Managing Packaging

Design Projects
For Managers Commissioning Design Projects

DBA Guide Four

2003

Copyright Design Business Association 2003

Contents

Contents

Managing Packaging Design Projects

01 Introduction
03 Planning
05 The Design Process
11 Implementation
15 Sources of Help and Advice

This is one in a series of five guides prepared by the Design Business Association
for managers involved in commissioning design projects.

Managing Packaging Design Projects should be read in conjunction with the first
guide in the series, Choosing and Appointing a Design Consultancy. It covers key issues
including: managing the use of external design resources; preparing an outline brief;
assessing proposals; how design consultancies charge; agreeing terms of business;
and copyright and intellectual property rights issues.

Other design management guides available in the series:

Guide One Choosing and Appointing a Design Consultancy
Guide Two Managing Corporate Identity Programmes
Guide Three Managing Interior Design Projects
Guide Five Managing Product Design Projects
Introduction

Introduction

Packaging design is one of the most important marketing tools for many manufactured
packaged goods. Packaging communicates brand and product values at point of sale,
and continues to work long after promotional and advertising campaigns have run
their course.

The design of a pack and the surface graphics are the main features that differentiate a
product from its competitors. For brands or products on limited budgets, a modest
investment in redesigning the pack can reap substantial dividends in terms of increased
sales, improved margins and greater product profitability

But there are other reasons why there is a growing interest in packaging design:
manufacturers brands today have to fight harder, with less shelf space, against
retailers own brands
the internationalisation of markets means packaging design must take into account
national and cultural boundaries
new materials and technology are a continuous stimulus to innovative packaging in
order to boost sales, reduce costs, and increase profits
public concern with the environment and increasing legislation is putting pressure on
manufacturers to redesign packaging to minimise waste and use materials, which are
biodegradable or easily recyclable.

01
Planning

Planning

Establishing the project scope

The scope, complexity, and cost of packaging projects varies enormously. A project will
normally be one of four types:
01 the redesign of surface graphics on an existing pack
02 the redesign of surface graphics with some modification to specific aspects of the
physical pack (for example, the pack closure may be changed). Such physical
modifications are included as part of the design project.
03 total redesign of the existing pack, including graphics and the container or wrapping.
04 developing a pack for a new product, line or brand extension. Where the outcome
may have major financial or marketing implications (as with new product
development projects or the repackaging of a whole product range) it is advisable
to commission design concepts in the first instance and establish the implications
before committing to design development and production

The design consultancy contribution

A design consultancy that specialises in packaging design should offer the following skills:
good understanding of the strategic issues of branding
a range of creative skills to provide graphic design solutions.
the ability to produce digital or conventional artwork, either in-house or via a regular
third party source
good understanding of production techniques and processes.

Some consultancies will be able to offer additional skills such as:

in-house research and planning - this allows the consultancy to complement
your own thinking on new product development, the extension of existing
product ranges, and the creation or strengthening of brand identities
three dimensional design capabilities for the development of new pack
structures some consultancies will have close links with 3D design groups
in order to offer this service
knowledge of environmental issues relevant to product packaging
international expertise.

Which of these skills you need to employ will depend on the nature of the project and on
your own in-house facilities and expertise.

For example, you may require the consultancy to run the entire job, from research, through
the design stages to artwork, and including the sourcing of and liaison with packaging
converters and printers. Alternatively, you may want your own packaging technologies to
take over once the consultancy has supplied final designs, photography, illustration and
artwork production traces.

02
Planning

Whatever the circumstances, it is important that you let the consultancy know exactly what
is expected of them and how their role fits in with those of your production colleagues or
third party suppliers. Without careful co-ordination, each party will make assumptions
about their own and others responsibilities, which could lead to work arriving late,
unchecked and/or over budget.

Contractual matter
Before the design consultancy begins work, fees and terms for the project need to be
agreed. This is covered in some detail in the DBA Guide One Choosing and Appointing
a Design Consultancy, but take particular care over the following aspects.

Copyright
Ownership of copyright resides with the creator of the work unless this is formally assigned
to a third party in writing. A company does not automatically acquire copyright in pack
design just by paying a fee for the work. If you wish to obtain copyright it must be built into
the agreement. Full copyright may not be necessary a licence to use the design may be
sufficient it will depend on whether you want to reuse the work (including illustrations and
photography incorporated in it) or use it in territories other than those specified in the
original contract.

