Abstract: This article combines the consumer perception of packaging design, researches and analyzes the consumer's way of decoding the packaging design language, so that the designer can correctly and effectively design the product information package. Let packaging in the merchandise marketing plan in conjunction with other commodity information and communication media unified and effective delivery of product information. Source: "Decoration"
Keywords: package-aware decoding Consumer perception of package design can be divided into: visual perception, behavioral perception, tactile perception, and associative perception. Visual perception refers to the use of visual design elements that are similar to a prominent feature of a product in packaging design. It creates a visual impact on the target consumer, makes it perceptible, and leaves a deep impression. The so-called behavioral awareness refers to the process of opening and dismantling through the packaging of goods, so that consumers can form a perception of the concept of goods in the process. The so-called tactile perception refers to the special psychological feeling brought about by the texture of the material when it comes into contact with the packaging. The so-called associative perception, on the one hand, refers to the consumer's association of product attributes caused by the visual design elements. On the other hand, it refers to when the consumer’s product information through the advertising media is consistent with the product information conveyed by certain design languages ​​on the packaging design. , Consumer perception of the packaging design language, a large part of which comes from the consumer's association of the same information in advertising.
Designers package product information in packaging design through three types of packaging design languages: exterior decoration, container shape, and packaging structure design. Consumers' decoding and perception are different in three different design languages.
First, exterior decoration design. In the exterior design of the packaging, the designer maximizes and optimizes product information through the choice of color, text, graphics, layout, and texture effects.
1. The use of visual design language in exterior decoration, such as the visual design language of color, graphics, graph-bottom relationship, layout tension, etc. in packaging design. Through the decoding of these design languages, consumers complete visual perception and associational perception. Sometimes, in order to deepen consumers' visual perception of packaging design, merchants use some design elements in the packaging of goods to dramatize their expressions in the film and television advertisements of the goods, and deepen the impression of the packaging of the goods through the associative perception of consumers.
2. The use of non-visual design language in exterior decoration, and consumers' perception of this part of design language in exterior decoration, needs some rational thinking. For example, the perception of product slogans in exterior decoration. The complete process of the consumer's perception of the slogan on the outer decoration of the package is as follows: First, the visual languages ​​such as the font, color, and position of the slogan in the layout are perceived. If this information can give a good impression to the consumer, he will begin to understand the meaning conveyed by the slogan at the language level. Then through associative perception, consumers think of the dramatic expression of slogans in film and television advertisements. At this time, if the starting point of this slogan expression originates from the consumer's consumer appeal, the consumer's mind will form an impression of satisfaction with the product until the entire consumer's perception of the slogan on the external decoration of the package is completed. . In addition, the texture effect and special touch of various packaging materials in the external packaging of the package are also perceived by the consumers through visual and tactile perceptions.
Second, bottle shape design. The bottle shape is used to encode product information through abstract lines and other design languages ​​to reflect the product attributes. Consumers through the bottle shape design language decoding to complete the bottle shape modeling visual perception, behavioral awareness and association perception.
The unique bottle design is perceived by consumers through visual means. The smooth bottle lines are associated with distilled water by the consumer's association; in order to facilitate the consumer to carry and consume, the bottle type information is the advantage of the entire product. The information is encoded by the designer through the recessed structure in the middle of the bottle body and the cup-shaped design language of the bottle cap in the consumer's use of the product's decoding process to be perceived by the consumer's behavior. Some businesses in order to deepen the consumer's visual perception, the shape of the product in the television advertising design to give humane meaning, consumers through the association of perception, can deepen the impression of the bottle shape.
Third, the packaging structure design. The packaging structure mainly completes the functions of packaging protection and convenient use. The functional information of this part of the packaging structure can be encoded in the designer's design language as well as the convenience of use of certain bottle type designs, and it can be combined with other promotional information of the product to become the selling point of the product.
1. Protection function information. The packaging structure needs a good buffer or other protective structure to protect the contents from environmental damage. The buffer structure in the packaging structure or the use of cushioning material enables the package to perform commodity protection functions. As a basic function of packaging, excellent protection features are often used as a packaging relative to the advantages of similar goods in the packaging of television advertising. The information about the protection function of the packaging structure can be perceived by the consumers through the dramatic expression of the film and television advertisements, and can also be perceived by the consumers when the consumers experience the packaging's excellent protection function.
2. Easy to use feature information. Easy to use is a very important part of the packaging function for the consumer. The consumer's experience with convenient features comes directly with the use of the product. Designers encode easy-to-use information in a design language for portable, overhead, repeatable, and other packaging structures. For example, consumers may have experienced tearing the package and rendering the package unusable. Designers improved the design of this packaging structure, and in dramatic advertisements of similar commercials, they communicated to people that this information could be easily opened and packaged, and to a certain extent would persuade consumers to purchase the product. Experience this convenient opening feature. In this respect, consumers also complete the perception of the functional information of the packaging structure through the use of behavioral and associative perceptions.
3. Consumers take apart the packaging, from seeing the packaging to seeing the content, which is a process from the unknown to the perception. The unique features of surprise consumers during the process or can trigger a unique emotion of consumers and even unpack the packaging process often become the subject of the dramatic expression of commercial television commercials. For example, when the consumer opens the can of the beverage, a refreshing feeling arises spontaneously. The consumer's perception of this functional information of the packaging structure is also accomplished through the combination of behavioral and associative perceptions.
4. Serialized packaging information. In the serialized packaging structure, the echoed design structure is often used between the packaging structures of the individual. The echoing relationship in this structure strengthens the series effect of the series of products. Consumers perceive the design language of a series of products through visual perception. At the same time, a variety of product packaging methods are available. The way consumers experience serialized packaging design languages ​​is not limited to visual perception.
In summary, consumers have a variety of ways to decode various packaging design languages. Designers should consider the level of consumer perception of packaging in packaging design coding, make full use of these perception channels, and communicate product information through the optimized design language; secondly, associative perception appears in every aspect of consumer perception of packaging. That is to say, packaging as a medium for the dissemination of product information and the advertising media in terms of a unified expression of the concept of a product can form mutually reinforcing results. In the marketing environment of commodity society, goods rely more and more on the promotion of information by various media. At the same time, higher and higher requirements are placed on the unity of information transmission among these media. Therefore, designers should start from the perception of consumers, tap their connections between media, and use contact as a starting point to eliminate the faults in information transmission between media.
Li Xiangbiao Zhao Gang College of Design Art, Hunan University
Decoding Analysis of Perceptual Elements in Packaging Design