PACKAGING DESIGN IN ECOLOGICAL FACE CREAMS - DIVA
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Packaging Design in Ecological
Face Creams
How to represent an ecological face cream on the Swedish market
Anna Manole
Supervisor: Anna Skogbergs
Jerker Westin
Examiner: Johan Håkansson
GIK28T
Degree Project for University Diploma in Informatics/Thesis for Degree of Bachelor of
Science in Informatics
1 June 2021
Dalarna University, Sweden – www.du.se
Published in full-text as open access
Packaging Design in Ecological Face Creams
ABSTRACT
Background Advances in technology resulted in a transition to mass production of goods. This
signified an increase in packaging demands, as well as the need for packaging to
stand out. The usage of graphic design can make a packaging sell a product and
it is vital to a company. At the same time, demands for ecological skincare prod-
ucts have seen an increase in the past years.
Aim The purpose of the study is determining the most prevalent design characteris-
tics of ecological face creams on the Swedish market, as well as evaluating how
a potential customer would perceive an average product with such characteris-
tics.
Method The study used the strategy design and creation to produce an artefact, as well
as the survey strategy to evaluate the artefact. The data collection methods used
within these strategies were documents and a questionnaire. The study used the
website jordklok.se for its data collection, where 78 products with organic certi-
fications were visually analysed in order to design an average ecological product.
Results The data collection results established that most products studied were grouped
into ranges. Characteristics of ecological face creams packaging could be
summed up after the visual analysis in percentages. The range of face creams
Ariory was the artefact produced by collecting data through the visual analysis,
within the design and creation strategy. The survey strategy resulted in the ma-
jority of respondents assessing the designed range as ecological in appearance.
Conclusions It has been concluded that packaging that is perceived as ecological by potential
customers can be designed by using average design characteristics of existing
products.
Keywords Customer, ecological, face cream, graphic design, packaging, visual analysis
Packaging Design in Ecological Face Creams
CONTENTS
Abstract ......................................................................................................................... i
Contents ........................................................................................................................ii
ABREVIATIONS AND DEFINITIONS .................................................................. iv
1 Introduction ..................................................................................................... 1
1.1 The Representation of Organic Products in Sweden ....................................... 2
1.1.1 Certifications of Beauty Products ........................................................ 2
1.2 Problem ........................................................................................................... 3
1.3 Research Questions ......................................................................................... 3
1.4 Purpose ............................................................................................................ 4
1.5 Scope and Limitations ...................................................................................... 4
2 Literature Review ............................................................................................. 6
2.1 The Anatomy of Packaging .............................................................................. 6
2.1.1 Shape of the Container........................................................................ 6
2.1.2 Levels of Packaging .............................................................................. 6
2.1.3 Product Ranges and Solus Products .................................................... 6
2.2 Design Elements .............................................................................................. 7
2.2.1 Colour .................................................................................................. 7
2.2.2 Typography.......................................................................................... 8
2.2.3 Logotype .............................................................................................. 8
2.2.4 Visual Elements – Photography, Illustration, and Lines....................... 9
3 Method .......................................................................................................... 10
3.1 Strategies ....................................................................................................... 10
3.2 Data Collection............................................................................................... 10
3.3 Implementation of Research Methods .......................................................... 11
3.3.1 Literature Studies .............................................................................. 11
3.3.2 Document Based Data Collection ...................................................... 12
3.3.3 Visual Analysis ................................................................................... 12
3.3.4 Development of Artefacts ................................................................. 13
3.3.5 Online Survey .................................................................................... 14
3.4 Data Analysis.................................................................................................. 15
3.5 Method Discussion ........................................................................................ 16
3.5.1 Ethical Implications ........................................................................... 16
4 Results ........................................................................................................... 18
4.1 Data collection ............................................................................................... 18
4.2 Visual Analysis................................................................................................ 18
4.2.1 Typography........................................................................................ 18
4.2.2 Logotype ............................................................................................ 20
4.2.3 Layout ................................................................................................ 22
4.3 The Design Result – Product Range of Ecological Face Creams ..................... 25
4.4 Online survey ................................................................................................. 27
5 Discussion ...................................................................................................... 29
5.1 Visual Analysis................................................................................................ 29
5.2 Designed Artefact .......................................................................................... 30
Packaging Design in Ecological Face Creams 5.3 Online Survey ................................................................................................. 30 6 Conclusion ..................................................................................................... 32 6.1 Purpose and Process ...................................................................................... 32 6.2 Research Questions ....................................................................................... 32 6.3 Further Research Suggestions........................................................................ 34 6.4 Method Criticism ........................................................................................... 34 References.................................................................................................................. 35 Appendix 1 – the product ranges found of jordklok.se .............................................. 37 Appendix 2 – graphic design elements ....................................................................... 41 Appendix 3 – online survey for evaluating the designed face cream range (ariory) .. 44
Packaging Design in Ecological Face Creams
ABREVIATIONS AND DEFINITIONS
consumer A consumer is defined here as an individual that uses goods or services.
customer A customer is defined here as an individual that purchases goods or ser-
vices.
design elements Design elements is defined as the different components that a product of
graphic design is comprised of (typography, colours, imagery).
layout Layout refers to the way in which design elements are arranged or laid
out.
visual analysis A visual analysis is defined here as a method of collecting data necessary
in the design process.
visual elements Visual elements are defined as graphics used on a packaging (Calver,
2007).
