DesignChill

For those, who are not aware of this product, Lotus splendour is an eyeshade duo and lip gloss duo from Lancome.

This product needs to be commended, not for the idea visualization, but for the engineering went behind it. Of course, without guidance from designers, the product would have looked like a mechanical product and not a cosmetically improved product. The challenge for engineers would be to realize the idea, which should look good when it is closed, when it is open, easy to close/open and easy to use.

The lotus head 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.  I’m sure the team (HCT packaging and HCT metal) had tough time in solving this. I could not get a sample in hand to check the quality of mechanisms. But based on online reviews, I feel that the product is doing good. It sums up the quality of effort gone into this product. Product visualization too needs to be appreciated. It has many compartments, which help in providing lip gloss/eye shade to suit various seasons.

Retail setting is full of disorder and confusion. Since the customers are becoming selective in spending money, businesses need to respond creatively and quickly to consumer needs and desires.

Trends to be expected in 2009 (based on online study)

Purity and Simplicity

Simple and clear communication of product benefits

Simple to use

Convenience

Purity of ingredients

Growth of organic and natural products

Green responsibility

Consumers are looking to stay at home more and looking for products which can re-create outside experiences

 Economy range and luxury range products will rule the marketplace, and the products in the middle may find themselves squeezed out. It means, product without any differentiation factor, risk being squeezed out of the market.

Shelf space efficiency - Retailers are beginning to demand it.

Design process is very important to influence creative outputs. Corporate culture of big companies can accommodate the lengthy design process in their time and cost budget, whereas the approach of smaller enterprises is different from corporate, and that affects the creative output. Such SMEs are abundant in number, particularly in FMCG market. Opportunities for design agencies to tap into these small-scale entrepreneurial businesses are huge, but one of the main obstacle being small budgets and tough challenges. SME owners have limited budget and they cannot afford money for research activities, multiple concepts, concept iterations etc…As a designer, we need to help these companies to see the benefits of design.

How to serve this market segment? There are few techniques by which we can address this market.

1. Spread research data cost among your clients. Research data required for SME products will be limited due to their limited area of coverage, smaller target segment.  Following FMCG trends (online) and fortnight observation of retail shelves will be sufficient to collect research data required for this market.

2. Have thorough knowledge of manufacturing constraints and cost. Since SME clients are much cost conscious, a designer needs to know about capabilities of low end vendors to come out with a successful container/carton.

3. Develop a good vendor base, who can develop molds at low cost with good quality in the specified time. Since most of the products are blow molded, locating vendors, screening them will be a easier task.

4. Have knowledge about package production cost including its material cost.

5. Understand client’s process of filling, transportation, logistics etc…

All the above points will help a designer to resolve the concepts during conceptualization stage, which will ultimately reduce the concept iterations. Once the concept is approved, with minor modifications, the concept can go straight to prototyping an then to manufacturing.