IKEA recently changed the font they use in all of their marketing and packaging to great uproar among their loyal customers, and certainly within the design community. The reason for such a demonstrative reaction to this seemingly insignificant adjustment is clearly based on people's strong (and often subconscious) emotional responses to the way companies communicate their brand message. Packaging is one of the most important brand elements that companies use to connect with their customers and, while many people speak about appealing to consumers on an emotional level through packaging, few know how to accomplish this or how to evaluate their own design work in relation to complex emotional states.
Sean O'Connor, Global Director of Client Services at Smart Design, will deliver valuable insight and information to those who leverage brand equity via packaging when he presents his popular talk, Making Emotional Connections with Package Design, as part of GBG's 4th Packaging Forum taking place at the Crown Plaza Amsterdam on October 15th at 14:30.
O'Connor explains, "We know emotions drive action, but in order to design effective packaging that connects with people we need to understand where our cognitive reasoning comes from. Then we can progress to how that effects our interactions with graphic design, forms, and shapes."
He will review iconic packaging from across categories and geographies and illustrate how today's design principles can be measured for desired emotional responses, including examples from recent work with Coca Cola and Microsoft.
With a 30-year history of creating design for people, Smart Design has built an expertise in the area of Understanding Emotions. With an emphasis on uncovering strategic insights and design-actionable opportunities, Smart Design is a global innovation leader working in a wide range of industries and sectors, for clients as diverse as OXO, HP, UCB, Cardinal Health, Groupe SEB, Johnson & Johnson, and Ford Motors.
Sean O'Connor is the Global Director of Client Services at Smart Design, a global design consultancy. He is a highly accomplished consultant with 15 years of experience in developing branding and innovation platforms while managing complex design projects for companies in the United States and Europe. Sean is responsible for global business development, working with our client partners to realize the power of design and championing it throughout their organizations.