So it has been a while sense I graduated from ID school so I thought I would put this out for discussion to see what the veterans think as well as get the student and new grads opinions.
With the growing importance and energy being spent on Branding, Packaging, and POP/POS design in the ID community you would think that this would be a major part of the ID education. But when I look back on my educational career and some of the portfolios that I have reviewed at IDSA conf it still appears that this is not being taught in school, or if it is, it’s a one off.
Isn’t this something that all of us should have under our belts when we come out of school? Shouldn’t it be important for us to teach our student and young designers that not only do they need to create great products, but that product needs to go in a package, have a great name, display in an appealing way, and so on. I feel that a lot of us when we are in school get taught that this is what a graphic designer does.
I would love to hear all of your thoughts on this. Am I wrong that this part of our education is lacking? All of you students our there have you had projects that have taken on these challenges?
how much of that you get in school depends on the school.
some do place more emphasis there.
I think it’s invaluable, school can only introduce all the options/expectations someone may run into or choose to persue.
I think I had a pretty good basic understanding or foundation upon graduation, but I think it has been reading up on the topic afterwords that has enabled me to be able to explain to the sales and marketing people here why it’s important to involve design at the beginning.
I think we need to keep in mind though, you can lead a horse to water…
My education was horrid, but even if it were great I don’t know if would have been able to give me a tenth of what on the job experience has given me.
But what responsibilities should an IDer have?
Brand names and brand strategy are usually determined by marketing. Logo and layout is usually determined by graphic design. Structure is usually determined by package engineers.
I have had the pleasure of doing it all in my career, but it was usually do to necessity and not by choice. We are all capable of cross pollination, but there is no way I know more about research than someone who was educated and has the experience only in research. When determining the study design for brand-strategy research, who would you rather use?
I think what is most important to to have an excellent understanding of these other disciplines so it is seemlessly integrated into the ID process. You then have a very efficient and effective strategy that integrates the name, product, packaging, display, exhibit booth, ads, instructions, brochures and any other collateral material.
This is oh so not true. There are more and more ID firms that are working on all of these topics. I disagree with the statement above, but I totally agree with the statement below…
I have had the pleasure of doing it all in my career, but it was usually do to necessity and not by choice. We are all capable of cross pollination, but there is no way I know more about research than someone who was educated and has the experience only in research. When determining the study design for brand-strategy research, who would you rather use?
I think what is most important to to have an excellent understanding of these other disciplines so it is seemlessly integrated into the ID process. You then have a very efficient and effective strategy that integrates the name, product, packaging, display, exhibit booth, ads, instructions, brochures and any other collateral material
We as designers have to be able to influence everything that goes into the development of a product. This involves much more that just how it is going to be made, styling, function, etc… This also includes how the product displays on shelf, the layout of the graphics on the package so they speak to the consumer, If there is POP/POS material what does that look like and how does it display. These are only a few of the things that influence the success of product.
I think that we are all thought in ID school that we need to design a product that is ergonomic, easy to use, and looks great but we dont have strong teaching on what goes on after we design that product. I think this is very important given that a lot of us get jobs in the POP field right out of school and some are a bit lost and need to re-learn some of our skills or need a bit of help thinking in a different way. I know from personal experience that I needed help thinking past the product and thinking more about how I can help the product and how I can influence the shopping experience. I agree that as IDers we do not need to be Marketers, Graphic Designers, or Finance people, but we do need to understand Graphic Layout, Typography (which is a big one), Logo design, Price points, basic marketing, and so on.
I remember going on a job interview a couple years back at a very traditional ID firm and showing a lot of packaging and POP work and the Principle of the firm said to me “You seem to do a lot of graphic work. How does this relate to ID?” I told him that a package is not a package without great graphics that grabs the consumer emotionally. And a product is not a great product without a good package, good selling material, and a great display.
For one, I do feel that pure packaging design work is more in the realm of graphic design and not really the same as ID. I see the relation somewhat tentative and if I was in the position of the person you interviewed with, I’d likely have the same “how does this relate to ID” response.
