It never ends. I think that we’ve said everything there is to say about packaging. Design not for designers, but consumers. It’s about making something for a total stranger and making them fall in love with it.

Define your product on the front. Make the display type unique, challenge the edges, perhaps. You have to ask yourself, “Does this look like a student did this on a computer?” Go for friendly and approachable. Don’t let your product be shy. Embellish the meaning. Have your label reflect the quality of the name of the product. Take some risks and experiment. Do things with your market in mind. And lastly, avoid black type. It makes a package seem dead.

As for my label attempt (sandwich bags), he had a few things to say. Mostly, he emphasized no character. I think it’s because for the second time, I churned out some unlovable illustrator-vector-Franken creature whose features aren’t exaggerated enough to be endearing and aren’t realistic enough to be convincing. These guys should get together and form a family of icky misfits that should be on a cereal box of malformed apple jacks.

(Future reference: “When developing a character or hiring a spokesperson, consider the following traits: 1) appearance 2) likeability 3) trustworthiness 4) Expertise 5) Credibility” -Margo Berman and Robyn Blakeman, The Brains Behind Great Ad Campaigns p.140)

He said to use type. Keep pushing it. He said exaggerate perspective and make it all caps.

My product’s name is “Beyond” and with that should come some special feature that sets them apart. Ah, yes. I was going to add a snipe that extolled some lovely technology that the bags possess.

As for the finishing process, I advise all of you working along at home, when cutting out your die cut for the folding dummy: 1) score on the print side 2) trim 3) fold 4) glue.