Nonverbal packaging

Creativeness out-of-bounds, a furious interplay of colours and shapes, exploding into brainchildren and fetching ideas of a genius, eventually converging on a perfect solution.

This is how the process of development of a packaging design might be seen by the uninitiated. Mr Albrecht Bialas, however, merely refers to what he calls ?rank order` to oppose such inspirational flights of fancy of an artist. - First, and in close co-operation with a customer, one has to sort the wheat from the chaff. To begin with we set up a genuine ?packaging architecture - he says.

This is how the co-owner of Bialas Runge Kuschel markendesign, rather prosaically explains his approach. In an ideal situation, their efforts are crowned by a type of packaging that really scores on the market.

The team from Bialas Runge Kuschel markendesign successfully developed and implemented non-verbal packaging for the Leifheit domestic appliances company and three of its product ranges (dryers, ironing boards and rotary clothes dryers).

First, bridles had to be put on the winged horse of the Leifheit company. "Pegasus", a clothes dryer product line in four different versions, was to receive its informative design with non-verbal packaging. "Easyhang", an innovative clothes dryer, and a new product of the company, presented particular challenges. Not only was it intended to catch customers` eyes because of its packaging, but it should also communicate its special advantages, i.e., a new process of hanging washing to dry. This information was to be communicated internationally and without the use of language. Figuratively speaking, the designer team chose pictogrammes to put the bridles on Pegasus.

Such small images in colour describe product advantages. Special features may be brought out by enlarging certain elements, stressing their importance. All relevant elements were put in yellow. When consumers were polled they felt that this colour was equated with cleanliness and the sun. "Pictos" were rapidly found to be successful. "Our images for about 30 terms, such as the light structure and stability for ironing boards scored recognition rates already ranging from 70 to 90 per cent in unsupported tests - Bialas said. - Afterwards we were able to focus on specific details for improvement.

Leifheit gains an additional advantage from this pictogramme scheme. This was brought out in another step and will soon be implemented. Products will be marketed with a uniform packaging sheet with basic information. All additional information for users shall be added by way of stick-on pictogrammes.

Such modular design helps bring down cost and also underlines the success of this type of packaging design in bringing up all product advantages. After switching to this new type of packaging, sales of some products in the clothes dryer category rose by 20 per cent. There was an especially positive response from abroad. After newly positioning its "Tower" offer with its innovative packaging, international sales even rose by over a 100 per cent.

But let us move back to our starting point, packaging architecture. To establish a solid foundation, the entire product range shall have to be studied at first. As Mr. Bialas explains this may sometimes lead to an understanding that differs from that of the company they work for. It may even mean that the company in question modifies its range of production. On the one hand, there will be a greater focus on customers, on the other there will be product basics to be maintained during the creative process.

In this case this was the Leifheit brand, the solar arc and accompanying colours, representing the Leifheit profile. Networking with the item involved also plays a major part when working with the customer on the end-product. Mr. Bialas and his team see their role also as brand advisers, because "the brand is an imaginary value, bringing everything together" as the expert puts it.

This brand shall be supported by three pillars: a brand strategy, graphic communication and 3D structural design. For him, it would be an ideal situation to accompany a brand from the very beginning. - In such a case, we might bring to bear all our competencies right from the beginning of designing such a brand.

So far, the brand designers from Düsseldorf have not yet had such luck. But over and above the Leifheit company, groups and enterprises such as Dr. Oetker, Eismann, Müllermilch, Diakonie Düsseldorf or Butler`s have already come to appreciate this structured and efficient working style of Bialas Runge Kuschel.

But even for package designers, the old traders` adage has been found true again and again. As Bialas put it: - In the end, product quality and brand acceptance shall always be decisive for sustainability. Faulty descriptions will not make sense. You can`t deceive consumers.