1. To what extent is packaging important in marketing a product? Give an example of how a package influenced your decision to buy (or not to buy) something.
Packaging of a product is extremely important and it relates back to reflective design. Products express who we are; we want packaging that exemplifies our taste, our style, our likes and dislikes. Even if we're buying a bag of coffee, not only does the name brand matter, but how the product looks on the outside. Like in the example on The Cool Hunter website, packaging often has the final say in what consumers buy. If we don't know what brand is best, or are unfamiliar with a certain product, we seek what looks professional, or what looks legitimate based on packaging. Whenever I look for a new hair product, like an anti-frizz or a product for curly hair, packaging plays a huge role. Sometimes I'll go for brands that I'm familiar with, like Aveda, but when those stop doing the job I just scan the hair product isle in stores to find something new. Most of the time I'll end up buying whatever looks legitimate. Color and shape of a bottle are the most convincing factors.
2. What other products have iconic packaging?
Other products that have iconic packaging are: cigarettes, like Marlboro; cereal, namely Kellogg's cereal products like Corn Flakes; ice cream cartons like Ben and Jerry's, Breyers, or Haagen Dazs; Oberweis milk bottles; fast food restaurants are extremely iconic--McDonald's with their red french fries box, White Castle and the blue and white burger boxes; water bottles are extremely iconic--Evian, FIJI, Smart Water; Pepsi; Hershey's chocolate; wine, hard liquor, beer bottles.
3. What usability issues exist for packaging? Give examples of particularly good or bad packaging from a usability perspective.
Usability is essential in packaging because it improves customer satisfaction thus increasing sales. Issues include: how easy is it to open the package, without damaging the product?; how is the product(s) arranged in the package, is it space efficient?; how easily can people recognize the product and understand what it does from first glance?; bad packaging includes: hard-to-open bottles, movie wrappers, Goldfish (the crackers) bags, Pilsbury products like cookie dough or biscuits, anything packaged in plastic that's hard to cut through like light bulbs, tape recorders, toothbrushes, etc.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Build-A-Bear Workshop
1. What store did you observe? Who do they market to?
The store I chose to analyze is Build-A-Bear Workshop. They market mostly to children under age 12.
2. Briefly describe the following:
a. appearance of store entrance (from outside): The Build-A-Bear sign at the outside of the store is made to look like you're about to enter a workshop. There is stitching surrounding the store's name; there's a button and a ball of yarn in place of the two "o's" in “workshop.” You can tell immediately from the sign what type of demographic this retailer is catering to.
b. sounds (inside the store): Build-A-Bear programming experts created customized music for the store. They tried to select songs that would appeal to younger customers; I didn't recognize any of the music that was playing, however I could tell it was geared towards a different demographic.
c. how the merchandise is displayed: the store was overwhelming when I first stepped in because there is so much to see and so many stations to visit. Every stage of the bear-making process had its own station, including a station for sound.
d. floors: there were shiny, hardwood floors.
e. signs: there were signs that marked the different stations, for example stuffing, dressing, or putting sound into the product. There are signs telling you where to start, and where to go which are easy to read, especially for younger kids.
f. cashier area: even the cashier area was made to target a younger demographic. It mimicked the rest of the store's kid-centered design.
3. What image does this business try to project? Give specific examples of design elements that reflect this image.
The business tries to project a kid-friendly image. Just by the font of the store's name on the outside and of the signs in the inside, you can tell it's supposed to be a place for children. It's warm and inviting looking, and large objects like yarn balls and buttons reinforce this image. Also, there are hundreds of bears aligning the store walls, each a different color, and each with different patterns to their outfits.
4. How did customers interact with various elements of the store's design?
The little kids were all over the bears. They were drawn to the textures and the colors especially. It seemed like the material the bear was made of played a large role in the customer's decision. However, in the end, I think what the customer cared about most was the colors and the dress of the product. Parents, on the other hand, weren't the ones grabbing the bears from the shelves and trying to figure out which one they liked best based on color and composition. And that's because Build-A-Bear is a store that markets to children, not adults, and they know how to cater to their main audience.
5. What did you find interesting about the design of this store?
It was interesting how eye-catching everything in the store seemed to be. I was drawn into almost every object I saw. Build-A-Bear has a great way of choosing bold colors, bold patterns, fabrics and designs that draw the customer's attention. Even the font they chose for signs was attention grabbing, especially the store's name on the outside; it makes you want to walk in even if you have no intention of purchasing anything.
3.
