All about map mashups and local content.
Geography is about everything that is (literally) close to consumers, and it’s a universally familiar method of organizing, finding and tracking relevant information on objects, events and people. We’re getting close to the “Local Wide Web“. Maps are an intrinsic part of local search.


Made-in-SF Laptop Messenger wrapped in a San Francisco street map. It doesn’t get more local than this.

Those of us who are Apple people know that when we purchase an Apple product the brand starts in the packaging.
John Silva with DuPuis says:
“There is an art to delighting consumers that goes beyond calculation and measurement. It’s often an intangible nuance through visual language and smart risk-taking that separates the wall-flowers from the heroes.”
Designers that weave marketing science into their art and marketers that allow art to express personality in seemingly abstract ways are mustering to the call.

Great concept by Seitz
Coleman Kids Promotional piece designed to encourage family bonding through camping. Based on campfire activities, and are housed within an over size matchbox. Owl lantern, bear, eating s’mores, bird… harmonica and fire fox for fire starters…

While a brand is more than a package, for most consumer packaged goods the packaging is the purest expression of the brand and often the first opportunity to project its value and tone. Packaging now protects, informs, differentiates, delights and entertains.


Developing great branding and packaging requires consumer insights and a keen awareness of their need-states, combined with visionary instinct and bold creativity.

Illustrator Hiroko Sanders created the illustrations for the new Kleenex “Perfect Slice of Summer” tissue box series. Since the illustrations are the primary part of each carton, the challenge was to create artwork utilizing a style that embodies the spirit of summer, and that works uniquely with the carton design. 

A cool concept created by Antrepo Design, D size battery S&P shaker. These are the last members of “the I’m not product series”.

Strong visibility and passion are the dictating themes in logo trends.
2009 trends usher in something new, something experimental, something outrageous.


‘09 is proving to be a very interesting year, design-wise with effective and strong concept based logos. We’re witnessing a fading out of minimalism, and this is paving the way for spectacular remixes to take over.

We’re also going to see a few designers becoming far more aware and sensitive to design history movements and styles than they were in previous years. They are discovering ways to make logos reflect their roots. To stand out, and be refreshingly different and bold– that’s the message we’re getting from today’s logos.

Here are some direction examples to serve as traction in moving you forward in identity design:

Words:

Type and text is clearly more critical. Words carry a more concise message. They convey specific rather than generic information. People are busy; money is tight. Logos must be interpreted, and interpretation takes time. Words deliver their message immediately.

Increased Chroma:


Logos have a vibrancy of color and energy that in past years might have not been considered proper corporate behavior. They are setting a very optimistic course. Everywhere, there is a bold use of hue, even in the most unexpected places, such as in the identities of very large and conservative clients.

Apps:


There’s a very small item on the horizon that may has gigantic effect on logo design. When Google introduced its new favicon at the start of 2009, it was a very visible reminder of how powerful that tiny piece of real estate really is. The favicon may turn out to be a measuring stick against which the success of any new logo design might be measured - as in, can this logo be made to fit in a 15 x 15-pixel square?

Speedy reflection and the blending of elements:

Economies, governments, and individuals continue to call for “greater transparency” in society. Though this is not a literal request for visual transparency, for several years, designers have taken liberties with the concept to deliver metaphoric solutions that consumers understand.

Depicting motion in sequential steps combined with transparency is the latest iteration to branch out from this trend family .The introduction of sequential color steps help to further define the concept by demonstrating movement: time passage through seasons, temperature shifts, or just a rainbow-colored transition that demonstrates order and harmony, not chaos.

Mosaic:

These logos look like a roomful of diverse pixels pushed together to make a visual shape.

Shaped:

The symbolic texture of these logos does not let consumer’s vision wander. Often illustrated with a unique visual message that gives context and dimension to the shape.

Typographic:


A logo seems to be incomplete without a good type face, the “Nike” logo is exceptional. An excellent logo emerges when text and icon are packed up in a strong way.

