TheDieline.com: Package Design

Advice from the Pros: Will Burke, Brand Engine

What draws us to the business of branding? What makes us choose to dedicate our lives to design? We are artistic, usually intuitive people. We are people who are impressed by an eye-catching billboard layout and who feel a thrill at the sight of a particularly well-designed toaster. Simply put, we value the medium as much as the message. 

Yet these days we ask more of ourselves than just the possession of a good eye, a formidable portfolio and well-honed Photoshop skills. The days of design for design’s sake are gone, and rightfully so. Today, any design agency worth its salt completes a strategy phase before a single designer puts stylus to tablet. 

And this is good. Indeed, our work has much more value when grounded in sound business strategy. But, lest the pendulum swing too far in the other direction, remember: our discipline is not all science. The magic we bring is in fusing design with business. Yes, our work must be rooted in the left brain: gathering background information, doing competitive research, interviewing key stakeholders. Doing this homework well results in a rock-solid design brief—a document that will keep everybody, including our clients, on track. But with the design brief in hand, the next phase of work begins, and this is work of a different kind: expansive, playful—decidedly right-brain.  

We all know that inspiration often strikes from the intensely personal, and yet we often try to bury this fact in strategic validation. I’m suggesting that this personal inspiration is, in fact, an exciting and irreplaceable part of the design process. We must inject ourselves into what we do, revel in the moments of creative self-expression that drew us to this work in the first place. That doesn’t mean embracing whatever pops into our heads. Rather, we have to develop skills that support our design process, guiding our creativity down constructive paths. Here are four tips for harnessing the personal creative energy in your work and creating excellent results: 

1. Be curious.

Albert Einstein said, “The important thing is not to stop questioning,” and this is certainly true for the best designers. Always ask “what problem are we trying to solve?” and “is this the best solution?” Question your decisions along the way. This will ensure that you never accept the status quo or take the easy way out.  

Curiosity drives us to be insightful observers… of everything. Look outside your frame of reference. Literally, get away from that computer and outside. Watch people, observe nature, read literature, go to a soccer match. One never knows when or where the flash of insight will come. When we are mulling over a design challenge, our senses are attuned and our designing minds are open to the input the world has to offer. 

2. Remember your own past.

Our memories shape us as people and as professionals. What are the events that have made an impact on you throughout your life? Connecting with these stories and understanding how they fit in with your daily life—your actions and choices, the things you do, the things you eat, the things you love—is one of the most valuable tools you have for understanding human behavior. Now, think about how this might relate to a brand story. It should be every bit as detailed, nuanced and tangible as your own personal history. It should speak to the intellect and the heart. Above all, it should resonate with the real people who are your audience. 

3. Put yourself in someone else’s shoes.

Empathy is yet another way that our personal skills support our design work. It’s not enough to know your target customer, to create a collage detailing her age, income and favorite brands. We have to try to imagine ourselves in her place. Like an actor preparing for a role, we must think about what her needs are, what drives her, what excites and empowers her. 

This exercise gets us out of our heads and prevents us from falling in love with our own designs. Always remember it’s about your consumer. By shifting your perspective, you will create the potential for the brand to truly connect with her. Like any process, this will become easier with practice. And over time you will develop an amazing capacity for anticipating consumers’ needs and thinking of what they could want in the future. From there you will be in a position to create trends, rather than follow them. 

4. Like your mom always said: tell the truth.

This one is easy, at least on paper. Translated for the purposes of our design work, the basic point is this: Know your consumers and communicate with them with honesty and respect. In other words, let trust and authenticity guide whatever you do. Ultimately, that package on the shelf needs to reflect the brand in a truthful manner—what it stands for and why people should care. Without that, you’re just a pretty box on a shelf. 

A final word of wisdom: When your work is done and it’s time for the big presentation to the client, no egos allowed. You’ve poured yourself into your work, but you can’t get too attached to your vision. It’s time for you and the client to judge the work based solely on your mutually agreed-upon brief. And it’s time for you, the designer to stand back and let you, the strategist take over. 
 