Monday, October 12, 2009
The Science of Shopping
1. What points from this article do you feel are most important?
Paco Underhill's intention is not to manipulate the customers. He believes it is the seller who must conform to the needs of the buyer, not the other way around. Sellers must be aware of people's habits and their though process in order to make a good sale. They cannot win people over by forcing them to conform to their standards. If they are able to really understand the customer and his or her tendencies, then they can manipulate their store and their products in the appropriate manner.
More and more stores are trying to find new ways to increase their sales because nowadays, according to the author, customers are unpredictable and more complicated. The seller has to keep up the pace and realize that not everyone has the time to ask for customer assistance or shop for hours on end. The retail business is starting to change little by little, therefore sellers are forced to find new and easier ways to get people to buy things.
For example, in grocery stores, the food that little kids are more likely to want is put on low shelves so they can access it. When a little kid has an easy-to-reach bag of candy in his hand, he'll try to convince his parents to buy it. And more than likely, if the parents are lenient enough, the kid will get his way and the store will have made yet another sale.
Some sellers are trying something called "typing." It's their way to figure out what kinds of products people are more susceptible to buy based on where they live, or based on how they answer a few short questions.
The author then goes on to talk about the shopping gender gap, how women account for seventy percent of the dollar value of all purchases. Women spend more average time in a store than do men, partly because they are more patient, more tolerant, and less easily distracted. Because of this, stores are more likely to be "female friendly." They won't make their displays more geared towards men, or more manly looking.
His next point is about "destination items." These are items that people intend to buy before they walk into a store. These items are most likely to be placed in the back of a store intentionally, so that the customer has to walk past all of those items that they never intended to buy, but that they are tempted to buy once walking past them. On that same note, the most desired products, the items that are most in style at the time, are placed in "zone 3 and 4." These zones are to the right immediately after the entrance, because this is the place where the human eye tends to wander first and everyone is sure to see it. The environment of the store, including the lighting and the color scheme, all have the ability to add or subtract from the overall look of an outfit. They also have the power to alter the way people feel when they walk into a store; a store may seem more or less inviting or overwhelming depending on the environment, and the more inviting a store, the more likely it is that it'll make a sale.
Paco Underhill's intention is not to manipulate the customers. He believes it is the seller who must conform to the needs of the buyer, not the other way around. Sellers must be aware of people's habits and their though process in order to make a good sale. They cannot win people over by forcing them to conform to their standards. If they are able to really understand the customer and his or her tendencies, then they can manipulate their store and their products in the appropriate manner.
More and more stores are trying to find new ways to increase their sales because nowadays, according to the author, customers are unpredictable and more complicated. The seller has to keep up the pace and realize that not everyone has the time to ask for customer assistance or shop for hours on end. The retail business is starting to change little by little, therefore sellers are forced to find new and easier ways to get people to buy things.
For example, in grocery stores, the food that little kids are more likely to want is put on low shelves so they can access it. When a little kid has an easy-to-reach bag of candy in his hand, he'll try to convince his parents to buy it. And more than likely, if the parents are lenient enough, the kid will get his way and the store will have made yet another sale.
Some sellers are trying something called "typing." It's their way to figure out what kinds of products people are more susceptible to buy based on where they live, or based on how they answer a few short questions.
The author then goes on to talk about the shopping gender gap, how women account for seventy percent of the dollar value of all purchases. Women spend more average time in a store than do men, partly because they are more patient, more tolerant, and less easily distracted. Because of this, stores are more likely to be "female friendly." They won't make their displays more geared towards men, or more manly looking.
His next point is about "destination items." These are items that people intend to buy before they walk into a store. These items are most likely to be placed in the back of a store intentionally, so that the customer has to walk past all of those items that they never intended to buy, but that they are tempted to buy once walking past them. On that same note, the most desired products, the items that are most in style at the time, are placed in "zone 3 and 4." These zones are to the right immediately after the entrance, because this is the place where the human eye tends to wander first and everyone is sure to see it. The environment of the store, including the lighting and the color scheme, all have the ability to add or subtract from the overall look of an outfit. They also have the power to alter the way people feel when they walk into a store; a store may seem more or less inviting or overwhelming depending on the environment, and the more inviting a store, the more likely it is that it'll make a sale.
2. How much do you personally feel you are influenced by a store's design?
I am not the type of person who is easily persuaded at first. When I walk into the store knowing exactly what I want, I usually am able to go straight to where it is I can find that item. Once I find that item, then I am more likely to be persuaded to buy something in the hot zone. My attention is definitely shifted toward the right when I walk into a store, however I do not feel like I go there right away and end up buying items on impulse. I am manipulated to a certain extent, but it takes a while before I fall into the trap that retail stores set up.
