PACKAGING & MERCHANDISING DESIGN - EXERCISE 1
However, not all products have successful packaging design. Some products may have poor usability, unattractive appearance, weak branding, or outdated styles. These issues may reduce the value of the product even if the product itself is good.
This report analyzes four different products: bottle, box, tube, and can packaging. Each product will be evaluated through product analysis, market research, and competitor analysis.
INSTRUCTIONS
Packaging 1 – Bottle
Overview
Product name : Oxeagle 1100 Calorie Burner
Category : weight management / calorie control dietary supplement
Product analysis
From a functional perspective, the bottle uses a standard plastic medicine bottle, but the cap lacks a child-resistant lock or tamper-evident seal, posing a potential risk for children in households. The label is made of ordinary self-adhesive paper, which tends to curl and peel off after prolonged use or storage in humid environments (e.g., bathrooms), leading to loss of important information.
In terms of sustainability, the bottle material has no recycling symbol (e.g., “PP” or “PET”), so consumers cannot correctly sort it for disposal. The outer packaging is an e-commerce shipping box, but there is no biodegradable cushioning material inside, reflecting a lack of environmental awareness.
From a branding and target audience perspective, the packaging mixes Spanish, Chinese, Arabic numerals, and English abbreviations, attempting to create an “international import” image, but actually makes it difficult for domestic consumers to understand real information. The target audience (young women seeking weight loss) is more attracted to simple, warm-toned, emotionally resonant designs, whereas Oxeagle’s dark gold and black appear cold and overly medicinal, clashing with the “light and healthy” tone expected of weight loss products.
Market research
Oxeagle is mainly sold through e-commerce platforms such as Pinduoduo and Taobao, targeting young women in second- and third-tier cities, students, and postpartum mothers. These consumers are typically price-sensitive and easily attracted by slogans like “fast results” and “imported black technology”. However, the current packaging’s design language conflicts significantly with their aesthetic preferences. According to multiple consumer surveys on weight loss products, the target audience prefers soft pastel colours, minimalist layouts, and visually appealing packaging that can be shared on social platforms , rather than the “medicinal” look of black and gold.
Furthermore, the packaging lacks mandatory information such as daily recommended dosage, suitable populations , and unsuitable groups .
Competitor analysis
Other brands : Swisse, WonderLab
Swisse: Uses a matte finish bottle with a large brand logo, bilingual ingredient lists, and a QR code for verification. The packaging highlights trust signals such as “no artificial colours” and “vegan-friendly”, with a moisture-proof seal and child-resistant cap.
WonderLab: Uses individual small bottles (similar to perfume samples), each containing a single dose. Bright colours (pink, blue, purple) and a tear-off sharing card on the outer box are highly compatible with social media sharing. The design revolves entirely around “looking good in photos and easy to share”, precisely hitting the psychology of young women.
In contrast, Oxeagle’s packaging has neither Swisse’s professional trustworthiness, nor WonderLab’s social-media-friendly aesthetics, nor Now Foods’ transparency and honesty. Its design sits in an awkward middle ground: it tries to imitate high-end imported skincare but executes poorly; it wants to attract young people but uses cold colours and stiff terminology. The industry trend shows that weight-loss supplement packaging is moving toward two extremes: extreme professionalism (pharmacy-level trust) or extreme social appeal (appearance is everything). Oxeagle achieves neither and is therefore completely outcompeted.
Packaging 2 – Tube
Overview
Product name: Mentholatum Lip Gel
Category: Lip care / cosmetic
Product Analysis
The tube packaging is designed for direct application, making it convenient and hygienic as a primary (Level 1) packaging. However, despite its functional usability, the visual and informational design shows several weaknesses.
Firstly, the aesthetic is overly minimal to the point of being unclear. The dark green color with limited contrast makes it difficult to distinguish key information such as benefits or ingredients. The typography lacks hierarchy, with the brand name dominating while functional information is small and less readable.
Secondly, the information layout is poorly prioritized. Important details such as product benefits (“lip protectant”) and usage are placed on the back in small font, making them easy to overlook during purchase decisions.
Lastly, the design does not strongly communicate differentiation (e.g., flavor, effect, or variation), which reduces product appeal in a competitive cosmetic market.
Market Research
The product targets mass consumers, especially students and young adults looking for affordable lip care. In this segment, consumers prefer:
- Clear benefits (hydrating, repairing, SPF, etc.)
- Attractive or trendy design
- Flavor or variant differentiation
However, this packaging appears too clinical and outdated, which may appeal to older users but fails to attract younger consumers who prioritize aesthetics and lifestyle branding.
Competitor Analysis
Other brands : Carmex，Blistex
Carmex: Iconic yellow flat tube with strong yellow-and-white contrast, achieving extremely high brand recognition. The tube carries minimal text, highlighting only the brand name and function. In contrast, Mentholatum's Lip Gel tube is text-dense and lacks this symbolic shelf advantage.
Blistex: Blue-and-white colour scheme with large typography emphasising keywords such as “Medicated” and “Moisturizing”, creating a clear visual hierarchy. Consumers immediately grasp the key selling points. Mentholatum's layout is too evenly distributed, with efficacy claims buried in long sentences.
