It is not just enough for design to be beautiful; a key aspect of design is that it needs to clearly communicate to a specific audience in order to capture their attention. While great aesthetic can catch someone’s eye, it is concept that keeps his or her attention and can even incite action.

Design can affect how well a product sells or how many people you gain for your cause. Unique and well-thought-out packaging design can assure your product gets noticed and chosen over the competitor brands.

credit: Backbone Branding

The goal with the packaging for Siya was to express the idea that the juice is very fresh. It looks as if the fruits have actually been squeezed into the bottles! While many juices often employ pictures of the fruit they are made from, the unique shape of the bottle and the placement of the realistic representation of fruit provide immediate interest. This bottle would stand out on the shelf with its strong design concept.

For non-profit businesses, thoughtful design can help attract attention and donations to their organizations.

credit: Kolle Rebbe

In 2014, there was a fantastic interactive poster that was designed for the relief organization Misereor. The Social Swipe allowed passersby to securely insert their credit card to make a 2 Euro donation. This would trigger an animation sequence showing how the donation would help the poor and disadvantaged. The videos were cleverly designed so that a successful card swipe sliced a piece of bread or cut through the bonds of a child. It is simple, yet thought-provoking and encourages immediate donations (with an option to become a monthly donor when the transaction summary is received).

Our goal as designers is to create powerful solutions for the challenges presented to us (both from clients and ourselves). Concept is the foundation on which we build up designs and take them beyond visual appeal. Strong concepts pave the way for impactful ideas that will ultimately allow a brand to grow and prosper.