Source: What is packaging design?
Packaging Design in Ecological Face Creams 1 Introduction The Industrial Revolution, which began in England in the late 18th cen- tury, brought with it many technological advances and through it a transition to mass production of products (Emblem, 2012). In the sec- ond half of the 1800s, both in America and Europe, packaged foods be- came popular and customer demands increased. Thus, manufacturers and retailers adopted a “profit through volume” strategy (Twede, 2012). The shift from home made products to cheap readily available goods was rapid and worldwide. Customers were given many choices of products, hence the need for retailers to distinguish themselves from the competitors emerged. This was done through advertising and packaging and has become the “silent salesman” ever since (Twede, 2012). Products can be divided into solus products or ranges, when consider- ing their packaging. Product ranges encompass a multitude of benefits the products have to offer, with a similar design style all throughout the range. Solus items stand alone and differentiate themselves in a particular segment from the other products within that segment (Cal- ver, 2007). Customers expect a wide range of products when shopping, and pack- aging plays a vital role in helping the customers differentiate between a multitude of companies. Packaging is not only expected to protect the product through distribution and storage, but also to attract po- tential customers from the perspective of brand owners (Emblem, 2012). Packaging being a point of attraction to the customer can be similarly applied to the beauty industry, which is an ever-growing commerce. In 2018 the global cosmetic packaging market was valued at USD 25.9 billion and is expected to grow 4.8% in the next 5 years. This growth is attributed to the increasing demands of its customers and its acces- sibility due to the development of e-commerce (Drobac et al., 2020). The beauty category of products causes an emotional response be- cause of the intimate use of the product. For a product to be relevant on the market it must speak to its intended audience. Elements such as typography, colour, design pattern, photography and illustration are relevant when talking about packaging design (Candace & Roncarelli, 2010). Face creams can be defined as cosmetic products, which are widely used by being directly applied to human skin. Face creams constitute a successful product that is used by many customers (Loretz et al., 2005). Effective packaging design that leads to a purchase can be achieved through graphic design. Graphic design can be defined as a form of vis- ual communication through which ideas are conveyed (Barnard, 2005). Dalarna University 1 | 41
Packaging Design in Ecological Face Creams In the commercial sense, graphic design can be described as a way of problem solving. A client presents the designer with a practical prob- lem and the designer’s task is to find ways to solve that problem. In other words, graphic design entails analysis and synthesis. Analysis re- fers to the methods of investigation and understanding that are im- portant to the research of a project. Synthesis requires that the de- signer draws personal conclusions, thus producing a meaningful solution to the problem (Noble & Bestley, 2016). 1.1 The Representation of Organic Products in Sweden The organic market of beauty products has grown significantly in Swe- den in the past years. Sweden is one of the most environmentally con- scious countries, where the cosmetics market reached 15 billion SEK in 2011 (Ozhogina et al., 2013). According to the environmental organization Naturskyddsföreningen (n.d.) there are several rules that must be followed for food and drink to be labelled as ecological in the European Union. These include not using chemical pesticides or GMOs (genetically modified organisms). In the toiletry department these sets of rules are however not clearly defined. In Sweden, in the case of shampoo, soap, skincare or make-up using words such as "ekologisk", "naturlig" and "organisk" is allowed on the packaging without further verification. There are however cer- tifications that use an established percentage of ecological ingredients in the cosmetics category and are supported by Swedish authorities. An estimate of 1300 products with such certifications for hygiene and beauty products can be found in stores. Naturskyddsföreningen (n.d.) advises the customers to look for these ecological certifications on the label to be certain the product follows ecological standards. 1.1.1 Certifications of Beauty Products “Bra Miljöval” is an environmental certification belonging to the Swe- dish environmental organisation Naturskyddsföreningen. This certifi- cation ensures that the product does not have any substances that are dangerous for the consumer. It sets strict rules on allergenic sub- stances present in scents, substances that may cause reproductive damage as well as substances that may cause cancer (Na- turskyddsföreningen, n.d.). The “Svanen” certification ensures that no hazardous substances are used in labelled products as well as the con- tent of environmentally harmful substances is minimized. Both “Svanen” and “Bra Miljöval” are independent from companies trying to sell products and the standards set by these certifications are regularly updated. “EcoCert” is a certification that assures the environment, and the health of consumers is considered, by using ecological ingredients. An- other reliable certification according to Naturskyddsföreningen (n.d.) is “NaTrue”. The “NaTrue” Level 2 certification regulates the use of at least 50% ecological ingredients, while “NaTrue” Level 3 regulates the use of at least 70% ecological ingredients. A Level 3 certification would be preferred according to Naturskyddsföreningen (n.d.) due to it guar- anteeing a higher percentage of ecological ingredients. Dalarna University 2 | 45