A particular style can’t emerge and expect to stay at the top indefinitely. Developments in logo design indicate that these trends have a short lifespan, going through a “now-you-see-it now-you-don’t” kind of roller coaster. Consumers react to the messages they hear via the media and then make “educated” decisions on how they should react which obviously effects how designers work and operate. As designers we must allow for these new considerations and this is where the so called trend comes in.
Inspiration Link
LogoLounge

Since the early days of the Jackson Five, Michael Jackson has set himself apart from every other musical artist with his tremendous talent, but also utterly unique sense of style. Each decade of his career provides a host of incredibly creative design elements.
These were my favorites:

Traditionally, green was synonymous with dowdy/crunchy. Over the last decade, however, environmentalism has slowly shifted from fringe to fact-of-life, the definition of “green” has morphed into a hip, educated social identity, and a strong public relations tool.


The new green products are design driven, with as much visual appeal as their more traditional counterparts.

What about Online/Web Green?
Good green web design is a balancing act. As more designer labels promote the green benefits of their products, web designers will need to skillfully marry diverse marketing objectives for the new green market.
How can web design best meet the marketing needs of the new, design oriented green market? A few ideas…

Use Texture.

Web design can often feel sterile and harsh. Texture adds warmth and personality to the web design. It suggests a tactile quality and depth seen in recycled papers. The key is not going overboard with the use of this design element. The subtlety conveys just the right amount of texture without robbing the web pages of style.

Use Nature.

Nature has always been a source of inspiration for the design of the human environment, but in recent years this relationship has grown even more intense.”Nature as model” has influenced the most diverse possible concepts and developmental processes and is revealed in a large spectrum of forms and functions. Nature Design brings together projects and objects from design, architecture, landscape architecture, photography, and art that have been inspired by nature to develop complex and innovative works.
Typical web design color palettes are often over saturated and cold. Chose colors that mimic what is seen in nature.
And monochromatic colors that fade into the background, providing an elegant and quiet backdrop for the product. Warm colors that engage the eye and heart.
Some fresh examples:



Trend observations and analysis by industry, demographic and theme. The changes you want to know about!
Are you looking for inspiration for your business? A dynamic source of creative stimulation?
We have a unique combination of market expertise and trend literacy, designed to provide you with an informed view of the implications of change for your customer or brand.


Understand the trends impacting behavior, culture and society.

No matter what your business need – product innovation, strategic planning, brand and category management, or simply new creative idea generation.
Maverick Dean Creative - What’s Next inspiration, ideas and application.

Having a plan of attack to address multiple consumer touch points.

In researching and planning a PR strategy, designing or promoting a new product, consider input and exposure from multiple viewpoints.

If you really want to get an idea of how your product will be perceived or used by a wide group of consumers in diverse venues and situations; pitch, position and package it multiple times, from the viewpoint of a different audience each time.

Provide them with the same general information, benefits, features, but take careful note of how they interpret and react to it differently. This can tell you more about the product/service than you thought you knew in addition to providing you with an idea of the most effective way to market/promote it.

New products contain complex interrelated functions for multiple consumer demographics thereby creating uncertainties about precisely which solution path to take. Optimal positioning can often not be anticipated beforehand.

There’s no room in the marketplace for all things and all people, so you need to figure out how to be something to somebody.  At the get-go in planning, narrow your audience and be unique, you need to embrace the niche and the out of the ordinary.

It is important to have a plan of attack and address each touch point, whether it’s gender, generation or geography.

Let’s take the kitchen. One place for everyone, or is it? The average American spends three to four hours in the kitchen each day. But various groups view and use the kitchen very differently, in food prep, for gaming and crafting, or simply entertaining.

Even if you are selling one product, you need to think about the entire kitchen experience and how this impacts the way you segment and cross-sell and promote your merchandise in multiple ways.

As consumer groups view the kitchen differently, OEMs will increasingly take the different generational attitudes into consideration when designing and marketing their products.

The Gen Y group is completely connected and wired all day. Most rent, are still in school, or are just entering the workforce.

GenX is typically raising a family, so the kitchen is a family communications hub for them. It involves creating shared experiences and enjoying life’s simpler pleasures. This is a new generation of cooking enthusiasts, and “gastrosexuals” a breed of men who consider cooking cool and use it to impress friends.