I am easily overwhelmed if a store has a lot to offer and it's not spread out. In cases like that, I almost always just walk in, go to where I know I can find what I'm looking for, then leave once I make a purchase. If a store was more spread out, more inviting, and less cluttered, I would definitely spend more time in there. I do think that I am more likely to buy more items that could go together when they are placed within close proximity. If my intent is to buy a winter jacket, and winter boots are on sale right next to it, I am probably going to at least look at the boots.
I am not the type of person who is easily persuaded at first. When I walk into the store knowing exactly what I want, I usually am able to go straight to where it is I can find that item. Once I find that item, then I am more likely to be persuaded to buy something in the hot zone. My attention is definitely shifted toward the right when I walk into a store, however I do not feel like I go there right away and end up buying items on impulse. I am manipulated to a certain extent, but it takes a while before I fall into the trap that retail stores set up.
I am easily overwhelmed if a store has a lot to offer and it's not spread out. In cases like that, I almost always just walk in, go to where I know I can find what I'm looking for, then leave once I make a purchase. If a store was more spread out, more inviting, and less cluttered, I would definitely spend more time in there. I do think that I am more likely to buy more items that could go together when they are placed within close proximity. If my intent is to buy a winter jacket, and winter boots are on sale right next to it, I am probably going to at least look at the boots.
I'm that shopper that doesn't have much patience when I walk into a store. I don't have the time or want to spend the time looking around for what I need. I don't like things that I don't have any intention to buy to get in my way because it's inconvenient. While some are easily manipulated into buying those unnecessary items, I just think putting the essentials in the very back where people tend to go to last is inconvenient for people like me. However, I do think it works, just not for me.
3. Make a check list you can use to analyze a retail store like Paco Underhill does.
1. Welcoming environment; a store is not overwhelming; the design is customer friendly, designed for the customer and not based on the seller's needs.
2. The seller knows what the customer needs. They make it easy for someone to get what they need. They offer assistance and make sure that the essentials are easy to find, and the non-essentials not so obvious, because that's what the customer is there for half the time. However, in the case of a clothing store, it is okay to put the non-essentials towards the front, where they are more recognizable, in order to make a sale.
3. A store knows their audience. If the store is more frequently visited by women, then the displays will be "female friendly" while simultaneously catering to male needs.
4. The store has a target audience in mind and sticks to that target audience when thinking of price and style.
1. Welcoming environment; a store is not overwhelming; the design is customer friendly, designed for the customer and not based on the seller's needs.
2. The seller knows what the customer needs. They make it easy for someone to get what they need. They offer assistance and make sure that the essentials are easy to find, and the non-essentials not so obvious, because that's what the customer is there for half the time. However, in the case of a clothing store, it is okay to put the non-essentials towards the front, where they are more recognizable, in order to make a sale.
3. A store knows their audience. If the store is more frequently visited by women, then the displays will be "female friendly" while simultaneously catering to male needs.
4. The store has a target audience in mind and sticks to that target audience when thinking of price and style.
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Web Design
1. How does this reading relate to the concept of use-focused design that we have discussed in class?
In design, the most important part of the process is thinking about the consumer and his or her needs. The focus shouldn't be what the designer wants because in the end, its the consumer who will decide the success of the product. If a product is designed without the customer's needs in mind, the customer is going to buy something from a competing brand and then it won't matter how good the designer thinks his or her product is. This is the same case in web design. If the site is confusing and if it is designed for the sole reason of promoting the designer's site for selfish reasons, then the site's visitors are going to visit competing sites.
2. What points do you feel are the most important?
The site should be designed for the viewer, with his and her best interests in mind. In the end, it won't matter how good your site looks if no one is visiting it and instead visiting a competitor's site. The designer's primary focus should be how they can solve the viewers' problems.
A site should be easy to understand and navigate at first look. If someone visits the site and is confused about where the search bar is located because the site has too much unnecessary graphics, the design has failed. Someone should be able to figure out what kind of site it is, for whatever organization, within four seconds.
His next point, "don't do anything that gets in the way of the sale." A product, or website, should be designed in a way that won't prevent the "sale." It should draw the viewer in, not lead him or her away because of graphics, color, pop-ups, log-in problems, etc. This ties into his other point about Adobe Flash, it's just another way to lead people away from a site, unless it's used right right.
His next important point is the Heroin Content, remembering what the viewer wants and needs. A good site frequently updates its information so that when the user comes back to visit, there's updated information to see.
