Part of a firm’s success in packaging design rests with helping clients understand that good packaging is more than just good design—it’s having a good process in place. Although there are many details that go into packaging, these ten steps can provide a roadmap for both the client and the design team to ensure that a packaging design project will yield great results.

1. Prioritize. Prioritize. Prioritize. As part of the creative brief, include a hierarchy of five communication points for the front of the package. This includes:

A) Brand
B) Product name
C) Why-to-buy statement
D) Feature points
E) Product image

Visual priority must be established from the very beginning of the process; it drives how all creative will be judged. If you try to make everything the most important, nothing becomes important.

Read steps two to ten

Article submissions are welcome; please contact jtobin@dmi.org.

INNOVATION/05
The 9th European International Design Management Conference
March 9-11, 2005
London, UK

“The Innovation Economy: We’ve walked on the moon, built the Net, and have decoded the genome. Have we run out of worlds to conquer? No. As a matter of fact, we’re on the cusp of a fresh innovation boom.”—BusinessWeek, October 11, 2004

What will be the role of design in the Innovation Economy? Does design have an opportunity to transform its role in our economic future? What role will design play in fostering responsible innovation? How will the infusion of design thinking into the innovation process facilitate bringing new technologies to market effectively, bringing significant improvements to the quality of our lives? Are design professionals prepared to meet these coming challenges? Are design educators building programs to provide leadership for these imperatives? Understanding and answering these questions is a formidable challenge. They will be addressed through extended, in-depth keynote sessions, lectures, and case studies.

Braun Futures Forum
A forum on design innovation introduced by Sir Christopher Frayling, Rector of the Royal College of Art, and chaired by Jeremy Myerson, Director, Innovation RCA. Forum members include:

Sir Terence Conran, Chairman, Conran Holdings
Dieter Rams, Emeritus Director of Braun AG
Earl Powell, President, Design Management Institute
Peter Schneider, Director of Braun Design

Presentations

Keynote Presentation: Innovative Leadership: Braun’s Future Vision—Senior Executive to be announced, Braun GmbH

Meeting the Expectations of Women: The New Standard of Automobile Design—Dr. Elna Holmberg, YCC Technical Project Manager, Volvo Cars Corporation

Sony: A New Era?—Phillip Rose, Senior Manager Product design & Human Interface Design, Sony Design Centre Europe

The Making of Design Champions: Lessons Learned from Building a European Design Culture at P&G—Mark Barngrover, Director, Design Department, Procter & Gamble Co.

Digital Transformation: Innovate or Die—Paul Porter, Director, Corporate Design and Usability, Eastman Kodak Company

Is Innovation an Old Idea?—Oscar Peña Angarita, Director, Philips Design, Royal Philips Electronics

Innovation: What's Design Got to Do with It?—Bettina Von Stamm, Catalyst, Innovation Leadership Forum

Partners in Innovation: How Design Universities Can Bridge the Knowledge Gap—Jeremy Myerson, Director of Innovation RCA, Royal College of Art

Integrating Industrial Design and Marketing: Nice Couples or False Friends?—Lisbeth Svengren, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, School of Business, Stockholm University

Managing Innovations—Matthew White, Design Consultant

AUA: Designing the Strategy of the Company—Jaime Moreno, CEO, Mormedi

Proof: The Evidence that Design Drives Business Growth—Harry Rich, Deputy Chief Executive, Design Council

Conference Associates

Participation in INNOVATION/05 will be limited to one hundred and fifteen. Early registration is strongly recommended. Please visit the DMI Web site for the latest information about this important international event.

The Innovation Imperative in Consumer Goods
The 17th International Brand/Design Conference
June 5-7, 2005
Hilton at the Cincinnati Netherland Plaza
Cincinnati, Ohio, USA

Today, shoppers not only have greater choices in the consumer goods marketplace, they have the tools and the means to reward, or discredit new product introductions and innovation. Furthermore, one department or discipline can no longer create and maintain complete control of consumer goods brands. There is a paradigm shift underway demanding a move from the dictation of brand attributes from one source to a much broader and deeper collaboration in their creation. A new dialogue is emerging to meet the current innovation imperative in the space of consumer needs, purchases, retail strategies, and experiences. Design, Product Development, and Marketing are the primary parties in this new dialogue and new approaches to research and strategy are revealing paths to innovation and success. This conference, in the city where brand management was created, will bring together thought leaders and leading practitioners to explore and discuss these issues.