About Will Burke and Brand Engine

Will Burke is the founder, CEO and Chief Change Officer of Brand Engine. He draws on more than 20 years of experience in branding—uniquely bridging strategy and design—to solve complex issues with great insight and straightforward solutions. With a focus on consumer brands, his expertise is introducing new brands and repositioning existing brands to engage today’s consumer. Formerly with Landor Associates, Lister-Butler, and Axion Design, Will’s background includes major branding and packaging programs for Citicorp, MasterCard, Shell Oil, Hewlett-Packard, Intel, Logitech, Palm, Foster’s, Frontier Natural Products, Nestlé and Tropicana. Under Will’s direction, Brand Engine’s work has been recognized in globally renowned competitions and books. In addition, Will’s thought leadership has been featured in various trade & industry publications, and he is involved with several brand advisory boards, a speaker on branding and design, and judge for design competitions.

Advice from the Pros: Rick Barrack, CBX

Donald Trump brought the "Apprentice" into our homes and, while we don’t aspire to be The Donald (although it would be fun to preside over a boardroom battle and yell, “you’re fired”), we are intrigued by the idea of bringing the apprentice into the world of brand design.  Some of the most important lessons are learned through hands on experiences.

An Apprentice can be defined as: One bound by legal agreement to work for another for a specific amount of time in return for instruction in a trade, art, or business.

Many branding agencies hire interns and freshly plucked graduates year after year, but perhaps that’s not the best approach to secure great talent. Interns typically turn into gophers and extra bodies, jumping from task to task as needed.

An apprentice learns the business from all angles by immersing him/herself into each position. Instead of diving into a job without a true comprehension of the business or company they are joining, the apprentice would benefit from shadowing a seasoned professional in order to learn the ins and outs of a company and what it has to offer.    

Here are a few key advantages to hiring an apprentice:
 

It’s All About the Culture

When new talent joins a company, it can take months for them to become entrenched in their new environment, figure out who does what and where they fit in. How many times have new hires looked so promising, but shortly after joining they flame out? Success depends not just on talent, but also on how they integrate their skills, and fresh thinking with the prevailing culture and atmosphere.

I challenge you to ask any junior designer at any company what their company does and see what they say.  Do they know the clients the company has worked with or even the projects that have recently completed?  Do they know the services they offer?  The answer is probably no. 

An apprentice could spend several weeks in each department getting to know what the people in that department do and gain valuable insights into each person’s contributions. This is critical to gaining a deep understanding of the business.

The Client is King – Forming Bonds and Partnerships

Nobody wants to hear the client say: “You’re Fired,” so better to give an apprentice time to learn the skills necessary to service clients appropriately. This is something that cannot be learned in a classroom where when an assignment is given, you design, you present, and you’re done. In the real world clients need nurturing and have strong opinions about how their brand should look and feel.  By shadowing an account executive, an apprentice will learn how to interact with clients, how to listen to clients, and how to partner with clients to achieve optimal results for their brand.

Tick-Tock: the Clock is Running

On The Apprentice, contestants constantly battled the clock to get their tasks done. In school there are multiple classes and multiple assignments but, in the real world, there are deadlines that often occur simultaneously. What happens when a client calls at 5 pm and wants changes made to a package design and delivered for the CMO to review by 9 am the next day? Learning how to prioritize, multitask and manage time efficiently in a team environment is critical for success.

Respect – In and Out of the Boardroom

Respect can be a political minefield. Sure, we all learn (or should have learned) to show respect to our superiors, but within the world of a brand design firm, respect goes much deeper. Interaction among fellow employees, upper management, outside consultants and, of course, clients, is something that has to be learned. Watching how others handle these situations can bring clarity to individual situations. The nuances of the business require learning to respect other people's time, requests and efforts as well as respecting opinions, ideas and values. 

If we followed the career trajectory of Donald Trump’s apprentices, we may have discovered that they've been "fired" or, perhaps they're super successful business tycoons.  All I know is. . . maybe he was on to something.

About Rick Barrack & CBX

Rick Barrack, Chief Creative Officer/Partner is the lead creative force at CBX (www.cbx.com) and one of its founding partners.  He is responsible for inspiring, directing and motivating the creative teams to develop powerful design solutions.  Barrack has close to 20 years of experience in corporate identity and consumer brand identity design.  He has led major design initiatives for companies such as IBM, Hewlett Packard, Petro-Canada, ExxonMobil, Johnson & Johnson, and Del Monte Foods.  Prior to creating CBX, Barrack was a Senior Design Director at FutureBrand and Design Director at LPK. Contact Rick at rick@cbx.com.

