Powder, tablet, gel capsules or free flowing gel? – There is no doubt that there is a lot of variety in the detergent market, but before you click away have you ever considered what it could mean for your own products? (Jane Bear)

An interesting article from Des King about a market which covers not only a wide variety of product formats, but also some very diverse packaging formats.  Innovation in this market has always been a driver, but what could other markets learn?  How about a vitamin syrup in a squeezy upside down pack, or a cough medicine with a measured dose pump?  It’s just a question of pushing the norm and thinking outside of your category “me too” packaging format.

To read the full article visit Packaging News

At Design Cognition, we are passionate about packaging, design & creativity. We like to work with some of the worlds’ leading edge packaging designers, but also identify and nurture some of the brightest up-and-coming talent coming into the industry. We’re on a mission to unearth the very best designers and creators to see what makes them ‘tick, what ‘fires them up’ to get out of bed in the morning and who/what inspires them. We’re starting a a new initiative called the ‘Creative Spotlight’. In the first of the series we’ve interviewed a fantastic designer from California called ‘Elo’ (MarcELO), who has a very distinctive style all his own. Enjoy! and watch out for other great designer interviews coming soon! Chris Penfold

1. Elo, could you tell us where you’re from and how you got started in the field?

I originally come from South America, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. I’ve also lived in Europe and Canada. Today I live in sunny San Diego, California. I came here for school, I graduated and I run my own freelance design company, ElO Designs. I was always involved with art ever since I was a kid. My sisters and I did some plays together and then I thought I was going to be a singer. I took singing classes for 1 year and I formed a band. We were great but too many. Then things started to fall apart and the band was over after a year. Since I like traveling, I wanted to create a website to show my friends and family the places I was visiting at the time. So, I bought my first HTML book and started to learn all by myself how to create websites using only the codes and the notepad. I thought it was a lot of fun and after that I never stopped. My older sister was a graphic designer at the time, she didn’t have a computer and was doing all the arts by hand. Using amber leaf and ruby leaf, gluing stuff together, using the T ruler and ink
pens that needed to be soaked in water over night. “What a mess it was”, (laughs) but I learned a lot from her as well!.

Elo's lovely 'te' packaging for an upmarket tea range

2. Elo, what gives you inspiration when starting a design project? How do you blend all of your ideas in a harmonious way?

Well, my inspiration comes from various places: TV shows, patters, nature, magazines, or just from playing my games sometimes. There are days that my mind is a complete blank. And there are some other days that I get up in the middle of the night with a great idea. Then I either have to write it down or go to the computer and start working on it right away… Now, if I’m working with clients I have a questionare that I send to them to try to understand what they want me to do. Most of the time things go smoothly but sometimes clients have no idea what they want and it gets a little bit hard. In that case, I would say that, when working with indecisive clients it’s always good not to send them too many ideas. Limit yourself to 3 concepts. I like working with colors but I don’t like it when the colors overpower the final composition. So, I try to be really careful on that. It’s also good to know and understand color theory, color wheel, primary, secondary and tertiary colors. That helps to find the balance in the final composition.

Elo's 'old globe' brochure work

3. Did you study graphic design formally in school/college (did that include packaging & typography?) or are you a self-taught artist? And in your opinion what are the pro’s and con’s of each route?
I went to a great Design School here in California and I got an AA( associate degree) in Graphic Arts with great professors. I’m specialized in packaging and print design. I think that when you have some talent school always counts and you can learn great techniques from other professionals. I have seen great design work from people with no schooling and I have seen portfolios from people with Bachelor Degrees that make me think ‘Ummm…really???’. So, I guess it all depends. School helps, It will also help to get technical if you’re not so talented. But school won’t make you. You are the only one who will find your own identity as a designer or artist.

Elo's artistic 'Explore' range of book covers

4. How do you define yourself as a designer and what strong point do you think that every packaging designer should have?

I define myself as an artist who has a design career for now. I think every packaging designer has to think ‘outside of the box’. It’s important to think about sustainability and about the practical part of the design you are creating. The most important thing is to think about the target audience you are designing/creating for, because they are the ones who are going to consume your product.

Elo's 'naturals' packagng range

5. How do you feel that packaging design work differs from other areas in which you work? Why do you think that is?

Well, I like packaging and branding the most amongst all other things that I do.. I also love what I have been doing at the moment, called: “Photo Illustration”. It lets me be very creative and show the ‘true me’ as a designer. But I think all areas have their own importance. Today as a designer you must know a little bit about everything. We are all visual human beings and we are surrounded by designs everywhere. From the time get up to the time we go to bed. If the color differs, if the shape differs, if the usage of the product differs, if you respect the visual hierarchy, the product will cause an instant reaction to the consumers and will stand out from the shelves. That’s when you know the design really works, when it stands out amongst others.

