When I was a fresh and foolish first-year art student, I though design was so subjective. How could I possibly please my teachers and get good critiques from classmates when we all had different styles? Then, I matured in knowledge. Yes, design will always be subjective (See such things as the NYC Garbage cubes: You’ll either love or hate them.), but I learned a basic truth — it is much more about creating a solution than a pretty picture. 

Brand owners, where does the production of your product’s packaging fall on that learning scale? Have you been tempted to ask for a design similar to a competitor’s (or whatever company is most in the news at the time), because its brand seems to sell a lot? That solution is its own: It won’t work for your brand, though there’s nothing wrong with admiring and wanting certain style characteristics, of course. 

A much better position to take is your brand’s stance: Are you able to easily share its reason for being with designers, so they can come up with a personalized concept that makes sense for your brand?

Any brand can go to any talented firm and come away with an eye-catching design. But brands that can convey their story will come away with a design that not only catches eyes and initial sales but also creates a relationship between company and consumer.

Designers, you’re busy, and you know brand owners work just as hard as well. In One Smart Cookie, read through a few refreshers on how to best serve the brands you work for as you come up with the perfect solution. Everyone will also enjoy Those Were the Days, a look at one specific package style: why it appeals to buyers and how to implement it with brands.

Want more on using packaging to sell your brand? Join us next month at Packaging That Sells, Oct. 21-23, in Chicago.