Advice from the Pros: Peter Clarke, Product Ventures

When I entered the field of packaging design some 20 years ago there were few, if any, examples of packaging like the ones we see today.  The small number of iconic packages at the time existed in low-volume, high-margin categories such as beauty care and spirits. Within food and beverage, personal care and fabric & home care, packaging was viewed as an expense and not as a value-added brand ambassador.  Though packaging’s importance to the brand has made great strides, the struggle over cost continues, as unrealistic timelines and naïve expectations are driven by the short tenure of marketing leadership and lack of long term strategic packaging vision. 

Early on in my career as an industrial designer, I saw the potential for packaging to make a significant contribution to brands and to the people that use them.  I clamored for the opportunity to apply my training in styling, ergonomics, and materials & processes to turn the mundane into the iconic, annoyance into pleasure, and the useless into the essential.  This led to the founding of my company, Product Ventures 15 years ago, with the goal of turning labeled containers into value-added delivery systems.  Since then I have continually been honored to help many notable companies with their best known brands.  

 Product Ventures’ design for the Duracell® Easy Tab™ package empowered people to change their own hearing batteries, enabling them to wear their hearing aids without worrying about the batteries failing.  We were able to assist Procter and Gamble with its moment in history as Folgers® forever relinquished the coffee user of the burden of can openers by providing a blow-molded canister with a value-added handle.  For Heinz® we brought back the heritage of the Heinz® glass ketchup bottle facets to an optimally proportioned large volume ketchup bottle that best fits people’s hands and the fridge.  The Fridge-Fit™ packaged increased consumption, penetration and now Heinz® is selling more ketchup and less packaging which is good for the business and the environment.  Our redesign of the International Delight ® coffee creamer package is a great example of the impact that packaging can make for the business, the consumer and the environment.  By addressing the multitude of manufacturing, consumer experience and brand communication factors, the new creamer package now visually fits the International Delight ® promise— is functionally superior to the competition, maximizes shelf pack out for the retailer, surmounts major production challenges, and netted savings in production costs and environmental savings equivalent to taking roughly 2500 cars off the road nationwide per year.  

The typical packaging challenge can be fraught with conflicting needs.  To be successful, you must have a proven process that is user driven and business aligned.  Often the business objectives of low cost and efficiency may be at odds with the brand’s objectives to stand out on the shelf and enhance the usage experience.  The integration of consumer learning early in the process is key and must continue often through the discovery, design and development of packaging solutions.  Another important factor is to conduct a thorough assessment of manufacturing capabilities to identify the inherent opportunities and restrictions within the reality of cost-effective manufacturing systems.  Too often clients withhold this information for fear of hampering creativity.  It has been my philosophy that “true” creativity happens within constraints.  Without “real world” constraints you’re left with “pie in the sky” nonsense that will never enhance people’s lives because it doesn’t hit the sweet spot between what a consumer desires and can afford and the business can make for a profit. 

Today’s most talented package designers are able to navigate these complex issues and offer a range of possibilities to aid business in doing the right thing.  To make a positive contribution requires careful consideration, analysis and resolution of many complex factors within manufacturing & distribution, product containment & protection, brand communication & shelf impact,  the usage experience, and environmental impact.  When evaluating what constitutes good package design, it is important to look beyond the label and appearance and consider its purpose.  Did it achieve what it was meant to do?  Is it an effective tool for people and the business? The true art of packaging design may very well be in the systematic processing of the myriad of details along with the high stake challenges that go into creating the perfect package. 

Peter Clarke is a visionary entrepreneur who founded Product Ventures 15 years ago to create the ultimate strategic creative agency for the research, design and development of manufactured goods. His passion for excellence and dedication to helping shape products and packaging to enhance consumers’ lives have garnered Clarke enormous recognition throughout the industry. As CEO of his company, Peter has been honored throughout the years to help many notable clients  change the course of their business and to ultimately achieve enormous success including Procter and Gamble, Nestle and Novartis, among many others. Peter Clarke is frequently profiled in the media, as well as a sought-after thought leader and industry commentator. 