Baby boomers are either entering the empty-nester phase or are experiencing children and/or parents moving back in with them. This group is going to need to work longer than planned, but with an overall commitment to wellbeing. They are still the highest group of disc
retionary income for housewares. Their kitchen is about rejuvenation. Where is your product positioned in that mindset, in this environment?

Prime timers are concerned with safe aging-in-place. They want to grow old where they are, they are inventing themselves, their focus is on ergonomics and intuitive design. Help these consumers save money and offer options that make home food prep easier. Products like pressure cookers, slow cookers, airtight storage and canning products are gaining in popularity and are helping people to live within their means.

For big reach, you have to create niche (smaller) marketing tactics that provide inspiration, excitement and education, like Try Me’s, POP displays, in store demos, and newsletters…that respects the consumer divide.

Whether you are a retailer or manufacturer, you have to show that you understand the specific enthusiast.

 

So much new technology on the horizon!
I’ll be capturing my “fast finds” in this blog…
Here’s a new one out in market today…Inhaled Chocolate. A new inhaler concept named Le Whif is a revolutionary gastronomic gadget developed by scientists, allowing chocoholics to enjoy all the treats they can handle for zero calories.
A chocoholic’s dream!

The device lets users breathe in chocolate to curb cravings and satisfy their sweet tooth. Invented by Harvard professor David Edwards, he is launching four different flavors: raspberry, mint, mango and plain. Edwards worked with his students at Harvard University to develop the product and said he was inspired by thinking beyond normal ways of eating food and into the future.

He says: ”We’ve been eating smaller quantities at shorter and shorter intervals. Eating was tending toward breathing, so, with a mix of culinary art and aerosol science, we’ve helped move eating habits to their logical conclusion. We call it whiffing.” It fills your mouth with almost pure chocolate - it tastes really good. It’s zero calorie, so could also be used as the new diet tool.

Inhaling chocolate flavor is only the beginning – where will this innovation go next?
Consider the sense of smell. When was the last time you actually stopped and smelt flowers, took a deep breath of sea air or let your nose flirt with freshly baked bread? The sense of smell is one of the most powerful and advanced forms of human interaction with our surroundings, but one that has very often been overlooked as a medium of communication.

According to research by Millward Brown, it is estimated that by the end of 2009 over 35% of Fortune 500 companies will adopt the concept of sensory branding. Of the five senses, the sense of smell is by far the most powerful yet also the most underexploited medium through which to connect brand and consumer.

Defining brands through scent.

Keep up with Color!
Essential color moods identifying cultural and lifestyle trends with global relevance. Strategic inspiration, interpretation and adaptation for color in product, packaging, and finishes.
This report includes eight directional color Springboard Themes for 2010.
They are the result of much observation and research of our surrounding natural world as well as the influences that will impact our world in the future. The research includes deep dives into technology, lifestyle and entertainment, and most importantly, the needs, moods, and aspirations of consumers. A guide, a tool, an inspiration and some answers for marketers, retailers, manufacturers seeking insight.
To order report: tamora@maverick-dean.com
It is customizable for your product and consumer sector.

Sample/Excerpt 2010 Springboard Theme: Open-Eye

The continuing concern for natural resource management - the need to preserve and reserve - remains of utmost importance in the minds of many. The Earth inspires products and lifestyles with new levels of  sensory appeal. Green concepts permeate our lives – organics, sustainability, hybrids, and new forms of energy.  Our open eye resourcefulness calls not only for the thoughtful use of materials, but the need for originality in reconstructing and redefining products that are both stylish and sustainable.

The colors found in the Open Eye palette, such as Sequoia, Golden Ochre and Aqua Sky, speak of earth and sky, while vibrant Tigerlily and Deep Raspberry Orchid add a unique, distinctive and deep organic presence to the mix.

Materials, textures, finishes are Sensual, Iridescent, Refreshing  and Biodiverse.

Embracing Gaia - It’s about relaxing and strongly connecting with nature.

Reflection - The transparency, of liquid blue, suggestive of water and how it reflects the sun’s rays.

Touch - Inclusions that feel natural, linked to recycling, reusing, reinventing. 

-There’s this whole movement about bringing back nature into the concrete jungles we’ve built in the past 100 years
but this is probably the most direct yet indirect way of doing it.

