a Dutch consumer panel, the results show that the style elements and environmental claim influenced both the evaluations of packaging eco-friendliness and the social responsibility of the brand When an environmental claim about the package was displayed on the package, the results show that the material is worth a thousand words as the credibility of the claim was always significantly higher when the package was made of a fibre-based material Finally, the effect of the material on the inferences about product environment-friendliness is underlined and implications for designers, managers and policy-makers are highlighted Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd

How Do Packaging Material, Colour and Environmental Claim Influence Package, Brand and Product Evaluations?

This article presents a three-step method for the systematic design of a package's structural characteristics that visualizes product attributes and brand values. This method was tested in an initial pilot study. In step 1, the structural characteristics of a package which consumers' associate with product attributes were defined; this step required a series of consumer studies. In step 2, the extent of the design space was investigated in order to formulate design guidelines to express product attributes. In today's market, brand values are important when designing packages, therefore in step 3, a new bottle for a specific brand was designed by adding their brand values to the design guidelines derived from steps 1 and 2. Whisky and vodka were used as the product categories in this research.

Designing Packages that Communicate Product Attributes and Brand Values: An Exploratory Method

Because a premium image is of critical importance for many A-brands in Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) categories, it is important for both designers and marketers to have a comprehensive understanding of the package characteristics that can evoke such a premium perception. The present research integrates knowledge from design research and marketing research to enhance the understanding of the role of packaging design in shaping consumers' product perceptions. In two studies using water and chocolate as product categories, we demonstrate that designers should consider four premium cues (extraordinary differentiation, high quality of packaging materials, minimalistic design and authenticity) as important guidelines when designing a premium packaging. When these premium cues are implemented in a packaging design, consumers will recognize the product as a superior, high-quality product that is worth a higher price.

Designing a Premium Package: Some Guidelines for Designers and Marketers

In digital environments, design can significantly improve the effectiveness of consumer communications. Gaston van de Laar and Lianne van den Berg-Weitzel articulate key principles related to this endeavor. Among their guidelines: Create brand names that are easy to remember and spell; bundle items by theme, brand, and product category; use easily recognized images and logos; and provide layers of increasingly detailed information.

Lianne van den Berg-Weitzel

Papers

Designing Packages that Communicate Product Attributes and Brand Values: An Exploratory Method

Designing a Premium Package: Some Guidelines for Designers and Marketers

Brand Perception on the Internet