Packaging Design in Ecological Face Creams The certifications above mentioned (“Bra Miljöval”, “Svanen”, “EcoCert” and “NaTrue”) should be regarded as standard for beauty products according to Naturskyddsföreningen (n.d.). 1.2 Problem In an overly abundant market (Drobac et al., 2020), it is crucial to an- alyse what makes a certain packaging attract customers. A product may attract customers by having an emotional selling proposition or by offering a unique feature − a unique selling proposition (Calver, 2007). Both selling points can be achieved with the use of design, the purpose being customer appeal. The relevancy lies in the need for beauty and skincare companies to understand how to brand their product in a way in which it reflects its eco-friendly qualities. According to Calver (2007) brands should want to represent themselves accordingly in an overly saturated market, while maintaining their individuality. He adds that while no company wants to resemble one another, it is important to understand the com- petitors to be able to stand out in a rational way. This can be achieved by creating a meaningful product that resonates with its customers. The use of design in product differentiation is to explore all the pack- aging’s features to engage with the customers (Calver, 2007). This study focuses on the ecological face creams segment, namely un- derstanding how the use of graphic design elements affects the initial purchase decision of its customers. The customer demands for organic beauty products have increased significantly in the past years in Swe- den (Ozhogina et al., 2013). Swedish companies should therefore be aware of what constitutes an eco-friendly product and represent it properly through its packaging. Products should reflect the natural and eco-friendly values to its customers for the products to be success- ful and therefore an analysis of the current market is necessary. Stud- ying design elements such as typography and layout can help under- stand how a product can be appropriately represented on the market of organic beauty products. 1.3 Research Questions 1a. What are the characteristics of graphic design elements that are associated with the packaging of ecological face creams? 1b. Would such a product be represented through a solus product or a product range? 2a. What could an average product that represents ecological face creams look like considering its packaging? 2b. Would it be perceived as ecological by potential customers? Dalarna University 3 | 45
Packaging Design in Ecological Face Creams 1.4 Purpose The purpose of this study is to analyse a segment of organic face creams and establish parameters that companies should be aware of when designing such a product. In order to do this the study needs to find the most prevalent design characteristics of ecological face creams on the current Swedish market. The study also aims to study customer perception of designed product. 1.5 Scope and Limitations The scope of this study is to establish what constitutes the average de- sign of ecological face creams on the current Swedish market, by look- ing at the packaging. Design elements will be considered when estab- lishing what makes a product stand out as organic. The choice of analysing design elements is motivated through the extensive litera- ture that exists on their effect on human perception (Bergström, 2015), (Clarke & Costall, 2008). Elements such as packaging material will be omitted in this study since the materials should be suitable for the environment in which the face creams are used. Materials should be water resistant because of their use in the bathroom (Candace & Roncarelli, 2010). Moreover, this study explores online material and therefore an assessment of the packaging materials is not possible. The part of the packaging that will be studied is the primary packaging, more specifically the visible outer layer of the primary packaging that comes in direct contact with the product (Emblem, 2012). Additional packaging that surrounds the product when the customer takes it home will be omitted, due to it being similar in design to the inner layer that comes in direct contact with the product, only differing in materials. Moreover, only the front side of the packaging will be ana- lysed, as the websites reviewed for this study do not display the back side of the packaging. The study is limited to a certain number of product packaging and data will be gathered from one website. Limiting the study to one website ensures a thorough analysis, in conjunction with a limited number of product packaging. At the same time, possible duplicate products that may result from utilizing several websites are excluded through this limitation. Furthermore, the research is limited to ecological face creams, when considering organic certifications endorsed by an envi- ronmental organisation. In this way, the products selected are only the ones which are accredited ecological, not the ones that claim to be through wording. Dalarna University 4 | 45
Packaging Design in Ecological Face Creams The number of products analysed will be limited to the certifications and the type of product that the study examined. All the face creams with the considered certifications will be included in the study to bet- ter represent the range that currently exists. There are currently ap- proximately 1300 hygiene and beauty products that are ecologically certified (Naturskyddsföreningen, 2021) and the study only examines face creams with the certifications “NaTrue” and “EcoCert”. Dalarna University 5 | 45
Packaging Design in Ecological Face Creams 2 Literature Review The literature review chapter is divided into two subchapters: “The Anatomy of Packaging” and “Design Elements”. Together, they aim to clarify the process through which a packaging is designed. 2.1 The Anatomy of Packaging This chapter will take into consideration the matters a designer would have to consider when starting the design process. The shape of the con- tainer, the levels of packaging and whether a product will be part of a range or not, are important factors that should be established at the start of the design process. 2.1.1 Shape of the Container Calver (2007) states that it is impossible to design a label without knowing the size and shape of the container. There are a variety of shapes that a packaging may take depending on the purpose it serves. Packaging is used to transport, store, protect, display, and brand a product. The many different shapes include tubes, jars, tubs, bottles, cans, clamshells, or CDs. The shapes most associated with the beauty industry are tubes, jars, and bottles (Appendix 1, Figure 15). A de- signer should consider the shape of the container due to possible re- strictions of the format which affect the design (Calver, 2007). 2.1.2 Levels of Packaging A product can contain one or multiple layers of packaging. According to the layers that may surround the product, packaging can be catego- rized into the following: primary, secondary, and tertiary. The primary packaging consists of the materials that come in direct contact with the product, as well as the packaging that surrounds the product when the customer takes it home. Secondary packaging is used to group packs together for better handling of the product, for example plastic trays in food packaging. Tertiary packaging is used for transportation of the products in order to group them together, for example pallets and crates (Emblem, 2012). 2.1.3 Product Ranges and Solus Products In his book entitled “What is packaging design?”, Calver (2007) de- scribes that products can be grouped into solus items and ranges. So- lus items are designed with the purpose of differentiating themselves within a sector. Ranges may help a brand recognition and presence. This can be achieved using colour, photographic style, or a graphic de- vice. Ranges can be distributed across categories such as skin care or hair care, where customer can choose over a variety of products de- signed to cater to individual needs. Dalarna University 6 | 45