Budget
It is often impossible to make accurate predictions of the total project cost at the outset,
because the scale of work may not be known until the project is underway. Normally the
consultancy gives firm costs for the first stage of the project with estimates for subsequent
stages. These estimates can be firmed up once concepts have been agreed. If the project
is likely to require major new investment, each stage will probably need approval from
senior management, which needs to be planned into the project programme.

Industry practice in setting out project costings is not standardised and this is not
always clear. If you agree to proposals for a fixed fee plus unspecified expenses
(which may be necessary at the early stages of a project) it is advisable to set up
a system to control the budget.

Depending on the scope of the project, it may be necessary to bring in new members
to project team, in addition to the design consultancy. For instance, a member of
in-house staff whose job it is to source and buy in all services to do with the production
and manufacture of packaging will need to be brought in to the project at an early stage.
This is particularly important if the physical pack needs to be changed.

If other communications advisors, such as your advertising agency, are required to

contribute to the project brief, or to work alongside the consultancy in preparing
advertising, promotional or support material for the new pack designs, their input
will need to be co-ordinated. It is worth noting that the strongest pack designs are
often created when such input is incorporated. However the project works, it must
be clear who is managing the project, how responsibilities are being allocated, and
who reports to whom.

03
The Design Process

The Design Process

Reviewing the brief

In order to choose an appropriate design consultancy, you will have prepared an outline
brief defining the project scope, objectives, timetable and budget.

Following their appointment, you will need to conduct a formal review of the project brief
with them to explore and discuss the project in detail.

You should encourage your consultancy to challenge the thinking behind your brief. At the
very least, this will help clarify the commercial objectives of the project. At best it may lead
to modifications which could make it much more successful.

This is also the opportunity to provide sensitive or confidential information you may have
been reluctant to reveal at the proposal stage.

The wider the scope of the project, the more detailed the briefing review process. The final
brief should ensure that the consultancy is clear on the following issues:

Why the project is being undertaken

What is the business background to the project? Why is the project being commissioned
is the current pack design perceived to be weak? Is the product entering a new market?
Is it to reduce damage to the product in transit? Is it to mitigate the effect of a price rise on
sales? To reposition the product in order to improve margins?

The scope of the project

This will have been defined before appointment but should be confirmed. Will the pack be
used outside the UK? Is it the first of a planned range? If the project involves new product
development or a complete redesign of the pack, the designers will want to know the
investment allocated for implementation of the project.

Commercial objectives
What is the design expected to achieve? Is it to help secure key store listings? To increase
market share? To boost sales by a target of x%? To reduce manufacturing costs?
To respond to competitor initiatives?

Details of the product/range history

Give details of the products heritage, as well as information about core product or brand
values. If the project concerns a range, discuss the different products in the range, and
when and why they have been introduced.

04
The Design Process

Product requirements
Specify product characteristics that may influence the packaging solutions.

Target consumers
Specify the current consumer profile and the desired consumer target.

Market data
Supply data about the potential market from published and in-house sources.
Include all competitive details and supply samples of competitors packs.

Distribution arrangements
Describe warehousing arrangements and distribution methods.

Merchandising requirements
Describe in-store display arrangements. Give details of any support material the design
consultancy is required to produce, such as point of sale or promotional material.

Pack manufacture
State how the packs will be manufactured. Will the design consultancy be required to
source and/or liase with the packaging supplier or printer?

Promotional methods
Give full details of current and future advertising and promotional plans.

Corporate design policies

Give details of corporate design policies that affect the way in which existing corporate or
brand identities should be used.

Green policies
Give any such details likely to affect packaging solutions.

Legal and technical requirements

Clarify any legal and technical requirements (e.g. statutory requirements for pack
information, bar coding, etc).

Timetable
Review the timetable for the project, including approval stages and the timing of copy and
other information you will provide.

Form of delivery of the work

State whether the design consultancy will be required to prepare artwork and whether this
should be supplied in digital or conventional form.

05
The Design Process

Costs and payment stages

Review costs including design fees, bought-ins and expenses, and confirm
payment stages.

Research and planning

Even the smallest projects require the design consultancy to undertake research and
investigation in order to prepare a design brief from the project brief.

At the very least the consultancy will appraise the existing pack, study competitor packs,
and conduct store checks to assess current design impact at the point of sale.

