Health Food for Fresh Design
Television, magazines, and trips to the store have exposed us to the same brands and designs for much of our lives. And as companies merge, chains expand, and "mom-and-pop" shops die, we are exposed to even fewer brands than when we were growing up. We are increasingly denied the experience of that first reaction, that quick emotional response when we see something completely new or different for the first time as adults.
It would be nice to analyze design from that point of first reaction, to examine a never before seen brand in its proper context. But where can a designer go for such an experience?
Annuals, books, and Web sites showcase many designs that we've probably never seen before, but impact is lost in these collections. Through these media, we only view works -- often smaller in scale -- as outsiders, as third-party observers, rather than as consumers.
A couple months ago my wife and I needed some miso for a chicken recipe. After searching the usual strip of supermarkets to no avail, we ventured into the local health food store. Not only did we find miso up the wazoo, but aisle after aisle was stuffed with many familiar food items from companies we had never heard of, with labels and logos we had never seen.
The awakening wasn't quite something out of a Wachowski brothers movie, but it was visually liberating. The only problem was deciding which brands to try first.
Enter design. We simply chose the products with the packaging that had the most impact on us. That's all we had to go by -- a level playing field and blank slate. No fancy promotions, celebrity endorsements, or super saving discounts to corrupt or persuade us.
The health food store turned out to be the perfect place to survey fresh design. All designers need to eat, so the experience is very personal. Context is obviously established, and with the growing number of small companies entering the growing health food market, you'll be exposed to more and more designs from companies you've most likely never heard of before.
You'll enjoy that first emotional reaction to something new, and as you grab the package off the shelf, maybe -- just maybe -- you'll discover the secret ingredient that makes certain designs go pop!
That was a really cool post, Steve. I have to agree that there is so much corporate take over that it has dulled our senses to their designs.
It is interesting that you found such enlightenment in a natural food store. The other place that I tend to find the same thing is in pet stores. With a lot of small places trying to get you to buy their new and improved product, there tends to be some pretty fresh package designs. This is actually an area that I would love to get into to.
I will definitely have to check out the local natural food shop the next time I am in that area. I'll let you know what I think too!
I am a designer in Atlanta who grew up in the Natural Foods Industry, and rarely (if ever) shop in conventional grocery stores. I recently had a very similar experience to yours but in a flip-flop fashion. Not only was a completely shocked at the legth of the ingredient lists, but I was also entertained by rows and rows of marketing/design games that the stores must play in order to be the brand or product that the shoppers pick. There is some stiff competition in the commercial industry. Companies in the natural foods industry tend to embrace one another and work together to form a well-rounded variety of specialty foods that cater to their common target audience. I wish more industries operated where each company's strengths are recognized, and when it is all put together it becomes very refreshing and trustworthy industry.