Content trumps design. In the end, it doesn't matter how nice the site looks if it doesn't contain useful information and doesn't function easily so someone can use it. This point also goes back to his point about contrast. On the visceral level, the site should have proper contrast. The text should be readable, and the visitor shouldn't have to strain his or her eyes trying to read white lettering against a bright yellow background. He says don't mess around with the text because text is text. It also doesn't look very professional when you have a bright green background and bright blue text, even if it is talking about a children's program.
His next point is that a site shouldn't have too much content on one page. If there is too much going on one the screen, it is hard to navigate and find what you're looking for. The whole purpose of visiting the site is shot.
3. Create your own list of important design factors for a webpage.
1. Immediate feedback: the user should be able to access a site without being blocked by Adobe Flash, pop-ups and annoying graphics.
2. The homepage is clear and concise; the user knows what kind of site it is within a short period of time and can tell how to get to where they want to go.
3. Viscerally appealing. The text is easy to read; no bright text behind bright backgrounds. The text shouldn't be too small or too large, and it shouldn't be crammed on one page. Also, not too many graphics on a single page.
4. Easy navigation.
5. Trying to make the webpage look cool shouldn't come before getting the information across.
6. A site should be constantly updated. No one is going to take information about a current issue from a site that hasn't been updated in over two years. When people know a site is reliable because its information is up to date, they'll visit it more frequently.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Know it All
1. What do you think are the author's main points in this article?
Since Wikipedia's creation in 2001, it has grown to become one of Encyclopedia Britannica's biggest competitors. The author's first main point is that although Wikipedia may not be as credible as Encyclopedia Britannica because it allows public editing, thousands of people rely on the site as their primary source of information.
Along with that, however, comes his point about how Wikipedia's policy on web editing allows for much abuse, which takes away from the site's credibility. The site is vulnerable, subject to revision by anyone, and it's not rare to see politicians and professionals tampering with their own entries.
Wikipedia draws so many viewers and editors because it is so current; to use the author's example, Wikipedia had an entry on American Idol's newest season shortly after its premier episode. Unlike other encyclopedias, it changes and evolves as the world does as well.
While Wikipedia does contain a large number of errors, there are people committed to making the site a reliable source of information by frequently correcting errors and editing text. There are other actions the site has taken to reduce the number of errors and vandalism to the site, including the watchlist and also by allowing "checkusers" to trace I.P. addresses in cases of suspected abuse.
The article takes a shift and talks about the many criticisms of Wikipedia, the most obvious one being that virtually anyone with a computer can write anything on the site. This of course goes back to a former point that this leads to vandalism and unreliability. Furthermore, Wikipedia doesn't have very many ground rules when posting articles; one thing they do ask is that information posted in an article comes from a published source. The problem with this is that even information on the web is often unreliable. If that information pours into Wikipedia, bad or inaccurate information is just being transferred and not corrected.
2. An important part of credible writing is selecting good supporting evidence. Select a passage from this article that illustrates the effective use of supporting detail. Explain why you think it is particularly effective.
"One regular on the site is a user known as Essjay, who holds a Ph.D. in theology and a degree in canon law and has written or contributed to sixteen thousand entries...Gradually, Essjay found himself devoting less time to editing and more to correcting errors and removing obscenities from the site."
One of the criticisms of Wikipedia is that it allows anyone to add to the site, leaving lots of room for vandalism and abuse. In the article, the author says that although Wikipedia loses credibility because of this, there are those who are working to make it a reliable source by fixing these errors. The author backs up his argument by telling the story of a user called Essjay, who began devoting his time solely to correcting errors and vulgarities on the site instead of editing. This is effective because it shows that there are those who are working to make Wikipedia more accurate, and just because it's an open site doesn't mean it's full of false information. Instead of just saying there are people who are taking action against vandalism on the site to make the site's visitors less concerned, the author sites a specific example of this.
3. Throughout the article, the author compares Wikipedia to the Encyclopedia Britannica, but not specifically on design. How would you compare the two encyclopedias from a design perspective?
If you go to the home pages of both sites, Wikipedia's is much simpler and easier to understand where to start. On Encyclopedia Brittanica's home page there is the search bar at the top, and on the left side there are sub categories like science and technology, arts and entertainment, etc. The site's home page is more colorful and viscerally appealing whereas Wikipedia doesn't catch the eye because there's no color. However, if someone whose first language isn't English, they'll find it easier to start with Wikipedia because of its language option at the beginning.