Advice from the Pros: John Silva, DuPuis

As a designer I learned early-on that great design takes talent and ego because for art to communicate and resonate it has to come from the soul. That’s very personal. Soon thereafter (very soon) I learned though that it’s not about me and that I needed to put ‘me’ into my work but others needed to find themselves in it. Package design is perhaps the most dramatic expression of that precept. Those who participate in the creation and deployment of brands and packaging know that the consumer rules and speaking to their needs with authenticity through engaging, inspiring design is job one. As jobs go though, it is certainly a moving target of cultural shifts and changes in the role that branded packaging plays.

A great deal about the future of branded packaging can be gleaned from observing its evolution over the past centuries and seeing its purpose morph over time. Starting out as simply a plain container used to hold and transport goods as early as 500 years ago, to some of the first uses of what we now call ‘branding’ some 150 years ago, to today’s sizzling-hot marketing touchpoint, packaging now both protects, informs, differentiates, delights and entertains. Many brands and packages even serve as extensions or expressions of one’s own identity, style and values. In more commoditized product segments (e.g. bottled water) the package has now become the primary differentiator that drives the purchase decision. While a brand is more than a package, for most consumer packaged goods the packaging is the purest expression of the brand and perhaps the only opportunity to project its value, tone and manner.

It is in the context of past, present and future that we must decide what YOUR consumers expect, want and desire.

What they have come to expect can often be learned by simply asking them through relevant research and by analyzing the competitive field. In general, whoever is doing it best is where expectations are established.  Expectations mark the cost of entry; they are to be met.

What they want may be learned through consumer critique and various failings within your market segment; in other words, getting the consumer to say “What I really want is….”.  Wants are an expression of what people do not yet have; wants are to be fulfilled.

What they desire however is a much trickier ambition. I have seen little success in asking consumers what it is they desire because that requires an analytical response to an emotional issue. Oh they’ll tell you what they ‘think’ they desire but the answers rarely lead to meaningful innovation or anything beyond parity. That flavor of consumer feedback really identifies wants. When it comes to desire, it’s the old, “they don’t know what they don’t know” paradigm. Desires are not determined through what’s known or extracted out of conventional research; desires are created.

Developing truly great branding and packaging requires consumer insights and a keen awareness of their need-states, combined with visionary instinct and bold creativity-- the “Midas Touch” if you will. Weighing where we have been, assessing where we are, and determining the future of packaging through trend analysis and forward thinking is the balance we must strike. If you are one who requires advance proof of an outcome, branding & packaging may not be your thing. There is indeed an art to this craft of delighting consumers that goes beyond calculation and measurement. It’s often an intangible nuance through visual language and smart risk-taking that separates the wall-flowers from the heroes. Designers that weave marketing science into their art (‘strategic design’) and marketers that allow art to express personality in seemingly abstract ways are mustering to the call.

He who delights and entertains, creates desire, and does it with authenticity first, wins. 

 

About John Silva:

John Silva has been with DuPuis, a strategic branding and packaging firm, for over 16 years. As Vice President and Creative Director he champions the entire packaging process from innovation to print production. He is currently serving as Creative Director for clients including Kellogg’s, Nestlé, Mars Petcare, Hormel and Dole. Co-authored with Steven DuPuis, John’s recent book, Package Design Workbook, provides marketers and designers with knowledge of how to elevate their packaging to the next level, featuring interviews with top brand managers and other industry experts. John earned his degree in Art & Design from California Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo.

Advice from the Pros: Steve Kazanjian, MWV Design

“Among the earliest and most forceful advocates of the theory that the twenty-first century marketing class stands essentially helpless before a mighty new breed of in-control consumers was A.G. Lafley, chief executive officer of Proctor & Gamble.  In 2005, he declared that the new consumers ‘expect more from the brands they buy and use every day.’  Companies like his would have no choice but to meet their demands: ‘Consumers have grown accustomed to having it their way,’ he said.  ‘It’s a consumer revolution… The rise of this powerful consumer boss marks one of the most important milestones in the history of branding.”  - Rob Walker,  “Buying In”

Over the past year, this excerpt from Rob Walker’s latest book has stuck with me.  It very much speaks to the critical juncture that modern marketing has found itself.  As the traditional advertising model slowly erodes, its relevance has started to loose the same impact that it once had.  Marketers, understanding this new paradigm have started to look elsewhere in making those “all important” brand / consumer relationships.

