Something From Nothing

Creating a new product/packaging design and taking it from concept definition to the store shelf (and beyond) is quite a complex process. It involves many different disciplines, several different companies (typically), and to say the least, many different personalities. Throw in a mix of technologies and time constraints (such as, “You’re late already!”) and you have a real-world packaging design assignment.

Right in the middle of this mix is the packaging/graphic designer. The designer’s role is to take what a brand owner wants to do and create something that can be done—sometimes, not an easy task. Package printers have a huge stake in this process, tasked to deliver what the brand owner is expecting.

So, why not be involved in the design process? Executives from several design firms spoke with packagePRINTING and felt that involving the printer is the way to go.

pP: How well versed are graphic designers in the capabilities of the various printing processes? How can printers communicate their capabilities as the design process progresses?

Chuck Miller, creative director for Combined Technologies, Inc.—Designers make up a fairly resourceful group. They spend quite a bit of time building solutions and researching the means to complete them. To do so, they seek out answers from their sources (printers). Package printers need to continue to inform designers of their capabilities. Networking with designers is a great way to accomplish this.

Kris Sexton, president/owner and creative director, packaging, Directions Inc.—In general, graphic designers come out of educational experiences with little to no exposure or experience in the print process. As “printing” is considered a “trade,” it is not often in the college curriculum. The primary way a graphic designer/artist gains knowledge regarding printing capabilities/limitations is through the “life experience” of the work arena.

What can be done? Several things. For graphic designers destined primarily for the commercial application of design, printers could develop educational units that could plug and play into any educational curriculum, with no cost to the school. A secondary benefit is that, as sponsors of a program, printers have the opportunity to “set” their brand/capabilities in the minds of designers coming into the market, as well as to educate.

For the perfect program, printers should develop alliances with paper merchants to participate in educational activities of this nature, as the specification of paper alone is probably the biggest factor in how a project will net out.

Printers could also do a better job of designing on-site educational and internship programs to provide the learning/planning experience to budding designers, which is something way beyond a “tour” situation.

Alan Just, art director, packaging, Directions Inc.—As a designer, I feel I am never versed enough. Most printing technologies are moving targets, with a lot of churn in innovation. It can be foolhardy to assume a particular process is the same as the last time it was used.

Designers should be asking, “What design problem am I trying to solve? Is there a simpler approach? What am I not seeing?” These questions, and others, should not only be asked of the design/client team, but of the printing/production vendors as well.

Tim Ross, principal, Kendall Ross—Most designers are familiar with their daily working medium. For instance, package designers are very adept and knowledgeable about printing on packaging. However, they may lack some traditional print skills, say for instance, developing a catalog, and vice-versa for a catalog designer trying to develop packaging. I believe some of this is a function of the last few years. We have required people to know so much about so many different areas of the design world that designers naturally gravitate to the segment in which they are most comfortable, and excel in that niche area.

I believe the responsibility resides with the designers to reach out to package printers—tell printers what they need and hold them to it. Too often designers run out of time and don’t call a printer in to discuss methods for improving the end product via features, price, or looks.

Dave Carlson, principal/creative director, The Vyant Group—Most of our designers are required to know the entire print production process before working at Vyant. Since we are owned by Marfred Industries, a packaging manufacturer, this allows us direct access to the prepress team and pressmen for continued education and hands-on experience.

It would be ideal if package printers distributed a specifications guide for designers on how to set up their files properly for their specific needs. It would almost guarantee “error-free” files from designers and firms.

pP: What are some of the obstacles that must be avoided in the design process for new packaging, especially as they relate to printing and graphics design and implementation?

Sexton—The most difficult issue is constraining the designer to design for excellence in execution rather than allowing designers to design for the pure aesthetic. Too many times, designers that do not have a solid understanding of print production develop designs that, while beautiful, add significant costs, and, eventually, design modifications in order to produce a printed piece. It is my personal belief that our education process for the “commercial” versus the “fine arts” does not see a distinction in what they are, training all design students as fine artists.

Just—Complexity for the sake of demonstrating the virtuosity of the designer should be avoided. On the other hand, the designer may have incomplete information about the limits of the printing process. Graphic designers should ask the question, “Is this a true technology limit or a mindset? What makes it so? What will happen to my design if I push the limit? If the limit is technical, what alternatives do I have? What compromises are available? And, what is the consequence of each compromise?”

Ross—One hurdle is knowing when a particular material should or should not be used.

Carlson—Every designer should understand the objective of the packaging and how it will be displayed on the shelf, what paper stock is being used, what is the overall functionality of the package, and how the structural integrity fuses with the design and graphics. Designers need to take the time to make full-sized mockups using the specified stock with the graphics mounted to the package; test it, open it, and close it—set it on the shelf and back up three feet.

pP: With reduced time to market being so critical in today’s product development cycle, what tools do you use to speed up the design process and help printers implement the designs in an effective manner? What can be done to further improve this process?