Please visit the DMI Web site in the coming weeks for more information about this very popular and highly-regarded conference.

A New DMI Seminar

DMI is proud to announce a significant expansion of the seminar program in 2005 with the introduction of another new seminar, Managing Creative Staff, in addition to the other two new seminars already announced, Design Research Fundamentals, and Building Innovation Scenarios and Simulations: An Introduction.

Managing any employee presents significant challenges, and there are special challenges encountered when managing creative staff. This seminar will help you deal with many of the common and classic issues of managing others, as well as some of the specific challenges faced by those who manage designers. You will learn tools and techniques that can be used immediately to increase the effectiveness of your group.

What you will learn:

• Motivating designers: Learn some of the major approaches to motivation and how to apply them to your employees.
• Giving useful feedback: Giving “negative” feedback is among the hardest of human skills. You will learn the do’s and don’ts of providing feedback so that your employees will accept and learn from it.
• Developing employees: Almost everyone says that he or she learns the most from their on-the-job experience. You will learn how to help your designers increase their skills and knowledge as they work.
• Understanding culture: Employees need to know how their company “works”; e.g., what leads to acceptance and what leads to rejection, and which approaches work and which don’t. You will learn how organizational cultures vary and how to understand them so that you can help designers successfully navigate your culture.

Who should attend:

• Graphic design department managers
• Product design managers
• Brand managers
• Consultancy design directors
• Consultancy managers
• Designers on the verge of promotion

This day-and-a-half seminar will be very interactive and will use a variety of techniques, including lecture/discussion, small group discussions, case studies, and role-playing. More information.

Upcoming Seminars:

Creating the Perfect Design Brief
Taught by Peter L. Phillips, Design Strategy Consultant
February 3-4, 2005, San Diego, USA
April 14-15, 2005, Chicago, USA
May 12-13, 2005, Montréal, Canada

“With the way that design is being viewed in today’s corporate culture, it is imperative that we work towards change. This seminar has provided me and my company with the foresight to make a positive change. Thank you!”
—Debra Maher, Graphic Designer, Redgate Design Group

The New Marketing: Understanding It, Working with It
Taught by Bruce Clark, PhD, Associate Professor of Marketing, Northeastern University
March 3-4, 2005, Boston, USA

“Great exchange of information. I have new ideas to take back to the office.”
—Corinne Queenan, Supervisor, Marcom, First Health

Marketing Graphic Design Services
Taught by Cameron Foote, Principal, Creative Business
March 4-5, 2005, Los Angeles, USA

“This is the first seminar to fully address all elements of the designer/client relationship and how to nurture it. Cameron Foote has a vast amount of experience and his style, manner and tone were excellent.”
—Ben Blaber, Vice President, Account Director, Davis

Managing Design for Strategic Advantage
Taught by Peter L. Phillips, Design Strategy Consultant
March 17-18, 2005, New York, USA
June 9-10, 2005, Chicago, USA

“I feel empowered to make positive changes at my company; I feel I have a whole new toolbox that I will use for years to come.”
—Rachel Caldwell, Design Manager, The Vanguard Group

Design Research for Product and Brand Innovation
Taught by Darrel Rhea, CEO, Cheskin
March 17-18, 2005, San Francisco, USA
May 19-20, 2005, New York, USA

“Darrel is a fantastic speaker and the information/value of his insight will be put into motion ASAP within my organization.”
—Gerry Squires, System Designer, Nestle Product Technology Center

Design Research Fundamentals (New for 2005)
Taught by Darrel Rhea, CEO, Cheskin
April 14-15, 2005, San Francisco, USA

Building Innovation Scenarios and Simulations (New for 2005)
Taught by Michael Eckersley, Ph.D., Managing Principal, HumanCentered
April 28-29, 2005, Cincinnati, USA

Managing Creative Staff (New for 2005)
Taught by Leonard Glick, Ph.D., Executive Professor, College of Business Administration, Northeastern University
May 5-6, 2005, Boston, USA