Packaging 3 – Box
Overview
Product name: Beryl's Strawberry Chocolate
Category: Snack / chocolate
Product Analysis
The box functions as secondary packaging (Level 2), intended to organize and protect the chocolate. However, beyond visual issues, a major weakness lies in its poor functionality after opening.
Firstly, the packaging lacks a proper resealable mechanism. Once opened, the box cannot be securely closed again, which compromises product freshness and hygiene. This is especially problematic for chocolate products, as they are often consumed over multiple sittings. The inability to reseal reduces convenience and negatively impacts user experience.
Secondly, the structural design does not support storage practicality. The open flap becomes loose after first use, making it unsuitable for carrying or storing in bags without risk of spilling or contamination.
In addition, the visual composition remains cluttered, with multiple elements (strawberries, green tea, leaves) competing for attention. The color palette also lacks contrast, reducing readability, while the branding does not stand out strongly enough to create a memorable identity.
Market Research
Chocolate consumers are highly influenced by:
- Premium feel
- Clear flavor communication
- Gift-worthy appearance
However, this packaging looks mid-range and slightly outdated, lacking the premium or trendy appeal expected in modern snack markets.
Competitor Analysis
Royce’ ：adopts a minimalist and premium packaging design, typically using solid colors (e.g., deep brown, navy, white) combined with clean typography.
- Strong brand visibility through centered logo placement
- Excellent visual hierarchy (brand first, product second, details last)
- High-end color palette that conveys luxury and quality
- Clean layout that avoids clutter and enhances readability
- Box structure that is easy to open and reclose, improving usability
This creates a sense of exclusivity, trust, and gift value, which is highly important in chocolate packaging.
Meiji ：focuses on clarity and strong shelf impact, using bold colors and simple compositions.
- High color contrast (e.g., red, brown, white) for visibility
- Clear product imagery that communicates flavor instantly
- Strong brand recognition through consistent logo placement
- Simple and structured layout for quick understanding
- Functional box design that is compact and easy to store
This makes the product highly accessible, recognizable, and consumer-friendly.
Packaging 4 – Can
Overview
Product name: Pocari Sweat
Category: Beverage
Product Analysis
The aluminum can functions as primary packaging, ensuring portability and preservation. While the design is recognizable, it presents some weaknesses.
Firstly, the layout is overly simplistic, with large typography dominating the surface but lacking supporting visual elements.
Secondly, the brand repetition and vertical text orientation reduce readability when viewed from different angles.
Thirdly, the design does not clearly communicate flavor, benefits, or differentiation, making it less informative compared to modern beverage packaging.
Market Research
The drink targets active individuals and young consumers, especially those seeking hydration after sports.
Modern consumers expect:
- Functional clarity (electrolytes, energy, etc.)
- Trendy and dynamic visuals
- Lifestyle branding
However, this packaging appears too basic, lacking emotional engagement.
Competitor Analysis
Coca-Cola uses a highly recognizable red color and iconic logo to create strong brand identity and shelf impact. The design is simple and consistent, allowing consumers to instantly identify the product from a distance. The typography is clear and bold, ensuring readability even on a curved can surface. In addition, the can design is practical, lightweight, and easy to hold, enhancing overall usability and consumer experience.
Pepsi adopts a modern and dynamic design using blue as its primary color, creating a refreshing and youthful image. The logo is clearly visible and well-positioned, helping consumers quickly recognize the brand. The layout is clean, with minimal unnecessary elements, ensuring clarity of information. The can structure is also ergonomic and convenient for storage and consumption, making it suitable for everyday use.
Week 1
- General Feedback：The first week focused on understanding the course direction and upcoming assignments. The lecturer introduced the Packaging Design Analysis task and explained how packaging should be examined from both visual and functional perspectives.
- Specific Feedback：We were required to collect examples of ineffective packaging from different categories. The task was not only to bring the products, but also to explain the weaknesses behind their design decisions.
Week 2
- General Feedback：In Week 2, the class explored the core components of packaging design. Topics such as branding, product information, usability, audience targeting, and sustainable thinking were discussed through examples and case studies.
- Specific Feedback：After reviewing my selected packaging samples, the lecturer encouraged me to strengthen my analysis by discussing structure, communication clarity, and user interaction more critically.
This exercise helped me develop a deeper understanding of packaging design beyond visual appearance. Through analyzing different types of packaging (bottle, tube, box, and can), I learned that effective packaging must balance functionality, clarity, and branding. Many of the selected designs were not necessarily unattractive, but they failed in areas such as poor hierarchy, low readability, and lack of user-centered thinking, especially in real usage situations like storage after opening.
By comparing these products with well-designed competitors, I realized how strong packaging design can improve consumer trust, usability, and brand recognition. Good packaging is not only about being attractive but also about communicating information clearly and supporting user experience.
Overall, this task trained me to evaluate design more critically and objectively, using design principles such as hierarchy, contrast, and functionality. It also made me more aware of how small design decisions can significantly impact consumer perception and product success.
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