They will also research relevant market sector studies and in-house data provided by you,
and will wish to discuss the product and its market positioning with your sales, marketing
and advertising teams.

If the project involves more than surface graphics, the research and investigation phase is
likely to involve an appraisal of technical and production, as well as marketing, issues.
It is increasingly common for new market research to be commissioned at this pre-design
stage in order to inform the design brief further.

Such research can reveal vital information about consumer attitudes or behaviour towards
the product/product type, which will need to be taken into account in the design options
proposed. It can also indicate the extent to which an existing design is appropriate to the
desired target market for the product. For example, research may indicate that in its
current packaging a product will be unable to capture a desired section of the market
because it is seen as old-fashioned or down market.

A different sort of study might investigate the equities in an existing design. This will
indicate which pack features have strong and positive associations for consumers and
which are easily recognised. This will in turn suggest, for a long-established brand, which
elements should be treated with respect by the designers and which are dispensable.

In some cases, especially projects involving new product development or the reappraisal
of a significant brand or product range, the design consultancy may be commissioned to
carry out a strategic product planning exercise. This could involve a separately budgeted
research and analysis phase, in order to establish the project scope and direction. This is
likely to involve field and desk research by the consultancy, and the commissioning of
new market research.

The outcome will be a set of recommendations on creative strategy for the product or
brand, on which the rest of the project can be built.

06
The Design Process

Finalise Brief
If the research and investigation stage has thrown up ideas that challenge the project brief,
these need to be discussed and, if necessary, the brief amended accordingly. This is most
likely where a special research phase has been built into the project.

The revised brief should be written and circulated to all relevant parties. Any contractual
amendments arising from the changes (which may mean more or less work than was
originally envisaged) also need to be agreed in writing.

It is important to recognise that once the brief has been finalised, and design work started,
subsequent changes to the brief are likely to result in some reworking of designs and
additional fees. The importance of absolute clarity in the finalised brief cannot be over
emphasised.

Concept design
This is the stage when the thought process is first translated into visual ideas. The design
consultancy will prepare a creative or design brief on which they will draw to explore
different design directions. They will not be looking at detailed solutions but working to
establish a general approach. They may wish to share some of their early thinking with
you so that you can give pointers and reactions. If this is the case you may be shown
mood boards which use a collage of images to conjure up the tone and feel the
designer will be striving to achieve through the design.

Concept review
At the completion of this phase the design team will present their concepts. What is
presented at this stage will vary enormously according to the kind of project, your needs,
the consultancys working methods, the time and budget available, and the number of
subsequent design stages built into the project proposal.

Where a new pack is being created, it is more usual for a range of different designs and
approaches to the brief to be shown than would be the case for a straightforward updating
of an established pack.

Experienced design buyers may wish to save money by seeing concepts in a fairly
unfinished form (e.g. flat visuals with loose, hand drawn images). However, if concepts
need approval by colleagues, the work will need to be presented in a more finished format.
For example, 3D mock ups in the right colours with actual pack copy and brand names
in place and good representations of any graphic elements.

Agree with your consultancy at the start of the project what will be shown at each
presentation during the various design stages. This will allow you to brief colleagues on
the objectives of the presentation, and make them aware of any input required from them.

07
The Design Process

Make sure that people who can take decisions about how to proceed are at the concept
presentation and that they fully understand the project brief. This will allow the project to
move on without unnecessary delays.

It can be useful to involve production specialists, such as in-house technical specialists,

a factory manager or the packaging manufacturers who can offer invaluable comment
on the manufacturability of a new pack.

Allow the design team to present its concepts in person so that they can explain the
thinking behind each concept and get accurate feedback from those present.

Checklist on assessing a new pack design

Does the pack communicate clearly and quickly what the product is?
Does it communicate the product qualities and points of difference
against competitors?
Is the brand name in a prominent position and in a clear and unique style?
Does the pack conform to generic rules for colour and format?
Is it practical for production and manufacture?
Does it meet legal requirements?
Are the various product attributes correctly weighted in terms of size
and prominence?
Does the pack have the right positioning in terms of quality vs value;
modern vs traditional, feminine vs masculine, etc?
Does the new pack fit into the existing range, and is its heritage recognisable?
Are the elements of goodwill in the old design maintained or can you afford to
be revolutionary rather than evolutionary?
Does any supporting product illustration display the product clearly and in the
appropriate style?
Does the design work across national boundaries, if this is required have
environmental factors been taken into account?
Where a unique pack shape has been created, will this be acceptable to the retailer?