Packaging Design in Ecological Face Creams 2.2 Design Elements This chapter tackles the most important elements of graphic design that should be regarded when forming a packaging. These include colour, ty- pography, logotype, visual elements, and layout (the way design ele- ments are distributed on the product). 2.2.1 Colour Colour can be a powerful tool for a designer to make use of. Colour can also be the first thing a customer notices about a product. A packag- ing’s colour influences a customer’s mood by triggering a response and can be the determining factor in making a purchase. Colour is one of the factors that affects a customer’s perception about whether it is qualitative or not (Candace & Roncarelli, 2010). The human eye can differentiate about 10 million colours, also called hues. A simplified representation of these colours can be visualised through a colour wheel, which is divided into warm or cool tempera- ture colours. Warm colours are based on red pigments and are per- ceived as active and dynamic, while cool colours are based on blue pig- ments and are often seen as calming and dependable. The colour wheel includes primary colours (red, yellow, and blue), secondary colours (orange, green and violet) and tertiary colours, which are located be- tween primary and secondary colours on the wheel (Sherin, 2012). Dividing the colour wheel into sections gives colour combinations de- pending on where colours are in relation to each other. Analogous col- our combinations occur when colours are next to each other on the colour wheel. Complementary colours are on located on opposite sides of the wheel (Bergström, 2014). Bright colours are characterized by having pure pigment and are often used to draw attention, while pale colours (pastel colours) have at least 65% white in their composition. Neutral colours are composed of a large percentage of brown and grey and are often associated with calmness and sophistications, putting emphasis of the product rather than its packaging (Sherin, 2012). The absence of colour or using fewer colours can also make a product stand out. Using black and white in a packaging’s design, as well as us- ing a monochromatic colour scheme, is often associated with elegance and sophistication (Candace & Roncarelli, 2010). According to Sherin (2012) a black and white design can be perceived as powerful and ef- fectively communicate information to an audience. A monochromatic colour scheme implies the usage of a single hue in different tints and shades (Sherin, 2012). Dalarna University 7 | 45
Packaging Design in Ecological Face Creams Context is also an important factor that influences how colour can be perceived. This includes the nature of the object, the immediate sur- roundings, and cultural factors. Colour is emotionally multi-faceted and relates to different individuals’ experiences and cultures (Clarke & Costall, 2008). In western culture white is often associated with pu- rity and innocence, while in some eastern cultures white is a funerary colour. To use colour appropriately a designer should consider what message they want to convey and to which audience the product is in- tended (Sherin, 2012). 2.2.2 Typography Typography is the way in which letters are combined and used with the purpose of sending a message to the intended receiver. For thou- sands of years typography has been used to communicate thoughts and feelings (Bergström, 2015). The typography used on packaging has the practical purpose of con- veying information and ideas. Therefore, it should be legible, which means that the customers should have no difficulty when reading the text on a product (Candace & Roncarelli, 2010). A font encompasses an entire alphabet, with a common visual appear- ance. The alphabet is comprised out of letters, which in their turn can be lowercase (small letters) or uppercase (capitalized letters). Fonts can be grouped in two major categories: serifs and sans serifs (Appen- dix 2, Figure 13). Serif fonts contain small decorative extensions at the ends of a letter, while sans serifs do not. Cursive fonts are character- ized by simulating pronounced handwriting (Bergström, 2015). The use of typography implies reading and understanding the in- tended text and finding harmony between text and typography (Berg- ström, 2015). There are three ways of arranging the typography on a product of graphic design: symmetrically, asymmetrically and con- trasting. A symmetrical arrangement is built the same along a vertical axis, an asymmetrical arrangement ignores the vertical axis, while a contrasting arrangement makes use of different shapes, sizes, and col- ours in typography (Bergström, 2015). 2.2.3 Logotype A logotype can consist of the company’s or product’s name, or part of it, represented in an especially chosen font (Appendix 2, Figure 16). Furthermore, a logotype may come in other variants. A few of these variants are the company’s name, a symbol to represent the company, company name plus a symbol, company’s initials, or an abbreviation of the company’s name. The logotype should reflect the company’s ideals and should give a sense of credibility to its target customers. Moreo- ver, a logotype should be easily recognizable, legible, and timeless. It should perform the same functions both in black and white as in col- our, as well as in small or large font size (Bergström, 2015). Dalarna University 8 | 45