Searching on both sites is easy because the search bar is very visible. After searching on both, the layout of the sites is very different. Wikipedia offers a brief summary of the topic before heading into sub categories. This summary is useful for someone who just wants to get an overall idea of a subject. Below that is an outline of the page, which is convenient for someone who only cares to read about one subcategory. Both list references and external links at the very end.
A page on Wikipedia looks more confusing at first because there are boxes of information to the right as well as pictures, so the site looks more cluttered. On Encyclopedia Brittanica, however, there isn't anything like this that steers the viewer away from the actual article. Some people may like the extra information off to the side, but others may think it is just more confusing and unnecessary.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Organization and Preparation Tips
#1
1. The author's three most important points are: 1) Remember your audience. Make sure that you keep their interests in mind, tell them what they need to know, and find a way to make the information relevant to their lives. Don't throw too many figures at the audience because that will bore them. 2) Organization and clarity are key. One of the first things you should do to prepare for a presentation is decide what information to include, and what information to leave out. Brainstorm, and write down some ideas with pen and paper before you start with a powerpoint. This will help ensure that the presentation flows smoothly and sticks to one central message. 3) Make it interesting and relatable. Often times, telling a story is a good way to keep the audience's attention. If it's a personal story, most likely it's something others can relate to.
2. Before all, my partner and I need to decide what one message we want to send to our audience. After deciding what the focus will be, we should, like he says, write down the key points we want our audience to walk away with. Throughout the whole process, we'll make sure to keep in mind who our audience is, what they need to know, and why what we have to say is important and relevant. We need to make sure we have sufficient information to present, without boring them with facts and figures. As long as we have enough content and good structure, we should be able to present a logical analysis. The most important thing to remember is confidence. In order to stay confident, we should make sure that we have practiced what we will say and know the information.
3. Presentation preparation and product design both require that the presenter and designer keep an end goal and purpose in mind from the start. Both must keep the audience in mind, fulfilling their expectations and making sure what they are doing relates in some way to their lives. Both must "keep it simple"; the designer shouldn't complicate the design, just like the presenter shouldn't ramble on and throw out useless figures that the audience will forget once the meeting's over. Both have to begin by brainstorming ideas. An idea isn't going to just pop into your head, you have to sit down and come up with ideas before you begin building from nothing.
#2.
I would be interested in exploring the reflective area of design. I think reflective design is the most interesting kind of design because it's all about relationships between people and products, and not just how things function. How people view themselves through what they own, and how others view them through their possessions, is something that extends way beyond design and into other territories, like psychology. Being able to make a connection between design and other areas of study is fascinating.
1. The author's three most important points are: 1) Remember your audience. Make sure that you keep their interests in mind, tell them what they need to know, and find a way to make the information relevant to their lives. Don't throw too many figures at the audience because that will bore them. 2) Organization and clarity are key. One of the first things you should do to prepare for a presentation is decide what information to include, and what information to leave out. Brainstorm, and write down some ideas with pen and paper before you start with a powerpoint. This will help ensure that the presentation flows smoothly and sticks to one central message. 3) Make it interesting and relatable. Often times, telling a story is a good way to keep the audience's attention. If it's a personal story, most likely it's something others can relate to.
2. Before all, my partner and I need to decide what one message we want to send to our audience. After deciding what the focus will be, we should, like he says, write down the key points we want our audience to walk away with. Throughout the whole process, we'll make sure to keep in mind who our audience is, what they need to know, and why what we have to say is important and relevant. We need to make sure we have sufficient information to present, without boring them with facts and figures. As long as we have enough content and good structure, we should be able to present a logical analysis. The most important thing to remember is confidence. In order to stay confident, we should make sure that we have practiced what we will say and know the information.
3. Presentation preparation and product design both require that the presenter and designer keep an end goal and purpose in mind from the start. Both must keep the audience in mind, fulfilling their expectations and making sure what they are doing relates in some way to their lives. Both must "keep it simple"; the designer shouldn't complicate the design, just like the presenter shouldn't ramble on and throw out useless figures that the audience will forget once the meeting's over. Both have to begin by brainstorming ideas. An idea isn't going to just pop into your head, you have to sit down and come up with ideas before you begin building from nothing.
#2.
I would be interested in exploring the reflective area of design. I think reflective design is the most interesting kind of design because it's all about relationships between people and products, and not just how things function. How people view themselves through what they own, and how others view them through their possessions, is something that extends way beyond design and into other territories, like psychology. Being able to make a connection between design and other areas of study is fascinating.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
