In the Blink of an Eye

Imagine walking through a supermarket: The eye is confronted by thousands of products, hundreds of signs, dozens of features all fighting for attention. On top of that, shoppers are trying to maneuver their carts while looking at a shopping list, maybe talking on a cell phone, and trying to find the products they need.

Amidst all that turmoil, a consumer's eye initially spends just 1/16th of a second on each product in the store. What happens in that crucial instant makes all the difference in the world. Packaging has to be so electric that it demands the consumer stop moving their eyes and feet and begin the sale. Really great packaging is pretty close to a miracle.

Even more amazing is when a small company, with little or no expertise, manages to come up with a package that works. Because of a scarcity of manpower and money, it's fairly common for a product's creator to also develop the packaging. The problem often is that they've worked with their product for so long and know it so well that they think everyone else will understand it as well as they do. As a result, many times they forget to actually say what the product is or does.

On the other hand, some package designers take the opposite approach: They're so concerned that the consumer will miss something that they feel compelled to tell everything. They fill the front of the box with so many words and images that the eye slides off like a fried egg from a Teflon pan.

This tendency of human nature may not be a big concern for large manufacturers; they employ lots of people to make sure there message gets across with minimum words and maximum impact. It is, however, a major issue for smaller companies.

One example of the journey that packaging can take is the game Cogno, developed by Stuart Montaldo and his company Double Star. Montaldo has designed a number of games and written several books around the theme of space exploration. He was not satisfied, however, that his game box was getting the message across to the consumer.

In repackaging Cogno, the first thing that had to be considered was Montaldo's vision of the product. “My vision is to draw in children who may or may not have an existing interest in science,” Montaldo says. “Not to seem too educational to kids, but convey the learning benefits to Mom. To use the appeal of characters without seeming like another vacuous 'alien' product. To convey how much fun the game is to play.”

It's important to remember that a package consists of more than the front of the box. After all, a box has six sides (front, back, and four side panels), any of which can be called into service. When a product is shipped to a store, it's usually at the mercy of a clerk who may choose to face it any of its six ways. That means that each side must communicate the vital message.

The cover is, of course, the most important of the six sides; it functions as an advertisement. It has to get a message across in that 16th of a second. That message is simple: “Pick me up!”

The front of the Cogno box failed in this function because it did not stand out and gave no compelling message. It neither popped nor informed.

Montaldo very much wanted the packaging to have a message. But in fact the box cover was filled with messages — 13 to be exact — in a dizzying array of fonts and sizes. Why did this happen? Because Montaldo, though experienced in marketing, had no experience in designing retail packaging. And he is a writer who, loving words, wanted to make sure that a prospective buyer didn't miss anything. Put together a love of words, a lot to say and a small surface (such as a game box) and what you get is a jumbled mess.

Another change that needed to be made in the Cogno packaging was the background. Though excellent for mortuary supplies, black is not a good color for children's products. The box needed a more powerful use of color and fewer, more dynamic stars. The branding, however, provided a powerful image of Cogno the alien, dynamically interacting with the words “The Alien Adventure Game.” This provided a strong message about the product: that it was a game, that it was an adventure and that it took place in outer space. However, the image needed to be bigger.

Recommendations for the front of the box included:

• Remove all messages except for “Cogno The Alien Adventure Game” and a brief byline.
• Make the stars far more dramatic, with greater blank space and fewer, larger stars to create more impact.
• Blow up “Cogno The Alien Adventure Game” so that it takes up a good part of the box front.

Smart consumers always want to know what's in the box. But unless the package designer provides a picture, they either need to tear off the shrinkwrap and open it (something retailers hate) or take it on faith (something consumers hate).

The biggest deficiency on the back of the Cogno box was that there was no picture of the beautiful game board and components. It was as if the contents were not important. Montaldo needed to include a nice big picture of the board and components.

With a game like Cogno, it's also important that parents and children know that the game is easy to learn. Twenty-first century parents (not to mention children) don't have the patience to spend a lot of time learning rules. Accordingly, the box should call out prominently: “No experience necessary” or “Quick and easy to learn.”

Finally, the fact book provided with the game had to be identified in the packaging. “Free 30-page book of cool facts about the universe and beyond.” This book has a great deal of educational value, and can even be used without the game. By identifying the book as an added value rather than just another component of the game, Montaldo would increase the perceived value of his product.

Any package redesign depends upon a creator who has a strong enough ego to handle someone else's criticism. Before manufacturers turn to a third party to critique their work, they should make sure they are ready to handle what they may hear. Stuart Montaldo was ready. He also turned to a fine packaging de-signer, Chris Lightner of Lightner Design, to make the changes.

What were the results? Though Montaldo does not want to release proprietary data about his sales, he reported a strong increase in retail sales, as well as new placements that he says occurred specifically because of the new packaging.

Packaging can make or break a product. Manufacturers must take the time to make sure that their packaging meets and beats the 1/16th of a second challenge.