-Aquapax, one of the purest natural mineral waters on the planet. Packaged inside a beautiful carton that’s mostly made of wood, a natural and renewable resource.

-The Ply Laptop Case formed from two panels of plywood which slide along one another to encase the laptop computer, lined with cork to provide additional heat resistance and protection.

-HP-Touchsmart-TX2-Laptop,
the computer is personal again.

-Even Birds Are Going Green-Solar Birdhouse has a solar panel that charges a small battery. At sunset a sensor turns on the illuminated perch, creating a whimsical glow in your garden and hopefully makes it easier for your birdies to get home.

-Thievery Corporation: Radio Retaliation-given the state of the industry, designing for the music business poses a challenge for designers to think outside the box. The innovative and eco-friendly packaging has no gatefold, no digipak, or even a foamy nub to attach the disc to. Instead, a thickly folded poster of liner notes and nestled  inside those folds you’ll find the compact disc.

-Newton Running-
environmentally friendly packaging for Newton Running by TDA Advertising and Design.

-Urban Quad Bike
-
new way of urban transport to reduce pollution and congestion. Electrical vehicle is based on a standard quad bike chassis.

Understanding people’s desire so you can intersect it.
Understanding people’s influence so you can leverage it.
Consumers are far more sophisticated now and they are looking for something they can relate to. Recently, a few marketers have begun to realize that they will lose the consumer’s attention if they continue attempts to “shout” over competing brands. Today’s consumers are savvier than ever. They can see right through yesterday’s marketing keywords such as “new” and “improved,” and they are searching for meaningful brand connections.

In this economy, it’s about toning down the “noise” in today’s crowded retail space and standing for value in the consumer’s mind. It’s about understanding that the complete package with a sensory experience, will contribute to a brand identity that stands out in a crowded marketplace.

Value isn’t just about price. In fact, battling competitors in a price war to achieve the lowest price is the road to eroding brand value with consumers. Other brand assets should be leveraged to create value. For example packaging that is so well-designed, consumers want to interact with the brand it represents over and over again.  Rather than containing mundane products they need to use, consumer packaging can deliver something so extraordinary, it adds enjoyment and pleasure—thus a value-added perception–to everyday items.
Is your company packaging experience?
Rethinking package design can lead to an all-important second moment of truth (SMOT) with consumers. Adding a new aesthetic to functionality can accomplish that.

-This creamer package embodies function, pleasure and style. Consumers say they often are performing another task simultaneously while preparing coffee, but many creamer packages make it difficult for them to multi-task. Product Ventures collaborated with WhiteWave on the research and created a more European-like, ergonomic new bottle with flip-top cap design, while also retaining the brand’s message of continued pleasurable and enjoyable brand experience, making consumers feel pampered during the coffee making ritual.
Effective design communication can “trigger” a bundle of emotions and positive attitudes that increase the likelihood of consumer purchases. Some examples:

-New product from a SONIC and Microsoft collaboration.
Computer mice are typically packaged in a clear shell following the contour of the product like a second skin, allowing user not only to visually inspect the product from multiple angles, but also to check if the ergonomics of a particular mouse shape works for them. There are many advantages making a product accessible to our five senses. It is part of human nature not only to look at objects of interest, but also to hear, touch, smell, and eventually to taste them.
To experience something untouchable on the other hand leaves room for our imagination; it triggers curiosity and desire. Out of reach, it can elevate the value perception and emphasizes on the emotional and inspirational benefits of a product. SONIC developed a package that intentionally separates the merchandise from the outside world. Unlike any other product in this category, the mouse is placed sideways highlighting the innovative folding mechanism and beautiful product profile. Positioned as a lifestyle product and catered to a hip and fashion conscious target audience the mouse is featured completely intangibly in a clear-folded plastic box to convey the premium nature of the product.
-This Shiseido bottle may look like a beauty product or a sophisticated skin cosmetic, but a closer look at the inside proves you wrong.
Those are hexagonal pills! The bottle refers to water and earth, with the green and blue colors. The underlying concept behind this new brand of supplementary health tablets from the Japanese cosmetics company is the belief that from good health and well being flows true beauty. The product is made using grasses found growing on high cliff-tops by the sea in eastern Japan. The designer refrains from plastering the design with obvious health-evoking imagery and instead attempts to subtly point to the water, temperatures and environment.

