Top design consultancy to share proven strategies on designing packaging that connects with people on an emotional level, including smart analysis of recent global packaging successes and failures. ** Insights to be presented at GBG's 4th Packaging Forum: The Future of Packaging Design, in Amsterdam. ** Other speakers include AB Inbev, Nokia, Adidas, P&G, GlaxoSmithKline, Carlsberg, Delhaize, Adidas, Bayer, Flexicon and Mars
Barcelona, Spain October 6, 2009 -- IKEA recently changed the font they use in all of their marketing and packaging to great uproar amongst their loyal customers, and certainly within the design community. The reason for such a demonstrative reaction to this seemingly insignificant adjustment is clearly based on people's strong (and often subconscious) emotional responses to the way companies communicate their brand message. Packaging is one of the most important brand elements that companies use to connect with their customers and, while many people speak about appealing to consumers on an emotional level through packaging, few know how to accomplish this or how to evaluate their own design work in relation to complex emotional states.
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We know emotions drive action, but in order to design effective packaging that connects with people we need to understand where our cognitive reasoning comes from. Then we can progress to how that effects our interactions with graphic design, forms, and shapes.Sean O'Connor, Global Director of Client Services at Smart Design, will deliver valuable insight and information to those who leverage brand equity via packaging when he presents his popular talk, Making Emotional Connections with Package Design, as part of GBG's 4th Packaging Forum taking place at the Crown Plaza Amsterdam on October 15th at 14:30.
O'Connor explains, "We know emotions drive action, but in order to design effective packaging that connects with people we need to understand where our cognitive reasoning comes from. Then we can progress to how that effects our interactions with graphic design, forms, and shapes."
O'Connor will review iconic packaging from across categories and geographies and illustrate how today's design principles can be measured for desired emotional responses, including examples from recent work with Coca Cola and Microsoft.
With a 30-year history of creating design for people, Smart Design has built an expertise in the area of Understanding Emotions. With an emphasis on uncovering strategic insights and design-actionable opportunities, Smart Design is a global innovation leader working in a wide range of industries and sectors, for clients as diverse as OXO, HP, UCB, Cardinal Health, Groupe SEB, Johnson & Johnson, and Ford Motors.
About Sean O'Connor:
Sean O'Connor is the Global Director of Client Services at Smart Design, a global design consultancy. He is a highly accomplished consultant with 15 years of experience in developing branding and innovation platforms while managing complex design projects for companies in the United States and Europe. Sean is responsible for global business development, working with our client partners to realize the power of design and championing it throughout their organizations.
About Smart Design:
Smart Design has been turning insight and innovation into successful consumer experiences for almost 30 years. 90% of their designs have been successfully brought to market across diverse industries. The company's approach integrates product development, interactive experiences, brand communication, and strategic insights to ensure winning design solutions. From its pioneering Universal Design collaboration with OXO International, developing its renowned line of kitchen tools, to creating positive consumer experiences for FMCG clients such as Clorox, Coca-Cola, and Kellogg's, to its work with HP, Microsoft, Ford, and Acer, developing user-friendly electronics and technology, Smart Design creates products that truly connect with consumers. Smart Design has offices in New York, San Francisco, and Barcelona.
For more information on the event, please visit GBG Packaging Forum Details
4th PACKAGING FORUM: THE FUTURE OF PACKAGING DESIGN
Speakers from AB Inbev, Nokia, Smart Design, Adidas, P&G, GlaxoSmithKline, Carlsberg, Delhaize, Adidas, Bayer, Flexicon and Mars
Crowne Plaza Amsterdam
City Centre, Amsterdam