As marketers and consumers equally flock towards the latest in online social networks and forge these new consumer bonds, we must never forget the other critical connection point that is of equal importance - Consumer Packaging.

As these “digital” brand experiences mature to become more individualized, own-able, and even communal, they also inherently become more ephemeral.  Packaging, still representing one of the strongest key physical connections to a brand, is becoming increasingly more relevant and powerful in evolving marketing strategies.

Making Brand Impressions, Not Just Containers

Much has been written in the past few years on modern branding and, not withstanding a few exceptions, most speak to the same key driver; developing an indelible emotional connection with the consumer.  It’s with the goal of creating emotional bonds in mind that we conspire our attention and develop the following critical tool in our packaging ideation process; the brand packaging strategy.

Building a Strategy

First and foremost, you should understand your customer’s brand personality.  In the simplest of terms; what are the fundamental character traits of the brand?  What’s the associative context?  Is it passionate or inspiring?  Caring or radical?  By anthropomorphizing the brand, we can start developing clarity.  This “character sheet” will help provide understanding in how we start processing the stacks of data in the second step; Marketing Insights.

We’ve all looked through those two-inch decks of quantitative data that seem to suck the last bit of creativity from our brains before we even put pen to paper.  However, within those pages of quantitative, qualitative, ethnographic, and focus group analysis hid the “Sparks of Innovation.”  Is it an unmet consumer need, an unexplored competitive advantage, a unique engagement strategy, or even an unrealized customer base?  Hold steadfast, take the time, sift through the info, and find those sparks.  They will ignite all that will follow.

Then comes consumer trend analysis.  Don’t just stay within packaging.  Explore entertainment, architecture, industrial, automotive, interior design and even fashion.  Consumers do not live segmented lives; our inspiration should not come from just one source.  It should present a visual representation from all facets of our intended consumers’ lives.

As you construct these “spheres of influence,” you should start to notice repeating patterns.  For example, if the packaging assignment focuses on moving the consumer “up the value chain,” are you noticing that personal rituals are the key emotional markers?  And are those markers creating intangible value?  If so, are there examples outside of category that are relevant and can be applied?

Let’s take Grey Goose Vodka as a very basic example of building an incredibly effective brand packaging strategy.  In 2004, Sidney Frank sold the manufacturing rights to Bacardi for $2.2 billion in cash; impressive because the brand was less than 10 years old at the time.  Positioned as an ultra-premium vodka, Grey Goose needed a powerful brand personality.  While the French may not be known for their Vodka, they certainly are for their wines.  Frank capitalized on this existing relationship and aligned all consumer touch points towards a specific end goal.  What physical touch-points did the consumer need to “grant them the emotional license” to make that type of premium purchase?  The cork gave tactile and auditory cues creating recall from premium goods outside of category.  The frosted glass spoke to connoisseurship. The bottle shape “borrowed” from Absolut and existing wine bottles also created a sense of familiarity and yet elitism.  While this is an incredibly simplified distillation of a very complex marketing plan, it does show how a brand packaging strategy can provide very effective design solutions and help to foster new relationships with your client’s consumers.

The Design Group at MWV has found that taking the additional step to build a brand packaging strategy before jumping into structural design and engineering has become a critical component of our design process, and most importantly, has helped to create successful and memorable consumer packaging engagements.

About Steve Kazanjian and MWV (MeadWestvaco)

Steve Kazanjian is the Global Creative Director of MWV Design, MWV’s packaging design and innovation division.  MWV  is a global leader in packaging and packaging solutions for the personal and beauty care, healthcare and pharmaceuticals, food and beverage, dispensing solutions, home and garden and media industries.  MWV has sales, manufacturing and converting facilities on six continents and customers in over 100 countries around the world.  Steve Kazanjian has over 15 years experience in developing brand strategies for some of the world’s largest consumer products and entertainment brands.  He is the former Vice-Chairman of Promax (Promotions and Marketing Association), former Chairman of BDA (Broadcast Design Association), and has been an adjunct professor at Otis College of Art and Design.