Packaging Design in Ecological Face Creams A logotype is a crucial part of a brand’s identity. Having the right branding can help companies increase a product’s perceived value and connect with customers. In that sense a logotype is giving a brand a recognizable “face” so that customers can remember their experiences with a certain company (Airey, 2015). 2.2.4 Visual Elements – Photography, Illustration, and Lines Photographic imagery on labels can be used to convey a specific idea and the use of photographical elements on packaging can be prevalent or minor (Candace & Roncarelli, 2010). Calver (2007) describes two types of photographic imagery found on packaging. They can be of explicatory nature (making the customer an- ticipate the product within) or metaphorical nature, by conveying a certain mood or emotion to the customer (Appendix 2, Figure 17). Before the invention of photography, illustrations were used as a means of imagery on packaging. According to Calver (2007) the use of illustration on modern day packaging may allude to craft and tradi- tionalism. Illustration has many styles and can be used to communi- cate different characteristics of the product (Appendix 2, Figure 17). The usage of lines in packaging design is to separate and structure con- tent (Appendix 2, Figure 17). They serve a functional purpose and help establish hierarchy between elements. They can also be used aestheti- cally and create emotional responses through their shape and form (Candace & Roncarelli, 2010). According to Sherin (2012) lines add emphasis, imply movement, denote space, add depth, and reveal struc- ture. While straight lines imply calmness, zig-zag lines indicate agita- tion and movement. Dalarna University 9 | 45
Packaging Design in Ecological Face Creams 3 Method The method chapter introduces the strategies and data collection meth- ods that the study uses. Thereafter the implementation of the strategies and data collection methods is presented in a subchapter. The way in which the data collected was analysed is subsequently presented. Finally, the choice of methods and ethical implications are discussed. 3.1 Strategies The research strategies that were applied to the study were survey and design and creation. Design and creation was chosen in order to answer the first three re- search questions the study proposed, (Question 1a, Question 1b and Question 2a). The strategy involved a 5-step iterative process, devel- oped by Vaishnavi & Kuechler (2004). The five steps included in the strategy were awareness, suggestion, development, examination, and conclusion. Following these steps Design and creation encompassed literature studies, data collection through documents as well as study- ing these documents through a visual analysis. Subsequently design and creation implied developing an artefact as well as examining it and drawing conclusions. Additionally, a survey was chosen as a research strategy in order to assess the designed artefact, thus answering the last research question of the study. According to Oates (2006) this method of conducting re- search over the Internet gives the possibility of accessing many people across the world cheaply and quickly. 3.2 Data Collection The data collection methods that were used in the study were docu- ments and questionnaires. Multimedia documents were used within the design and creation strategy and survey strategy. A questionnaire was used within the survey strategy. Documents are a source of data that encompass any symbolic repre- sentation that can be recorded and retrieved for analysis. Documents include written, visual, aural, and electronic material (Oates, 2006). This study uses electronic material for its data collection, namely pic- tures of packaging. Visual material of electronic nature was also gen- erated (the artefact) and later used within the survey strategy. Elec- tronic documents were used as a method of data collection because they could be obtained quickly and conveniently, offering a broad range of data for the analysis. At the same time, data was generated through a visual analysis of the documents. The reasoning behind choosing a visual analysis as a method of data collection is the fact that a product speaks to customer through its packaging. Dalarna University 10 | 45
Packaging Design in Ecological Face Creams Design elements such as colour, typography, form, and shape are what should be taken into consideration when designing a product’s pack- aging because they affect the customer’s perception (Candace & Roncarelli, 2010). Analysing the design elements of packaging was crucial in order to design an average product. Björkdahl (2018) proposes structuring the data used for a visual anal- ysis for shampoo containers in tables, with categories and subcatego- ries associated with graphic design elements. The percentage of recur- ring characteristics are noted down. In this way, the result of the visual analysis is an average product that encompasses the most prevalent characteristics of each category. A questionnaire is a pre-defined set of questions that are assembled in a pre-determined order. Data is collected and analysed from respond- ents, which are asked to answer the questions. This data collection method was used in order to efficiently obtain data from a sufficient number of people for a small-scale research project, specifically a min- imum of 30 respondents. This number of respondents was deemed ad- equate because it guarantees a reliable statistical analysis in order to calculate mathematical averages (Oates, 2006). 3.3 Implementation of Research Methods The research methods were implemented through specific steps. The research utilized literature studies, data collection and data analysis. Data collection was done through documents and a visual analysis in order to produce an artefact. Analysis was performed on a survey that evaluated the produced artefact. 3.3.1 Literature Studies Literature studies were conducted to research the topic as well as es- tablish parameters for the visual analysis. This was achieved through search queries on Dalarna University’s website, through the platform DiVA, as well as using Google Scholar. The following search terms were used to select relevant literature that would help answer the study’s questions: “graphic design packaging”, “graphic design theory”, “pack- aging graphic design”, “packaging design” and “colour design”. The ma- terial was selected due to it being peer-reviewed and up to date. In the case of sources that were used for the historical perspective or graphic design fundaments the year of publication was not considered of sig- nificance, rather how relevant they were to the subject and the exper- tise of the authors. Another thesis that involved a visual analysis was used as a frame of reference in the case of Björkdahl (2018). The meth- ods of conducting the visual analysis were applied to this research pa- per because of the quantifiable results they delivered. The online research has been completed with individual studies of course literature in the case of Bergström’s book “Effektiv visuell kom- munikation: om nyheter, reklam och profilering i vår visuella kultur.”. Dalarna University 11 | 45
