Dreamers Into Doers -- marthastewart.com

Why product design is so important!

Have you ever walked by an aisle at a CVS (or another store) and picked up a product because it looked cool? The packaging and design were so impressive that you couldn't help but think the actual product must be fantastic too? I've felt like this with Burt's Bees and Method products.

Karen Seremak, an active member of our Dreamers into Doers site and founder of Savannah Moon Natural Relaxation (a bath and body care company), wrote some great insights about products. She also created a group on our site, "The Importance of Product Packaging and Wholesale" and listed 6 essential points about the topic. Karen even discussed selling your items through a wholesaler. I'm unfamiliar with this process but Karen made it easy to understand. Read her article and join her group here.

So I mentioned Burt's Bees and Method as well-designed products. What products do you think have a great design?

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Comment by Sweet Batik on February 4, 2011 at 2:35am: Thank you all for the great advices..

Love,

Dina

Sweet Batik Blog

Comment by Sue Sullivan on July 23, 2009 at 6:33pm: Hi All - I can tell you that packaging is everything! I have a product on the market called Hot Squeeze (www.thehotsqueeze.com) and I truly believe that my business has been as successful as it is because of the look of my bottle. I attend a lot of food trade shows and buyers are pulled in by the look of my packaging, the design of my booth and my marketing materials. My label is bold and clean and sets me a part from many other sauces on the market....

Here is my advice - your product name and packaging are about one of the most important steps - don't just come up with something to get your product out there... once you put something out there, it's hard to change it (and expensive!)

I always tell people if they are interested in getting into some line of business, seek out that industry's trade show and walk the floor, see what your competition is, see other peoples packaging or label design and even use this as a source of getting information. Small business owners are always so willing to help others!

Comment by Cathy Anderson on July 20, 2009 at 10:14am: I heard a creative director (I think?) from Martha years ago speak about the importance of product packing. It was around the time Martha was introducing products in Kmart and was getting a bit of flack (particularly with her paint can design) because it was so different from the norm. But I think her approach opened the door to what we see now on the shelves. I am sucked into well designed product packaging because if someone took time to attended to the details on the outside, the inside is sure be be spectacular. :) As for my favorite designs... I love the simplicity of method and the fun retro styling of meyers... but frankly if I was provided an option for body care products and dish liquid that would allow me to remove all labels easily I would choose that. Because I don't want to see logos or designs on my sink. I just want simple.

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