By the end of a concept presentation, you as the client should have a good grasp of
the designers thinking and a broad-brush picture of what each concept should look
and feel like.

At this point one or more of the concepts should be taken forward into design
development. Sometimes market research will be used to assist the
decision-making process.

08
The Design Process

If none of the concepts presented seem to be right, it may be necessary to go back to the
brief and consider whether the designers have met the brief functionally. If this is the case
you can ask them to do further work but they may require additional fees since they have
delivered workable solutions that you are rejecting on purely subjective grounds.

If you are presented with concepts that do not meet the brief, it should be explained to the
designers where they have failed so they can develop new concepts within the original fee.

Design development
Design development is the process of turning the chosen concept into a workable
design that can be printed or manufactured. Design development can be broken down
into a number of phases, each involving a slightly more refined version of the design, with
research, testing and approvals procedures built in to each phase. The number of phases
will depend on the size and scale of the project, the number of concepts put into
development, and the budget available. During this development stage, the design(s) will
be applied to packs across the range of sizes and containers to check that the favoured
approach works equally well in all formats.

The designs will usually be mocked up as visually accurate dummies. These can be
used for final design approvals, promotional photography, advertising campaigns
and/or for market research or testing.

The types of research used include: hall tests, which test shelf impact, recognition
of change and perceived price points against competitive products; and group
discussions, to get a more considered response. Group discussions can also be
used to test a range of concepts against one another and identify responses to
particular features of the designs.

There are disadvantages of using market research to test designs. Because research
tends to highlight anything novel or risky in the design, over-researching can lead to
blandness. To avoid this, ensure that research results are never used as a substitute
for judgement and always use a market research agency with a proven track record.

During this stage, the designers should liase closely with the in-house team and/or third
party suppliers who are responsible for producing or printing the finished designs.

Final approvals
This is the stage where the designs are finally approved before finished artwork or
drawings are prepared for final printing or manufacture of the packs.

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Implementation

Implementation

The design consultancy will now prepare artwork or production drawings.

In order to do this it will commission illustrations or photography, finalise the writing and
typesetting of wording on the pack (including legally required information about contents,
ingredients, hazard or health warnings), and incorporate bar codes.

Artwork will consist of a bromide including text and key-lines for the positioning of
photographs or illustration with colour overlays. This will be presented to you for checking
and signing off. Check this carefully, since mistakes overlooked at this stage are likely to
end up on the printed pack.

Once artwork has been signed off it will go to the reproduction (repro) house which brings
together type and images and produces a colour proof. Even if you are handling this stage
directly you should ask the consultancy to check the proofs. The designers trained eye
can pick up colour mismatches relatively easily, and since this service is normally costed
into design proposals, there should be no extra charge involved.

After proofing is the print stage. Again, it is wise to allow the design consultancy to be
present at the first print run. They will pick up inaccuracies in the colour emphasis that
can otherwise go unchecked.

Where in-house packaging buyers/managers take responsibility for implementation

and production, the design consultancy will hand over detailed designs, plus typesetting,
photography, illustration and other elements. These will be passed on to the artwork and
repro houses, packaging converters and printers who will be involved from this stage
under your management.

If the implementation stages of the project are managed in this way, it is essential that the
designers remain involved to approve the outcome of each stage, including artwork, colour
proofs and printing or manufacture.

This ensures that the printed pack carries exactly the design that you approved. The
artwork house or packaging supplier can change the design, either because they have
overlooked some detail, or because their equipment or processes are unable to produce
the effect intended by the designer. Because of this, the end result can be very different
from what was intended.

This situation can be avoided if the printer or packaging suppler is appointed as soon as
design concepts have been agreed. This not only ensures their production processes are
suitable for the job in hand, it also means that production issues can be discussed early in
the design process.

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Implementation

Make sure production schedules are integrated with marketing, sales, PR, and physical
distribution activities.

It is also important to check that the pack meets all standards and statutory requirements
for packaging. If necessary, seek advice from the companys legal department about
compliance with these, as well as industry specific regulations or environmental legislation.
If there is no in-house department you should find a lawyer with specialist knowledge in the
field your consultancy may be able to recommend one.

Impact of new technology

Computer technology is revolutionising certain aspects of the design and production
of packaging and in the process is affecting the way in which design projects are being
managed and run.