Packaging Design in Ecological Face Creams 3.3.2 Document Based Data Collection A google search with the terms “ekologiskt märkt hudkräm'' revealed several possible Swedish online retailers of face cream products with ecological certifications. The other search queries that were used had the terms “ecological face creams”, “ekologiska hudkräm” and “ecologically certified face creams”. The website jordklok.se was chosen exclusively because of the broad range of products with the selected certifications and the filters it pro- vides for sorting according to ecological certifications. Moreover, the range of products with the selected certifications is the highest from all possible online retailers, totalling 80 products. The other websites that the search results rendered had 37 suitable products (in the case of happygreen.se) and two suitable products (in the case of apotea.se). Such websites have similar products to jordklok.se and have been eliminated from the selection because they lack clear filtering systems for ecological certifications. The certifications that were present on the website jordklok.se were found to be “NaTrue” and “EcoCert”. The “Svanen” and “Bra Miljöval” were not utilized in this study as they were not attributed to any products on the website jordklok.se. As a result, the website jordklok.se was used to gather data for a visual analysis of organic face creams packaging. The number of products studied included similar packaging present in products from the same skincare brand line (Appendix 1). The images that were used in the visual analysis were collected through multimedia documents from the website jordklok.se, namely pictures of packaging. Because of the transitory nature of the Internet (Oates, 2006) the documents were stored offline. The documents were utilized solely for research pur- poses and not distributed. 3.3.3 Visual Analysis The visual analysis begun with categorising the products selected into solus products or product ranges. This was because of the studied lit- erature stating that in the cosmetic category it is often preferred to ca- ter to the customer’s various needs when it comes to skincare or beauty (Calver, 2007). This initial categorization established what per- centage of products fit into the solus items category or the range cate- gory. To better represent the market segment, it has been determined that grouping the products into solus or ranges is preferred. The products’ packaging design was analysed, and the data was com- piled in tables. Thereafter the most prevalent attributes of the prod- ucts were noted down. Based on the literature studies performed and by looking at the products selected to be visually analysed, several cat- egories of graphic design elements have been selected. These were fur- ther divided into subcategories, which have fixed options to ensure un- ambiguous results. Dalarna University 12 | 45
Packaging Design in Ecological Face Creams
These are the categories and subcategories that were used in the vis-
ual analysis, along with the fixed options each subcategory had:
Category 1: Typography
Subcategories:
• font family (options: serif and sans-serif).
• arrangement (options: symmetrical, asymmetrical, and con-
trasting)
• letter type (options: uppercase, lowercase and combination)
Category 2: Logotype
Subcategories
• logotype classification (options: text, symbol, and combina-
tion)
• font family (options: serif, sans-serif, and cursive)
• position (options: top, bottom and centre)
• letter type (uppercase, lowercase and combination)
Category 3: Layout
Subcategories
• colour combinations (options: complementary, analogous,
and monochrome)
• number of colours (options: black and white, 1, 2 and multi-
ple)
• visual elements (options: none, photography, illustration, and
lines)
• function of visual elements (options: explicit, metaphorical
and establish hierarchy)
• shape of the container (options: tube, jar, and bottle)
3.3.4 Development of Artefacts
A range of products (artefacts) has been designed after the results of
the visual analysis have been summed up. The range features the most
prevalent attributes of the graphic design elements studied.
To reach the average number of products the designed range had, the
number of total products studied was divided by the number of ranges
studied. In addition, the way the products in the designed range differ-
entiate themselves within the range resulted from the visual analysis.
The differentiation in colour resulted from assessments of studied
products. The colour choices come as a suggestion (Vaishnavi &
Kuechler, 2004) in order to make the visual elements differ through
the range.
Dalarna University 13 | 45Packaging Design in Ecological Face Creams The fictional company’s name (logotype) has been taken from the website namelix.com, which is a business name generator, by imputing the term “ecological” in the results field. The choice of using this par- ticular website is due to it generating an abstract company name, that did not have variants of the word ecological in it. This kind of company name was preferred as to not tamper with the survey’s results. The products have been designed in Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Pho- toshop. Adobe Photoshop has been used to edit the pictures present on the packages as well as edit the mock-up, which was used through- out the range. The mock-up used is credited to its rightful author, namely rawpixel.com/Freepik, and was free to use and modify for both personal and commercial projects. The mock-up was chosen because of its high resolution, suitable shape (tube) and the non-embellished style which could be easily customizable. The final products had been designed to look uniform in their visual appearance but differ through the design elements found after the visual analysis. The choice of imagery and colours comes from suggestion, and it is meant to represent a natural product, with visual elements that are explanatory in nature. This choice can be further motivated by visually assessing the products studied, which also had their ingredients pre- sented on the packaging. The design process did not strive to innovate and kept to the results of the visual analysis. 3.3.5 Online Survey The result of the visual analysis was presented to respondents through an online survey. The respondents were members of fan clubs of skin- care on the social media platform Facebook. This was relevant to the study because the respondents were a part of the target population (Fogli & Herkenhoff, 2017-2018), which would use these kinds of products. The motivation for using Facebook relates to its vast user base, aiming to get a broader and deeper understanding of the Swedish market. This digital way of conducting a survey typically yields a larger number of responses. The survey aimed for a final sample of at least 30 respondents, which according to Oates (2006) is a produces a sufficient sample size to achieve a reliable statistical analysis. Advantages of conducting a sur- vey-based research include time efficiency and a high amount of data produced in a short amount of time. Due to these factors, a survey was chosen as a research strategy, in order to evaluate the results of the visual analysis. Due to the limited amount of time the research has, and the global restrictions caused by COVID-19, a digital survey was pre- ferred. A questionnaire was utilized within the survey strategy. It consisted of seven questions, with the main goal of establishing if users of cosmetic face creams would perceive the designed range as ecological. This was archived by presenting pictures of the range as well as solus items. Dalarna University 14 | 45
