Going Easy On the Styling
When it comes to packing electronic goods, “simplicity is the ultimate sophistication,” said Jobs. We agree.
Continuing with our series on creative product packaging, this blog’s focus is on electronic goods.
And what’s the first name that strikes to mind in this category?
Steve Jobs, of course.
The other day, I bought a new case for my iPhone. The box that it came in is already dumped in the trash. But the original iPhone case from Apple, a little frayed at the edges, is still with me and will always remain.
That’s the story and lesson in Apple packaging.
It looks so sexy, it appears worthy of the product, and for that simple reason, worthy of holding onto for donkey’s years.
Distinctive, clean and friendly – that’s the hallmark of a good product design for an electronic good. It should look uncluttered and must never attempt to deviate attention away from what lies inside. At the same time, it has to look classy to remain a keepsake.
“It takes a lot of hard work,” Jobs said, “to make something simple, to truly understand the underlying challenges and come up with elegant solutions,” declared Jobs. Apple’s first brochure in 1977 said it best, “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.”
“What we’re going to do is make the products high-tech, and we’re going to package them cleanly so that you know they’re high-tech. We will fit them in a small package, and then we can make them beautiful and white, just like Braun does with its electronics.”
Jobs repeatedly emphasized that Apple’s mantra would be simplicity. “We will make them bright and pure and honest about being high-tech, rather than giving a heavy industrial look of black, black, black, black, like Sony,” he had caustically said about the Japanese conglomerate that dominated the electronic goods market at that time.
Apple in contrast has always taken its package design very seriously. Anyone who has ever unpacked an Apple product would vouch for it. Indeed it appears that for Apple, packaging is more important than the product because it holds a promise of what lies inside. It’s important to build you that kind of excitement in a consumer, who has just had his card swiped for a premium price that he is shelling out for an Apple product. The Indian packaging industry falls way behind in comparison. Although growing at 11% per annum and expected to do a turnover of $21.59bn by 2015, we come at the 11th position in the world packaging industry, which is $550-billion, and which is fast reinventing itself with new technologies. The most visible aspect of an electronic good is its packaging form. If you don’t use technology to improve the look and feel of a hi-tech, where would you use it instead?
In addition, electrical Items by design are fragile and expensive. They should be packaged with care for rough carriage during doorstep deliveries.
Got more ideas to share on the packaging of electronic goods?
Share them with us. We are eager to hear back from you.