By early 1991 penetration of computer aided design technology within the design
consultancy sector had reached over 60% and its use is set to grow rapidly.

Design consultancies use this technology in different ways, but principally for:
generating design concepts
producing visuals for client presentations
generating typesetting
producing conventional or digital artwork for printing.

Computer technology, as opposed to traditional methods, benefits the design process

as follows:

Developing design concepts

Technology can allow the designer to explore a range of design ideas and options much
more quickly than with conventional methods. This means that more of the time allocated
to concept development can be spent on creative, rather than production activity.

Visualisation
When linked to a colour output device computers can produce good quality visuals more
quickly than similar items produced by hand. This means it is practical for the client to see
more highly finished visuals and explore different colourways at an earlier stage in the
project. Also, computers allow for type to be incorporated into the design from the earliest
stages, allowing the client to see a real representation of the design at an earlier stage.

Avoid endless (and costly) tinkering with the proposed design solution by ensuring a tightly
controlled timing schedule.

11
Implementation

Evaluation
Considering the significant financial and marketing implications, it is surprising how seldom
managers undertake any formal appraisal of the effectiveness of their investment in a new
pack design. Evaluation is only possible if clear and specific objectives have been set in
the first place. This means putting figures to the desired sales or market share increases,
or production savings, and setting targets for the penetration of new markets or
other objectives.

Once the product has been launched, data can be readily collected and the outcome
compared with the original objectives.

Isolating the effect attributable to the new design is more problematic: it is unlikely to
be the only factor in the marketing mix to have changed, and the effect of advertising,
PR activity, price or distribution changes will need to be discounted. In addition, post-
launch market research can be used to check whether the new design is changing
customer attitudes in the right direction, and conclusions be drawn as to whether this
is in turn affecting behaviour.

Difficult as the evaluation can be to conduct, it is certainly worth making the attempt,
since the lessons learnt will provide invaluable guidance for future projects.

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Sources of Help and Advice

Sources of Help and Advice

The organisations listed below are invaluable sources of information and advice in the
design sector:

Design Business Association (DBA)

The DBA is the trade association for the UK design consultancy sector with around 300
members, providing design services across all disciplines. The DBA exists to promote
effective design; to encourage high standards of professional practice within the design
consultancy sector; and to provide useful services to members.

designSelect is the new on-line design referral service from the DBA. The service Is free
to members and provides design buyers with an expertly honed shortlist of appropriate
consultancies within minutes. Visit designSelect at www.dba.org.uk.

The DBA International Design Effectiveness Awards is the only awards scheme to
recognise and reward design projects that have achieved outstanding commercial
results. For more information contact the DBA.

The Design Business Association

35-39 Old Street
London EC1V 9HX
T/ 020 7251 9229
E/ enquiries@dba.org.uk
www.dba.org.uk

Design Council
The Design Council works to help British industry understand the nature of good design
and the positive effect it has on market performance.

Design Council
34 Bow Street
London WC2E 7DL
T/ 020 7420 5200

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Sources of Help and Advice

Chartered Society of Designers (CSD)

The CSD is the UKs principal professional body for designers. In addition to its services for
members it can provide information for design buyers.

The Chartered Society of Designers

Unit 5
Bermondsey Exchange
Bermondsey Street
London SE1 3UW
T/ 020 7357 8088

DTI
The single market DTI provides an authoritative and comprehensive range of information
on the single market. Contact Giles Holford Manager of Single Market Policy and Co-
ordination on T/ 020 7215 4483.

Innovation Future and Innovation Unit T/ 020 7215 6642 for information

Patent Office
Patents, copyright and trademarks The Patent Office (an executive agency of DTI) can
advise you on intellectual property rights, which protect design work created for products,
packaging, interiors and trade or service marks T/ 0845 950 0505 for information.

Useful Publications
Offices A Briefing and Design Guide: S Bailey, London, Butterworth Architecture, 1990
Fitch on Retail Design: R Fitch and L Knobel, Oxford, Phiadon, 1992
How to Buy Design: M Hancock, Design Council, 1992
How designers think London: B Lawson, Butterworth Architecture, 1990
Architects Handbook for Client Briefing: F Salisbury, London, Butterworth
Architecture, 1990
The Directory of Interior Design: DID SARL Paris, 1991
The International Directory of Architecture and Design: DID SARL Paris, 1992

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