The human brain processes visual information 60,000 times faster than it decodes text — in just a tenth of a second, according to The SAGE Handbook of Political Communication. In addition, up to 93 percent of all human communication is nonverbal, and UCLA psychologist Albert Mehrabian reports that 90 percent of the information that enters the brain is through nonverbal methods. Seventy percent of all human sensory receptors are found within the eye, and in The Human Anatomy & Physiology, Elaine Marieb and Katja Hoehn state that images received by the eyes are processed by 50 percent of the brain.
All of this research taken collectively has huge implications for both consumer product companies and licensed property owners, and it prompts serious questions. Is package design being optimized as a marketing tool with strong visual brand elements? Is there balance between a brand’s visual assets and the right kind and amount of verbal communication? Is there seamless integration among brand visuals, package design architecture and package structure?