Advice from the Pros: Brian Adducci, Capsule

Packaging as an Experience




As a design student creating a packaging piece, it’s tempting to jump right into its aesthetics. What should first be considered, however, is how you can cultivate memorably emotional responses with it. It’s these emotional responses that are at the core of the emerging discipline of experience design.

 Experience design is concerned with the creation of moments of engagement between the consumer and the brand, and the emotions and associations these moments foster. Every designed experience is enhanced through the fusion of human senses: sight, sound, smell, taste and touch.


At an essential level, we package to protect, contain and identify the product. However, packaging itself presents an opportunity to enhance emotional response and should never be overlooked as just informative branded trade dress.

You’d be hard pressed to find a creative not familiar with Apple Computers, a prime example of experience design at its finest. To quote Steve Jobs himself, “Most people make the mistake of thinking design is what it looks like. People think it’s this veneer — that the designers are handed this box and told, ‘Make it look good!’ That’s not what we think design is. It’s not just what it looks like. Design is how it works.” 

At Apple, how it works is simple: every moment of engagement is deliberately designed down to the most minute detail. From the exterior of the storefront, to the warm and inviting layout of the store, to the casually smiling greeter at the entrance, to the sleek Genius Bar, to the usability of the interfaces, to the artistic detail of the product design and to the very deliberate presentation of the packaging (exterior and interior). Each and every designed moment creates an emotional experience that is truly Apple. This continues to foster the desire for the brand that you’re probably familiar with too. Think through the last time you purchased your iPod, iPhone or computer. How were you feeling and what were you thinking as you purchased the item, opened the packaging to reveal the product, and commenced using the product? We should never underestimate the importance of what’s happening during this time.

Identify Touch Points

So how can you use this knowledge to inform your work? Before you even open the design software, think of yourself as a guide, leading the consumer through each moment of engagement. Identify each touch point and continue the process of questioning and inquiry throughout the process. The touch points are endless: When the consumer first walks up to the display, when they pick up the product, when they turn the packaging over, when they open it, when they dispose of it and when they use the product.

The Four Criteria of Successful Packaging Experience


Once all the touch points are identified and explored, use them as the foundation of your package design. Building from here, keep in mind the four criteria of successful packaging experience, which are set according to the strategy agreed upon by the brand management team. These are: identification, functionality, personality and navigation. Identification speaks to how well the consumer can identify the product from the packaging at the shelf, when shopping the category. Functionality relates to the usability of the package and increasing the product's purpose and efficacy. Personality is how the brand’s story and character comes to life on the packaging. And finally, navigation refers to how the consumer finds and uses the category and specifically, your selection of packaging.

Experience design as a discipline may be in its infancy to the corporate world. However, as a designer, you already have this mindset in place because you create emotional touch points everyday. Your tools can be found in the personality of typography, the sensation of textures, the mood of color and the simplicity of clear hierarchy. Now, get your guide hat on and design that package with the experience in mind!

About Brian Adducci


Brian Adducci is a founding partner and the Creative Principal at Capsule, a Minneapolis brand identity and design agency offering research, naming, branding, packaging, experience design, identity and strategic consulting services. He has more than 20 years of design experience with national and international clients. 

He has authored two books on the subjects of packaging and logo design, "Design Matters: Logos", and "Design Matters: Packaging". Both have become national best sellers in design.

 Brian’s work has been recognized internationally in Graphis, ID magazine, HOW, PRINT magazine, STEP magazine, IDEA, Art Directors Club, The Show, PIA Awards, BusinessWeek, Financial World, American Institute of Graphic Arts, and is featured in more than a dozen books on international design for corporate identity and packaging. 

Brian has worked with: Caribou Coffee, Schwinn, HoMedics, Target Stores, 7-Eleven, Virgin, Cargill, Steinway & Sons, General Mills, Sanyo, 3M, American Express, Northwest Airlines, Double Cross Vodka, Herman Miller, and Royal Caribbean International.