Packaging Design in Ecological Face Creams The three starting questions determined the respondents age and gen- der, as well as if they use skincare products (Appendix 3, Figure 19). Question 4 asked how respondents see the range of products by look- ing at the packaging, with the options being ecological or non-ecologi- cal. This was the underlying goal of the survey research strategy and had to be established early in the survey. Question 5 listed all the individual products, and the respondents were given the option to choose which of the nine products they consider as ecological. The respondents also had the option to choose none of the products. This question aimed to further examine which particular de- sign characteristics were perceived as ecological. Question 6 related to customer perception and regarded how likely it would be for the potential customers to buy any of the products within the range if they were looking for an ecological face cream, only by looking at the packaging design. This question was posed in order to determine how likely it would be that the respondents are potential customers of the designed product. Lastly the respondents were given the option to describe the range through their own descriptors, by looking at the packaging (Question 7). This question aimed to better understand how customers would view the average product range designed. This question was optional in order to simplify the results that the survey strategy generated. 3.4 Data Analysis The data analysis that the research used was using both of quantitative and qualitative nature. According to Oates (2006) a quantitative data analysis occurs when numeric data is involved. A quantitative data analysis was used in the case of the visual analysis that had fixed cate- gories. The visual analysis produced quantitative data that was sum- marized in percentages in order to produce an artefact. The first six questions of the survey also produced quantitative data that was sum- marized in percentages. Qualitative data includes all non-numeric data (Oates, 2006) and was used to establish categories for the visual analysis, as well as in the last question of the survey. Lupton (2011) describes visual research as a speculative and qualitative type of research. Establishing the catego- ries that the visual analysis had involved a qualitative data analysis, where imagery was studied while regarding literature studies. At the same time, the survey’s last question produced data of qualitative na- ture. The respondents were asked to provide their own descriptors for the product range, making the analysis of their answers of qualitative nature. Dalarna University 15 | 45
Packaging Design in Ecological Face Creams 3.5 Method Discussion The design and creation method features an iterative process where an artefact is produced and reviewed by users. As a result of this, the design process is often not concluded after the first result created. The implications of producing an artefact such as the one in this study are that the design will be expanded upon in future iterations, according to feedback. The method of selecting visual analysis categories can also be ex- panded upon with extensive literature research, choosing to focus on one category at a time. Consequently, a more accurate product can be designed. The shape of the container was considered of significance when establishing other graphic design elements. Therefore, different container shapes should be analysed separately in future studies. The choice of conducting an online survey is a fast and effective one, as well as it being relevant to the popularity of online shopping. With that in mind, some customers may prefer to experience a product di- rectly, with all their senses. A packaging could be perceived differently when the sense of touch or direct sight are involved. The respondents’ inclinations are also important and future studies could consider stricter selections of potential customers, for example individuals that purchase ecological skincare exclusively. 3.5.1 Ethical Implications The rights of the people directly involved in the research were re- garded in the study. This was concerning the survey participants (re- spondents) that according to Oates (2006) had the following rights: right not to participate, right to withdraw, right to give informed con- sent, right to anonymity and right to confidentiality. Although they were asked to, the respondents were not obligated to participate in the survey. At the same time, they had the right to with- draw at any moment during the survey. However, these rights may have been unknown to the participants because they were not in- formed of them. This could imply that the respondents felt compelled to answer, even if they did not intend to. Future studies aim to inform respondents of these rights in writing. The respondents were informed of the purpose of the research, as well as given information about who was undertaking the research, thus respecting their right to give informed consent. The study aimed to respect the respondents’ right to anonymity. How- ever, data was gathered on the respondents’ age and gender, which could be considered intrusive. This circumstance could have been omitted because to study did not aim to discover personal information about the respondents. Although this data was collected, the respond- ents were not identifiable and can be considered anonymous. Dalarna University 16 | 45
Packaging Design in Ecological Face Creams The respondents were informed that the data would be used in a study at Dalarna University, thus not being confidential. They were also in- formed that the data would be used only for scientific purposes and not shared with any other organisations or individuals. Within the design and creation strategy imagery of product packaging was studied in order to design an artefact. This imagery was however not distributed or reproduced in any form. Although the artefact produced was an average of all the packaging studied, it cannot be associated with plagiarism because it does not look identical to any of the packaging studied. Dalarna University 17 | 45
