Packaging is extremely important to the marketing of products. I think that in a lot of cases, packaging is actually more important than the product itself. Unless a product is already know by the consumer, the packaging is the only piece of evidence they have on whether or not to buy. Water bottles are a good example of this. All bottled water is basically the same, even if some say they have electrolytes or other fancy additives in them. When I'm looking at various bottled waters, I realize all of the brands are going to be giving me basically the same tasting H2O. All I can make my decision on is what the bottles look like. My favorite is the Smart Water, because it looks like it has a goldfish inside of it.
2. What other products have iconic packaging?
Iconic packaging is hard to define, and even harder to create. For packaging be truly iconic, the packaging has to be as much a part of the brand as the product it contains. I think that alcohol, specifically expensive hard liquor, bottles do a really good job of making the package just as important to the product. The good ones catch the eye with sleek, elegant design and remind the consumer of the product, increasing their desire to buy.
3. What usability issues exist for packaging? Give examples of particularly good or bad packaging from a usability perspective.
A product with really quite terrible design is the CD case. CDs are something people put a lot of time and money into collecting, but the jewel cases are so fragile they break at the slightest touch. On the flip side, DVD cases, which hold an identical product in terms of size, shape and weight, do a really good job being usable. They are unbreakable and protect it's contents extremely well. Both hold a lot of value to the consumer, both monetarily and in terms of sentimental value, but the packaging of DVD cases is far superior.
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