That being said, I do think the branding aspect is different. I wouldn’t necessarily expect an IDer to be a graphic whiz have the ability to create good brand identities (though it would be nice and an added strength), but I do think that more aspects of branding should be considered in the ID education. Any product need to consider the brand’s DNA, the brand’s position, the brand’s market, etc. Unfortunately, it does seem this aspect is lacking in many ID educations as I’ve seen so many projects done by students that just slap a nike/apple/whatever logo on the product and call it a day.
In addition to this important part of design (brand relation), I think it also should go without saying that IDers need to have at least an appreciation and understanding of the other parts of the product that are needed to bring it to market. This includes product graphics, marketing, sales, POP, etc. It’s not required that an IDer is an expert in these areas, but rather they understand what else is important and can work with the teams in a cohesive manner.
In my own education (Carleton ID) I think we had a good experience of this. Required courses included (from the real faculty, not taught by a design prof), marketing, economics, psychology, etc. We also did several projects that focused on branding product design DNA (like creating a product line extension for a brand using that brand’s DNA), and worked with real companies to understand how all these factors go together. There was also a packaging design course offered as an elective.
Package ID-
I think that this is an important topic for students to be exposed while in school. I know for fact that the University of Illinois at Chicago has this in the 3rd year curriculum.
I think that the challenge for the universities is how to integrate this in the curriculum and not loose focus on the main goals of the program. Just my 2c
I am well aware many ID firms use an integrated approach. I worked for one. But nonetheless, it and all of the others I know had specialists in research, strategy, communications, ID, GD, engineering, etc. Very few IDers wore all hats.
I don’t know about “have to” and “everything”. As I mentioned, my experience with an integrated-marketing consultancy was an open collaboration with experts from many specialties. Each of whom’s individual specialty knowledge greatly exceeded the knowledge those from outside that specialty. Not to say that the knowledge didn’t rub off allowing greater flexibility when resources were tight.
I will say it would have been great to have an education in brand and positioning strategy while in school. As RK writes, ID is a part of the brand DNA and IDers need to understand how to design to that DNA. It is much more effective and important to business than designing to some arbitrary metaphor.
I think we are saying the something. Maybe I just didn’t put it into words that well. I don’t think we should be experts in these areas, I just think we should have a good understanding of them. I also think that the first place to start would be in school. I think we all have done that project where you have to design X product that reflected X brand, which I think is a wonderful exercise. But what that exercise does not include is that it now needs to be in a display, sell next to competitor products and products owned by the same brand, there needs to be POS material, and so on. I think even just one exercise of this in a class would be huge and would really get students thinking about more than just the product.
I saw this today and immediately thought of this topic. This packaging and POP was designed by a Third year student from University of Cincinnati. This student as you can see has carefully thought our the packaging, the consumer, the POP and how they all relate to each other. They have taken the experience in buying the Whiskey in mind and how it effect all of the different sense. I feel that all of us should have at least one of these projects in school that drives us to think of the consumer, the purchase drivers and the emotions and ritual that happen in that purchase.
I have attached the blurb written about it.
Designed by Rachael Stefanussen , a third year Industrial Design student at the University of Cincinnati:
"The goal of the project is to develop the next generation packaging and point-of-purchase display for Basil Hayden’s Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. The redesign must preserve the values and personality characteristic of the Basil Hayden brand identity while encouraging an increase in sale and popularity. The redesign must not only do justice to the heritage of bourbon as a drink, but also celebrate the delicate, refined characteristics that are unique to Basil Hayden’s.
The form of the bottle hints at that of a flask, and the swing tag allows the emboss on the glass to be the only label after purchase. The display requires consumers to open the cabinet to purchase a bottle. This activity presents consumers with the sensations of the ideal bourbon experience: the weight of a heavy cabinet door, the smell of aged oak, and the sight of a glass tumbler on a tray."
I don’t think we should be experts in these areas, I just think we should have a good understanding of them. I also think that the first place to start would be in school. I think we all have done that project where you have to design X product that reflected X brand, which I think is a wonderful exercise. But what that exercise does not include is that it now needs to be in a display, sell next to competitor products and products owned by the same brand, there needs to be POS material, and so on. I think even just one exercise of this in a class would be huge and would really get students thinking about more than just the product.