Advice from the Pros: Debbie Millman, Sterling Brands

I think that logos and identity are not just about design anymore. There isn’t a “mass market” in which to target a product or a company anymore; there is no one demographic picture of the planet.

According to cultural anthropologist Grant McCracken, lifestyle typologies first expanded to 3, then 6, then 9 and then 12 typologies, there is now too much variation. We have reached categorical exhaustion. As a result, I have come to believe that the term “designing logos” or “creating identities” ultimately undermines the job we do as consultants, marketers, designers and strategists.

What we really do is holistically balance four distinct but related disciplines: cultural anthropology, behavioral psychology, commerce and creativity and express this visually. The balance includes cultural anthropology because what we do in our culture—whether it is an obsession with social networks or politics or the cult of celebrity, these all have a major impact on the way we understand and interpret the world and our place in it. It includes psychology because if we don’t fundamentally understand the brain circuitry of our audience and really know what they are thinking—(and why they are thinking it!)—we will not be able to solicit imagination. It includes commerce because understanding the marketplace and the messaging impacts and influences perception. And of course, it includes creativity because if we don’t create an engaging identity, then consumers won’t even see it.

When designing brands, I believe the identity should be as simple as possible, telegraphic and single-minded. Nevertheless, there are many logos that have become iconic despite a complicated and/or multi-dimensional expression. Starbucks is a good example of this. I would not say that the Starbucks logo is a classically beautiful logo; rather, its success is largely dependent on great marketing and a consistently great product.

Identities that fail in the mainstream are often, though not always, the front face for an organization that is badly marketed.

Other characteristics that failed identities share:

• Global logos that do not consider global interpretations
• Logos that need an “explanation”
• Overly “trendy” logos
• Logos that require complicated production techniques
• Logos that require in-depth training in which to educate users
• Logos with multiple taglines or messages that are not always in sync

Three steps to keep in mind when creating brand identities:

1. Courageous and Honest Strategic Focus
Creating breakthrough identity solutions that are intrinsically intertwined with a clear marketing strategy. Talking directly, passionately and as uniquely as possible to your audience. It is a relentless persistence and constant assessment of your logo’s relevance to your key constituency.

2. Single-minded Clarity
The logo must be a telegraphic expression of the company’s positioning, personality and cultural values, as well as be a symbolic link between your target consumer and the company. A great vision in isolation is easy. A great strategy in isolation is easy. It is having all three work seamlessly and clearly together that is the extraordinary and daunting challenge.

3. Understand the Need or Desire for Change
What is the dynamic for changing the logo? What is evolutionary or revolutionary change? What is “visionary”?  How far is too far? What are the constructs that you place on your own brand and how can you redefine the vision? Essentially, the identity should be the telegraphic expression of the positioning, personality and cultural values. It should fit your vision and business strategies, help characterize your organization and ultimately be a beacon for the viewer in any environment.

Every touch point the identity has with the public, internal and external constituents, every shareholder and stakeholder should adhere to the integrity of the visual system. There should be as few anomalies allowed as possible. If there is not one voice, one message, and one clear, understandable system, you’re doomed.

I think that the ultimate goal of an identity is to reflect the culture in which the brand or the product or the company participates, which evokes a unique composition of sensory perceptions. The extension of any one of these sensory perceptions impacts the way we think and act—and the way we perceive the brand or the product or the company. When these perceptions change, people change. Ultimately, I believe that the discipline of designing identities has more impact on our culture than any other creative medium.

About Debbie Millman

Debbie Millman is the president of the design division at Sterling Brands. She is also a contributing editor at Print Magazine, a teacher at the School of Visual Arts, host of the internet radio show Design Matters, and the author of the book “How To Think Like A Great Graphic Designer,” now in its third printing. Her new book, “Look Both Ways: Illustrated Essay on the Intersection of Life and Design,” will be published in October. Debbie will become president of the National AIGA beginning this July.

Advice from the Pros: Marcus Hewitt, Dragon Rouge

We're really excited to share our newest feature series, "Top Packaging Advice from the Pros". We've been talking to top designers in the field of branding and package design to get their top advice. Whether you're a student looking to enter the package design profession, or you own/represent a company that wants to rebrand its product, this column will give you the access to the top design professionals in this field.