'Birds' - an example of Elo's amazing 'Photo Illustration' work

6. What’s your favourite piece of packaging design work that you’ve undertaken yourself and why?

I’m happy with all my designs. I never put anything out there if I’m not 100% happy with it. But one of my favorite pieces is my “Eko” Home Cleaning Supplies Design. I put a  lot of thought into it. I was really happy with the overall result and I think I accomplished it beautifully, from the color pallet to the cohesion of the illustrations. The design was recently asked to be featured in a Japanese magazine about packaging and design. I guess I can call it successful right?! (laughs).

Elo's distinctive EKO packaging design

7. What’s your favourite all-time piece of packaging design that’s out on the market (i.e. designed by someone else) and why?

Oh Man…. that is a tough question for me ’cause I like so many designs. Target these days has great packaging designs. I like “Method” home products, I like “Scotch Brite” eco-friendly sponges, I like Paul Michel shampoo packaging, Aveda has great packaging and great ads as well, I like Michael Graves(industrial design) and Apple designs.

Distinctive packaging of the 'Method' range of homecare products

8. Thinking specifically about packaging design, who would you say provides you with “design inspiration,” meaning designers that you look up to; and also tell us why you feel this way about  them, what makes them special?

I try not to look much on already done stuff. So, this way when I design something I get my own signature to the product I’m working on. But there are tons of designers that I appreciate, I Like: Michael Graves(Industrial designs) visit his website at (http://www.michaelgraves.com/mgdg.htm) The guy is a genius. Everything he does has this round polished shape to it and when you look at his products you say: “That is Michael Graves”!

One of Michael Graves' zany kettle designs

9.  Any final thoughts for our readers?

When you do something in life, do it with your heart. Always try to push yourself over the limit to get better and better. Read, undertake research, visit blogs, create your own blog, connect to some other groups. There are so many fantastic designers around the world. Never limit yourself. You won’t have fireworks all the time. And you might also find people with huge egos, who will try to cut you off or turn you down as in any other artistic industry. But if you stay true to yourself you will get there!

10. Elo, where can we find you on-line?

My personal website is always an endless work in process. Right now I’m still working on it but you can find me on-line in various places. Here are some:
http://www.coroflot.com/elodesigns
http://elodesigns.deviantart.com
http://www.behance.net/elodesigner
http://thinksmartdesigns.blogspot.com/
http://twitter.com/elodesigner

That’s great. Thanks Elo and all the best for the future – you’re doing some wonderful work there – keep it up.

Cheers

Chris

The following initiative by Proctor & Gamble sounds like a great means to “drive scale, improve R&D productivity and accelerate the delivery of new products to market”. Integrating the virtual and digital design capabilities and virtual test capabilities of future packaging and artwork projects in an integrated manner makes sense, should elevate P&G from ‘best-in-class’ for ’stand alone’ systems to ‘world-class’ global integrated solution – but easier said than done.

A range of P&G FMCG products

Implementing enterprise-wide product life-cycle management processes on this scale is a mammoth task. However, by taking a stepwise approach, planned properly as part of an e-Business strategy (dovetailed within an overall corporate strategy) P&Gs chance of success will be much greater. Identification of any barriers (cultural or otherwise) and development / implementation of a ‘game plan’ to deal with these will raise the chances of success even higher. Chris Penfold

P&G Incorporates Global Packaging and Artwork initiatives

Procter & Gamble (Cincinnati, Ohio) is extending the scope of its V6 PLM implementation to incorporate global packaging and artwork initiatives with the help of Dassault Systemes (France). This builds on the previously announced strategic selection of DS solutions for an enterprise-wide product life-cycle management process. Together, Dassault Systemes and P&G are developing a highly integrated suite of products to help make the packaging process more efficient, improve speed to market, increase shelf impact, and ultimately create a better experience for consumers. Streamlining these services is another example of how DS is supporting P&G’s focus on “Simplify, Scale & Execute” which is one of the company’s key growth strategies.

“As P&G continues to serve more consumers, in more parts of the world, more completely, it is essential we have the right tools in place to drive greater efficiency,” says Michael Telljohann, PLM director, P&G. “To address these opportunities as they arise, it’s imperative that mission critical business processes like artwork and packaging move from a series of best-in-class point solutions to enterprise-wide integrated solutions. Dassault Systèmes’ suite of V6 PLM products will help P&G drive scale, improve R&D productivity and accelerate the delivery of new products to market.”