Packaging Design in Ecological Face Creams 4 Results The results of the data collection are presented, followed by the results of the visual analysis. These results are later evaluated through an online survey. 4.1 Data collection The results of the first data collection from the website jordklok.se re- vealed nine product ranges from nine distinct brands (Appendix 1). Upon first examination it was established that these product ranges are similar in their packaging appearance but differentiate themselves through one or more attributes. Because of this, it was determined that most products are a part of a range. In terms of solus items, only two of them could be found on the website jordklok.se, making the preva- lence of solus products 1.6% and items a part of a range 98.4%. Be- cause of the minority of the solus products, they have been disre- garded from the study completely, resulting in the total amount of products studied being 78. The certifications that were studied on the website jordklok.se resulted in being “NaTrue” and “EcoCert”. The ranges studied from the website jordklok.se were as following: Avril, Dr. Hauschka, Eco Cosmetics, Lavera, Mádara, Mossa, Nonique, Urtekram and Weleda (Appendix 1, Figures 4 through 12). 4.2 Visual Analysis The results of the visual analysis are grouped into three categories: ty- pography, logotype, and layout. Furthermore, the results are pre- sented firstly at range level and secondly at product level. At range level, one or multiple options for the respective subcategory are listed. This shows how products within a range may differentiate themselves from each other. At the product level, each product is eval- uated and the results for each subcategory are listed in percentages. Studying the products with two levels entails being able to design a range that has similar design characteristics that are quantifiable, as well as being able to differentiate the products within the range with one or more design elements. The only exception the visual analysis makes from studying the design elements from a 2-level perspective is the logotype. In this case, the logotype stays the same throughout the ranges. 4.2.1 Typography The results for the typography portion of design elements are illus- trated in Table 1. They refer to the organic face creams on the website jordklok.se, as grouped in ranges. The results aim to reveal how prod- ucts into ranges differentiate from each other, within their respective range. The ranges were considered to be the entirety of the brand with the selected certifications on the website jordklok.se. From Table 1 it is observed that none of the ranges differ in font family, it being sans- serif all throughout. Dalarna University 18 | 45
Packaging Design in Ecological Face Creams
Range (brand name) Font family Arrangement Letter type
Avril Sans-serif Asymmetrical Combination
Dr. Hauschka Sans-serif Asymmetrical Combination
Eco Cosmetics Sans-serif Contrasting Combination
Contrasting
Combination
Lavera Sans-serif Symmetrical
Uppercase
Asymmetrical
Combination
Mádara Sans-serif Symmetrical
Uppercase
Mossa Sans-serif Symmetrical Uppercase
Nonique Sans-serif Symmetrical Combination
Urtekram Sans-serif Symmetrical Combination
Symmetrical
Weleda Sans-serif Asymmetrical Combination
Contrasting
Table 1. – Typography Elements of Organic Face Cream Packaging, Grouped by
Range
Two of the ranges had packaging that differs in the way the typography
is arranged. The Lavera range had all of the typography arrangements
choices: symmetrical, asymmetrical, and contrasting. The symmetrical
arrangement was present solely on the lids of the Lavera range pack-
aging (the only two of such packaging studied). Weleda also had all the
types of typography arrangements mentioned within its range. Of the
18 products the Weleda range had, three had symmetrical arrange-
ment and three had asymmetrical arrangement.
The Lavera range used both a combination lettering (uppercase and
lowercase) and solely uppercase lettering. This was present on the
front side of five out of the six jar containers the Lavera range has on
the website studied. The Mádara range differed in letter type having
one product in uppercase lettering and the rest (two) with a combina-
tion lettering.
The results from Table 2 illustrate the typography attributes of all
products in percentages. The purpose of this is finding out the most
prevalent characteristics of organic face cream packaging, when in-
volving typography.
Dalarna University 19 | 45Packaging Design in Ecological Face Creams
Font family Arrangement Letter type
Sans-serif Contrasting Combination
100% 38.5% 80.8%
Serif Asymmetrical Uppercase
0% 32% 19.2%
Symmetrical Lowercase
29.5% 0%
Table 2. Typography Elements of Organic Face Cream Packaging in Percentages
The typography in the 78 products studied was found to be entirely
made out of sans-serif fonts. This excludes the typography used in the
logotype.
An arrangement was considered contrasting when the typography dif-
fered in both size and colour and was not arranged symmetrically
around a vertical axis (Appendix 2, Figure 14). Additionally, all the ty-
pography present on the visible part of the primary packaging was
studied including the logotype and footnotes. Most of the packaging
studied had contrasting typographic arrangement, with a presence of
38.5%. Asymmetrical typographical arrangements had also a signifi-
cant presence totalling at 32% of packaging studied. Most of the asym-
metrical arrangement was observed on the Avril and Dr Hauschka
ranges, with the entirety of their products (13, respectively seven)
having this attribute. Two other ranges included products with asym-
metrical arrangement: Lavera and Weleda. The symmetrical arrange-
ment types (around a vertical axis) were the least predominant
(29.5%). Products that have contributed to this number (29.5%) are
as follows: Mádara (three), Mossa (nine), Nonique (three) and
Urtekram (three). Moreover, three products from the Weleda range
had a symmetrical arrangement.
The letter type subcategory also did not include the lettering of the
logotype. The letter type was found to be mainly a combination of up-
percase and lowercase with a percentage of 80.8. The rest of the let-
tering (19.2%) was uppercase most notably in the entirety of the
Mossa products (nine). One of the Mádara products also had upper-
case lettering in its typography, as well as five of the Lavera products.
4.2.2 Logotype
In the case of logotype there were no significant differentiations when
it comes to ranges. Certain differentiation occurred in the position of
the logotype (Table 3).
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