Marcus Hewitt debuts the series with his terrific article. Many thanks, Marcus, for kicking off this exciting, new series!

Thinking of entering the design profession? Maybe now isn't a good time. Maybe business school would be a better idea. On the other hand, how about finance - or better yet - real estate...

Um, on the other hand, maybe now isn't such a bad time to consider design after all...

Joking aside, I'm not sure you can be "interested" in design. You're either in or you're out.

If you want to be a serious designer - someone that can play a part (however small) in forwarding the design profession - ask yourself if you like problems. A designer's job is always to make complicated and blurry problems into smaller/solvable bits. Of course, on a good day we can breezily re-frame these problems as opportunities. On a bad day, you'll need determination and grit to protect your great idea from the bruising it's sure to get.

But, at the end of the day (to stick with the day-part analogy) there is truly nothing more satisfying than solving a clients' (or brands') communication problem AND bringing a little visual beauty or integrity back into the world. With that in mind here's my five-step program for someone interested in entering the design profession:

1. If you want to be a professional designer, act like a professional.

Assuming you're currently in design school or about to enter one, don't waste your time. Make sure you get projects done on time. Be enthusiastic for every class - why not? It's your money. Develop a thick skin. If a tutor pushes you hard, don't look for an easier class - this is the tutor that can help you get better.

2. Experiment like a maniac.

Push the envelope and the buttons! Design school isn't the time to come up with a safe solution. If your teacher freaks out, give them two solutions the next time - one safe and one where you go for it! (I'm personally shocked by some graduating portfolios I see with six pieces of work - is that 1 and 1/4 projects a year?) You might not get this chance again.

3. Don't give yourself too much credit for spontaneous creation!

It often feels that we're pulling stuff out of the air (or some other place) but we're not. I've been lucky enough to have worked with some of the greatest designers around. The one thing they had in common, the young ones and the old, was their knowledge of the history of our business. Read books, go to art shows, visit museums, check out the sites, read the blogs. If you haven't absorbed enough raw material, and if you aren't constantly "feeding" your mind - the well will run dry pretty quickly.

4. Grades don't matter.

Did I say that? (There goes my return engagement at SVA or FIT.) Hopefully you've realized this already, but it's all about your book, and it had better be good. It better be full of energy, it should have great typography and it shouldn't have any retro projects (maybe that's just my opinion). In all honesty, you need to be the best in your class.

5. Work for free.

I'm not being literal here. I'm adamantly against free pitches and disappointed by all the recent proposals from clients who require "speculative work" as a cost of doing business. I'm just trying to say that however good you are, when you leave school don't make the salary your only priority when this is the best time to aim for what you really want. On the other hand, don't sit outside your favorite design company everyday and hope they let you in... or maybe that's exactly what you should do?

This isn't meant to be as off-putting as it might sound. I happen to think design is the most exciting world you can enter. Not only do we get to give shape to ideas, but we get that brief sense of achievement that comes from solving difficult problems, and in my experience, we get to work with some of the most interesting people you'll ever meet! 

About Marcus Hewitt

Marcus Hewitt is Chief Creative Officer at Dragon Rouge. Marcus has over 20 years experience as a design leader, building design teams for several of the world’s leading agencies. Prior to Dragon Rouge, he was the chief creative officer and a partner of Sterling Brands. Before Sterling, Marcus worked with Pentagram in his native London, and helped establish the Michael Peters Group in London, Toronto and Los Angeles.

As well as his work with Dragon Rouge, Marcus has lead major new identity and packaging programs for clients including: Burger King, Givaudan, El Paso Energy, American Architectural Foundation, Philips, The Getty Museum, Toyota, Unilever, Gillette, Pernod Ricard, Port Canaveral, The Hartford, Cablevision and SAP.

He is an active member of the AIGA and a past NY board member. His work is recognized in the press and has won numerous prizes. Marcus commits time and energy to non-profit groups and believes designers have an essential role to promote responsible design. He is an adjunct professor at FIT and SVA, where he shares his passion for intelligently simple design.