Miller—Good communication, experience, and intuitiveness work well, with necessary face-to-face time with involved parties is my solution.

Sexton—In our applications, we bring the printer into the project at the very beginning of the design process, and work hand-in-glove with the printer as we move through design development. With packaging, you may be working with large commercial printers that have the body of experience to be valuable partners/peers in developing designs that work. More people need to include the printer/separators.

Just—The best tools are e-mail and phone—communicate often. Always ask questions. Never assume we are implementing the best solution.

Ross—We use a partner firm that specializes in “below-the-line” design. It has experts at 3D modeling, production, and worldwide implementation. We ask them to participate early in the design development process to help streamline efforts before we go to the client with solutions.

We have always felt that there is a value chain that exists in design and implementation. As a designer you need to understand the different players involved and create “one-company” concepts to solve the challenge. Clients also need to understand that it may take many different teams to accomplish certain goals. Printing today is more complex than ever, and requires more effort and more cross-discipline cooperation. It’s like any other team, the more you practice the better off you will be on game day.

Carlson—Well, at Vyant we actually own all of our packaging equipment, which allows us to develop a product name, and brand and design the packaging for our clients, walk it over to our presses to print the packaging, then deliver it. However, not every design firm has this luxury, so I would just suggest maintaining open and clear communication between designers and package printers. The more you can communicate about the project up front the better. Sometimes having the package printer in the initial project briefing has been a benefit because its people have the knowledge to identify potential production issues before they become time wasters and become costly to the designer or the client.

pP: What are some of the leading graphic/technology features that help packages stand out on the store shelves?

Miller—Flexible packaging seems to be the rage right now, but I feel that designing with the consumer’s wants and needs taken into consideration almost always wins out.

Tim Ebben, project manager, packaging, Directions Inc.—There are many things that help a package stand out on the shelf. The two I bring up are maybe not what you would normally think about. The first is prepress proofing devices; the second is the number of advances made in flexography.

It’s critical that what we create can be translated in the real world. When marketing is testing a design in the marketplace, it now has the ability to more accurately represent the final design by taking into account the limitations of the printing process, such as screens and number of colors. At the same time, flexography and plate material developments have been moving forward, minimizing those limitations and pushing old paradigms out of the way.

The ability to accurately produce a tested design for the marketplace is paramount to its success on shelf. Printers and separators are helping us achieve this through research and development, testing, and large capital expenditures. To remain or become a preferred supplier in the packaging world requires the willingness and ability to stay on the leading edge of technology.

Soft proofing is another aspect the industry is taking a close look at. It is typically used for process work only, but research is being done to find a way to represent the many line colors used in the packaging arena. This would cut days off the approval process and enable companies to get to market faster.

Ross—Bottle shapes and sizes can be standout features for the appropriate products. Also, I am very interested to see where the milk category goes in the U.S. As we downsize and adapt to a more earth-friendly approach, we will see certain categories rethink their packaging, very similar to the laundry detergent industry.

Carlson—We think that it’s all in the presentation. So whether it’s how the overall innovative structure of the packaging works, or the simplistic use of color and foil embossing, good packaging stands out on the shelf and calls out to its intended audience and makes an emotional connection.

pP: What trends do you see in packaging that will impact product and graphic design during the next few years?

Miller—We will see smaller and more concise packaging.

Sexton—Tremendous strides have been made in the execution of extremely sophisticated and complex designs. Direct/digital printing, gradients, diecuts, and injection molding techniques have provided many new possibilities. I see the levels of sophistication exploding as printers push themselves with new technologies, such as inks, substrates, and expanding line-color capabilities.

Ross—We will see smaller packages and better design software that will create a more seamless merger between the 2D and 3D worlds. In addition, smarter clients, global exchanges, more expectations, higher standards, and collapsing the designer and production artist positions into a more universal player keep changing the rules.

Carlson—I think packaging design that is more authentic to the brand it represents will always have the most impact. Don’t be innovative with your packaging for innovation’s sake. Tell a story, and if that means using one-color printing on a 100 percent recycled corrugated box to make the connection, then so be it.

pP: How can package printers get more involved and contribute to a larger extent in the package design process?

Sexton—As in all things, the collaborative mentality is what allows packagers to work as peers and partners with designers and design firms. No single process is right or wrong. What needs to be determined as a team is what will work best to achieve the goal. As we all know, this never works in a vacuum. The synergy that can be developed by two disciplines working intimately together, removing the pride of authorship/ownership principle, will only ensure that when the packaging gets to the shelf, it connects with the consumer.

Carlson—Printers need to become part of the overall design process—from the beginning, all the way through to the end. There is no reason why they shouldn’t be. Everyone only benefits when the printers become more involved in the process. The designer learns about production boundaries and doesn’t waste time and money designing something that is too costly to print. The client benefits with a well-designed, cost-effective package and the printer benefits by keeping the packaging production on budget, allowing for its profit margins to be met. pP