Strategies for Designing Meaningful Brand Experiences
Taught by Dave Norton, Ph.D., Vice President, Experience Strategy and Research, Yamamoto Moss
May 5-6, 2005, Chicago, USA

“This seminar shed light on how to create meaningful brand experiences and differentiate those experiences from the old branding paradigm. I loved this seminar!”
—Allison Leeds, Art Director, AOL

Managing Strategic Creativity and Innovation
Taught by Alison Rieple, Professor of Strategic Management, University of Westminster—Harrow Business School
July 11-12, 2005, London, UK

“This seminar had excellent content, delivery, and discussion, it was extremely inspiring and insightful, and a real asset to our personal and professional development.”
—Simon Bromfield, New Media Manager, Lubrizol Ltd.

For complete information and the latest schedule, visit www.dmi.org/seminars.

Design Management Review, Fall 2004 (Vol. 15, No. 4)
Design and Economic Development: From Business Strategy to National Policy

This quarter, contributors explore how design is not only a corporate resource but also a pathway to community and national development. A summary of recent research confirms that design improves bottom-line results. A case study shows how Umqua Bank in Portland has leveraged design to help make itself a cornerstone of regional business success. Other authors discuss how nations—including Korea, Denmark, Ireland, and Poland—regard design as a policy opportunity for improving global competitiveness. Finally, two articles analyze programs that support the use of design among SMEs.

Visit the DMI Web site for more information about this issue of the Review, including subscription information and a list of articles. DMI members and Review subscribers will receive this issue shortly.

Free Download of the Month
Designing for the Base of the Pyramid
By Patrick Whitney, Steelcase & Robert C. Pew Professor, and Director, Institute of Design, IIT
Design Management Review, Fall 2004, Vol. 15, No. 4

For companies in the developed world, design, if not the norm, is at least an option for enhancing business strategies. Going beyond these traditional venues, Patrick Whitney and Anjali Kelkar boldly explore the contributions design can make to businesses in developing countries, specifically to businesses in the slums of India. Their findings convey design’s universal value and offer a beacon of hope in an otherwise grim reality.

This free download has expired. Click here to read the executive summary for this article and the opportunity to purchase the article for direct download.

DMI members can download all DMI Review articles for free on the DMI Web site. Visit www.dmi.org/membership for more information.

 

Calendar of Events

APDF Royalty and Licensing Summit III
January 7, 2005, Las Vegas, USA
Info: www.apdf.org.

Managing Markets in Turbulent Times
January 14-15, 2005, Taj Lands End, Mumbai, India
Info: www.mica-india.net.

1st International Design Congress of ESTAL Students: The State of Art in Design
Call for Papers Deadline: January 15, 2005
This congress will take place in Lisbon, Portugal, October 13-15, 2005. Info: www.cidae.net.

MICA Communication Review – Design Edition/Call for Papers
Abstract Deadline: January 31, 2005
Info: David Griffiths, Guest Editor, email@davidgriffiths.com, tel.: +44-7753 466-039.

BraunPrize for Young Designers
Deadline: January 31, 2005
Info: www.braunprize.com.

IDEA 2005
Deadline: February 11, 2005
Info: www.idsa.org.

365: AIGA Annual Design Exhibition 25
Through February 25, 2005, New York City, USA
Info: www.aiga.org.

DESIGN does not equal ART
Through February 27, 2005, Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum, New York City, USA
Info: ndm.si.edu.

InSource Presents: A Seat at the Table: Articulating Design’s Strategic Value to Management
March 2, 2005 Madison, New Jersey, USA
Info: www.in-source.org

International Symposium on Fashion Marketing and Management Research
Abstract Deadline, March 31, 2005, London College of Fashion
Event: June 27, 2005. Info: Dr. Philippa Ashton, p.ashton@fashion.arts.ac.uk

ICSID Interdesign: Sustainable Transport
April 3-16, 2005, Northwest Province, South Africa
Info: www.interdesign2005.org.za.

Call For Papers, Special Issue of the Journal of Product Innovation Management: “Branding and New Product Development”
Deadline: August 31, 2005
Info: Prof. Erik Jan Hultink, Delft University of Technology, tel.: +31-15-2783068, e.j.hultink@io.tudelft.nl.