The role of restrictive thinking in packaging design

Abstract: Packaging design is a creative activity under a variety of conditions. Analysis of the interaction between various restrictive factors in packaging design and innovative thinking is complementary to leading packaging design activities.

Keywords: restrictive creativity complement each other

Packaging design is a creative activity with a functional purpose. Creativity is the lifeline of design has become the consensus of people. However, the development of any package and the design of improvement are all created in a certain purpose of function and a variety of relevant conditions, not arbitrary creation. Even if the packaging design of the same product, due to different constraints of its market goals and consumer environment, production process technology and other factors, will directly affect the packaging design of different ideas and style characteristics. This article focuses on a brief analysis of the interactive relationship between restrictive thinking and creativeness in the design of commodity packaging.

l Functional requirements of packaging are the basic factors that restrict the creative positioning of packaging design

Any package development and improvement is a function of the specific commodity packaging. Standard service, design is a means to achieve the natural function and the value of social function of specific products and packaging is the purpose of design. Practice has proved that commodity packaging design is an integrated creative activity that integrates perceptual art image thinking with a clear purpose of rational logical thinking. For example, the overall functional target positioning of product packaging design, even if the same type of product, first of all need to be clear as an economic and practical commodity packaging. It is still a gift package for conveying sentiments, or packaging of tourist products with commemorative value, specific packaging function goals, and guides the integrated creative thinking of packaging design.

Conformity to the actual, accurate and precise constraints of packaging target positioning not only does not constrain the creative thinking of fixed potential, but will force packaging designers to solve specific packaging functional requirements, it must stimulate breakthrough innovative thinking from multiple perspectives. The new packaging concept with strong, new and applicable features leads the functional design and visualized creative activities of packaging design. It can be seen that in the design of commodity packaging, the accurate and unique packaging function target-oriented restrictive thinking and creative thinking are inseparable and complementary.

2 Directional thinking based on the characteristics of the packaging object

Packaging design must have specific and specific objects. In the face of the ever-changing variety of products, products with different characteristics and different conditions need different packaging ideas and methods. As far as the type of product is concerned, there are endless varieties of food, medicines, stationery, fresh and live products, and utensils; in terms of product status analysis, there are various types of solids, powders, liquids, and pastes. Specific items. In packaging design, we must first think rationally about the packaging concept based on the state and purpose of individual packaging objects, and the requirements of the consumption objects and the consumption environment. We must use appropriate packaging methods and materials, and then specifically conceive ideas. Pay for visualized and materialized new packaging sample entities. Otherwise, any creative thinking that separates from the target of a specific packaging object will become a passive source of water. Therefore, careful and detailed understanding of the personality characteristics and requirements of the research and analysis of packaging objects is an important link that restricts packaging design creativity not to be underestimated.

3 Commodity circulation conditions and consumption environment constraints on packaging design

The purpose of commodity packaging is to protect the product safely into circulation, to facilitate and adapt to the consumption of different environments, to accurately and quickly deliver goods and goods information, and to attract attention to promote sales. The different production areas of goods, different transportation network conditions and differences in shipping methods and transportation tools, different lengths of journeys and transit links, sales methods, and the characteristics of life culture and customs of ethnic groups in different regions are all important factors that restrict packaging design. factor. Whether domestic product packaging or export product packaging design, can not exceed the constraints of the above factors, in order to adapt the package to a specific consumer population objects and transport routes.

4 Constraints on the Technical Conditions of Packaging and Commodity Production Process

Product packaging must be processed through certain materials, printing, and process technology equipment, and enter the packaging process link for the mass production of goods. Packaging design should not only consider the packaging itself, materials, modeling structure and plate printing production, but also must be considered to adapt to the requirements of the production and packaging technology processing. For example, beverages, perfumes, and other liquid products, after the completion of the preparation of the product itself; cigarettes after the completion of processing and preparation of the cut tobacco recipes; foods after the production of sweets or cakes; and fireworks and firecrackers production after completion of chemical formula ingredients, as a commodity production The post-processing production can be said to be mainly the packaging process technology. The production and processing of such commodities and other various commodities cannot be separated from the specific requirements of the packaging production and processing technology. The method of packaging and the technical requirements of the production process equipment are mutually restrictive. Therefore, in the packaging design must consider to meet the semi-mechanized production of the packaging process requirements, or to adapt to fully automated packaging process technology operating requirements. Otherwise, any packaging ideas that are out of the technical requirements of a specific processing production process will be difficult to become a commodity package in reality.

5 packaging design must comply with relevant laws and regulations and principles of ecological and environmental protection

Packaging is an indispensable part of the ex-factory product. It is not only the container that holds and protects the product, but also the material that is processed through a certain protective technology structure, and it is also the carrier that shapes the product image and spreads the product information. Products that enter the market must comply with the State's "Product Quality Law," "Food Hygiene Law," "Drug Administration Law," "Trademark Law," "Advertising Law," "Anti-Unfair Competition Law," and "National Common Language." "Lettering Law", "Environmental Protection Law", and the requirements of various national standards for packaging and labelling of related products. At the same time, packaging design programs as a class of knowledge products must also comply with relevant laws and regulations such as the State's Patent Law and the Copyright Law. Export packaging design of exported goods must also be considered in line with international and relevant national and regional regulations. Therefore, it is an irreversible way to strengthen the awareness of legal education in packaging design education and design according to law.

6 Package design is subject to economic cost accounting

For the purpose of making any commodity profitable, packaging as a component of a commodity must be inextricably linked to value engineering analysis and economic cost accounting of commodity production and business operations. Regardless of the packaging design of high-end products or middle- and low-end products, on the basis of guaranteeing specific packaging functions, it is no exception that we must proceed from the economic benefits of the commodity market, from the design orientation of packaging, the budget of materials for materials selection, to the production of molding structures. The efficiency, the printing effect and the cost all need to be estimated and the economic cost factors must be considered. Therefore, packaging design cannot be as costless and arbitrary as pure artistic creation. On the contrary, it must be punished by the laws of the market.

To sum up, regardless of the packaging of goods or the packaging of goods, the design of packaging is subordinate to the main body of goods or goods, and is a creative activity in the positioning of specific functions and various conditions. At the same time, it is precisely because of the different functional positioning requirements of different product packaging objects and the specific conditions that make designers create innovative, applicable, beautiful, safe, economical, environmentally friendly, and ever-changing commodity packaging. There is no unconditional design in purposeful application design. The restrictive thinking and creative thinking in packaging design are two sides that the same thing is complementary and inseparable. It has the dialectical relationship of mutual dependence and symbiosis, and cannot be considered as one. Therefore, the emphasis on research and analysis of packaging design, establish a clear design of restrictive thinking, to grasp the correct direction of packaging design goals, triggering creative thinking has a crucial role.

Xiao Wei Zhuzhou Institute of Technology Institute of Packaging Design

Source: "Journal of Zhuzhou Institute of Technology"