Via http://PMPNews.com 17th Feb 2010.

You can read the full article by clicking: P&G PLM implementation article

 

popeye spinach packaging polymers?

‘Vegetarian’ polymers seem to be on the increase with yet another innovative initiative that, this time, uses natural cress plant waste, which is combined with a variety of different polypropylene grades to produce a range of packaging materials to suit different types of products with a variety of finishes. Allegedly they are produced using significantly lower CO² emissions than ‘conventional’ plastics.

The material called ‘Agriplast’ has been developed by German bio manufacturing company Biowert, which sources the cress-based waste from farms in the immediate area around Brensbach, in southern Germany, where the factory is based.

This sounds like a really innovative initiative and the the project is a collaboration between German company AHA Kunstofftechnik and French-based packaging manufacturer Cosmeco, who have combined resources to develop this material for use, initially, in cosmetics packaging.

Rumour has it that use of spinach for this type of polymer project could be a next-step development, something that could potentially really increase material tensile properties and produce a product as strong as iron – but this has yet to be verified and Mr P.Peye was unavailable for comment LOL

The full ‘Agriplast’ natural cress article, 8th Feb 2010, can be read here at www.cosmeticsdesign.com

Thanks to @MarktheSpaMan for bringing our attention to this article via Twitter

This appears to be coming as a surprise but the French government seem very keen on bringing environmental labelling on packaging into force by January 2011, that’s only 11 months away now, so not much time to implement any changes to existing product packaging. 

Whilst I understand the motives behind the French move and admire them for trying to make a difference I’m not sure this is the best way to encourage manufacturers to lower their environmental impact, I’d be interested to hear your opinions. (Jane Bear)

Interesting article  – within the Grenelle Law for the environment, the French government would like to make the labelling of a number of environmental indicators on certain products a legal requirement from January 2011.  For the full article visit cosmeticsdesign-europe

I find it hard to believe that heating material to 500 degrees celseus in order to ‘recycle’ it can be truely environmentally friendly.  Surely the amount of energy needed isn’t going to be offset by the materials that can be salvaged, particularly when you consider that more energy will be needed to reprocess the reclaimed materials as well.

This article by Josh Brooks shows that the technology is now there, but is it really the right way to go? (Jane)

Commercial UK recycling of aseptic cartons, toothpaste tubes and pouches is to move a step closer when a little-known recycling technology company opens a showcase site later this year.  To read more go to the full article at packagingnews.co.uk

A recent Los Angeles Times article examines how an increase in counterfeit condoms in China has health officials fearing the worst — the products “may in fact spread infectious diseases, tarnishing the axiom that condoms mean safe sex.”

The newspaper continues, “Authorities estimate that up to a third of the contraceptives used in some parts of China are counterfeits, despite improvements in state food and drug oversight. None of the counterfeits are properly sterilized, and others are of such inferior quality that they could rupture during use.”

The article details how authorities are attempting to track down what they estimate are more than one million condoms distributed throughout China, and notes how the knock-off condoms were uncovered in discount stores in New York, Texas and Virginia in 2008.

Thanks to @TheBodyGlobal for bringing our attention to this article via Twitter. More articles like this can be read at: www.thebody.com

Sterling Anthony has given some detailed technical advice we may all wish to consider for the palletisation of our products.  Annie Dallison

 It’s not an appealing topic, but it has grabbed recent headlines.

The Tylenol national recall—ongoing at the time of this article’s publication—is a reminder that wood pallets can be the source of packaging/product contamination. Such a capability is reason for brand owners to have in place a Pallet Purity Program (PPP).

Written by Sterling Anthony, CPP.  Published in Packworld.com 20th January 2010 to read the full article to follow this link http://bit.ly/5uLMHF

It would appear that whether it be as an ingredient for the product, or as a component of the packaging, Bamboo is making quite an impact.  Used as a component of the packaging it can add to the ‘sustainability story’ of the product – great opportunity for the marketers! (Jane)

Bamboo has become the ingredient of choice for companies who want to bolster their sustainability credentials, according to the recent Consumer Packaged Goods trend report from market researcher Datamonitor.

via Bamboo is sustainable ingredient of choice.

Well, the anti-aging colour foundations have already proved very popular, as have the anti-aging lipsticks, so I suppose it’s only natural that the eyes should be the next target. (Jane)

The cosmetic-skincare hybrid category is, according to Nica Lewis, director of beauty innovation at market researcher Mintel, a new class of products in the prestige beauty sector that combine color cosmetics with skincare functions.

via Innovation leads to anti-aging color cosmetics for eyes.