Identify Touch-Points and Emotional-Triggers. It’s tempting to jump right into its aesthetics. What should first be considered, however, is how you can cultivate the creation of moments of engagement between the consumer and the brand, and the emotions and associations these moments foster.

With the shift in consumer and market behavior that will drive packaging trends, what can we expect to see in 2010 and beyond?

-Multiple-Solutions Design:

Companies are turning to design to address the economic reality as well as new consumer sensibilities. Innovative packaging is one means of combating the high cost of resources and delivering products more efficiently. (For example Walmart’s redesigned milk container has reduced shipping labor by 50 percent and water usage by 60 to 70 percent. The new packaging enables Walmart to stock 224 containers in a space that used to hold 80!)

Too much category packaging looks similar, so how about investing in structural packaging? Structural packaging is a standout; new innovations and unique package structures become easy brand identifiers over time, and strong differentiators on the retail shelf. A structurally distinguished package also can refer back to the brand in a decisive manner.

-Lotus Splendour Lancome’s extraordinary launch this February. The lotus head packaging splits open to reveal three petals containing lip and eye products and a mini mirror, each leaf hinges & clicks back neatly and seamlessly into the weighted base by using hidden magnetic closures.
-
Estuche Grand Class, best carton award/confectionery.

-Heightened Point of Difference:
Eye-popping new graphics and visuals also might be considered. Some of the world’s most visible and celebrated brands benefit from new graphic architecture. Remember Pepsi-Cola’s pop art bottles last year? And Coca-Cola’s this year? Established brands can become tired, and nothing generates new excitement for products like engaging, daring new packaging that plays into today’s cultural values.
Employ bold design to showcase valuable differentiation and communicate a proactive message to the marketplace. Now is the time to take a deep breath, be brave and unleash hi-visible design with a clear point of difference.

The trend is toward less cluttered but more compelling graphics and clear copy.

-Ultra-stylish ‘Mockingbird’ beer bottles. They are the kind of bottles you want to be seen drinking from and not pouring the brew into a glass. Gorgeous, pearl-clad women holding birds, legs, and female silhouettes adorn the bottles. Under the cap of each are fun little quotes like, “Birds of a feather rock together” and “it’s good to be a little bit crazy.”

-Cheetos goes big time. Building on its track record as the most mischievous and playful snack brand in the world - not to mention a rich history of cheesiness - Frito-Lay’s Cheetos brand just announced one of the BIGGEST innovations to ever come out of the snack food industry - Giant Cheetos snacks.

Green With A Twist:
Approach sustainability with a healthy dose of perspective. Many companies are asking if sustainability will lose relevance in the current economic climate. Research says that it is more important than ever before. With all things being equal – price, efficacy, quality – a green benefit can be the tiebreaker. Consumers reveal that consciousness may also be inspired by a sense of hope for the future, and a desire to do and to feel good.
Most Americans don’t understand companies’ green claims. Even though consumer desire is increasing to live more sustainably, they are confused and looking to companies to provide a laser-focused direction on how their products and services will help them do that.
The food and beverage category is central to perceptions of sustainability. Consumers view the category as salient to all zones of sustainability and make direct connections between food and the earth.

Consumers are also looking for personal benefits in green products. Think about green where design, lifestyle and packaging meet.

-Pangea Organics, glueless carton packaging innovation.
-New eco-friendly mascara from Physician’s Formula.
-Trek Wine Karafe, reusable aluminum bottle.


-Treepac, a new design concept for solving the problem of single use shipping and mailing packages as a reusable container intended to replace cardboard boxes.
-Xooma X20, water enhancement product in packets, with BPA-Free reusable water bottles.

Being green is becoming a key factor in the way consumers view companies and each other. Even consumers who aren’t green or still confused, are getting pressure from their children, parents, friends and peers at work…green is a huge power.

There is a need for a company to be legitimate with its green claims. Consumers are asking for green, but the reality is that even with a lot of misinformation, these very connected consumers will call you out on false claims.

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