Bringing a product back to life through good design

It is interesting to see how good design, especially that which focuses on aesthetics, can revitalize a somewhat dead product on the market. I came across a case study while reading of the books which I read as part of the literature review. It revolves around the re-branding of the product CleaWhite - a skin-whitening treatment provided by AVON China.

The Asian beauty culture, especially that involving China and Japan, gives importance to the skin. From a very young age, women are obsessed with having a radiant glow to their skin, and rather than focusing on making up the eyes or the lips, their main focus is the skin. But why create a whitening products for the skin? The answer is simple. When I was young, I was obsessed with a Disney film called 'Mulan'; there was a particular scene in the film where the young girl was being set up for marriage. As part of their culture, it was traditional for the young girls' faces to be painted porcelain white before being presented to the matchmaker. The need for a whitening product for the skin goes back to tradition, not for the purposes of being set up for marriage, but rather the meaning behind it: radiance and vitality - qualities which were synonymous with brides, and which Asian women nowadays are obsessed with.

AVON China had an existing brand which was dated, and unfortunately not being noticed in the Asian beauty industry. As the whitening products market was expanding, a couple of years before 2010 AVON China decided to re-brand the product to reflect and appeal to women who gave importance to three factors: spontaneity, vitality and sophistication

CleaWhite was redesigned and re-branded as a product which offers beautiful skin 'that glows with translucency'. The design company Desgrippes Gobe enhanced the shape of the bottle, and chose to encase the product in a pearlized bottle material, which represents outer light, and the readiance users fell after using CleaWhite. Rather than opting for a harsh rectangular exterior for the bottle, the designers went for a shape consisting of a rectangular pattern with a rounded edge thus giving the product a modern feel. The brand identity was designed so as to highlight the radiance and shine that the brand promises. 

MAC's VIBE TRIBE Collection Controversy

Although it is not pleasant for me to say, over the past couple of weeks, MAC has been at the forefront of news in the beauty industry due to the controversy around the company's new summer collection - VIBE TRIBE.

Apart from being an immensely aesthetically pleasing collection in my opinion - starting from the colour shades of the lipsticks and eye-shadows, to the beautifully-designed brush cases and product exterior, it never crossed my mind to think about the effect the visuals representing the collection would have on those who might relate to the word 'tribe' on an emotional level. More so since MAC's motto is All ages. All races. All sexes. 

MAC fans who took offence from this took to social media to criticize the company and accuse them of cultural appropriation: 

"I'm really grossed out by the fact that they'll be benefiting from Native designs and 'vibes,' and I don't imagine any of the proceeds will be going to any of the First Nations, and I'd be surprised if there were any Native models in their ad campaigns," a user wrote. "My personal history is tribal, and it's not just a cute design for me, it's my culture. And my culture is dying, my people are dying, and it's because of a history of mass genocide and forced sterilization and plagues and poverty and broken treaties — and it actually hurts to imagine that someday, the word 'tribe' might live on on the faceplate of some MAC cosmetic, long after the last native speaker of the Nimiípuu is gone."

The company on the other hand stated that the main inspirations behind the collection were art, outdoor music festivals, and the colours of the desert. Moreover, the company denied any connection between the VIBE TRIBE collection and Native American cultures. 

My opinion on this controversy: had I not read about it on the internet, I would have never thought that there would be anyone who would take offence from such a make-up collection. It could be that since it does not affect me directly, I find no objection since upon looking at the packaging of the products as well as the advertising campaigns and visuals to promote this collection, there is nothing offensive about them. Another reason for me being oblivious to the potential occurrence of this situation is the fact that I (and I dare say the majority of people) am used to references to tribal cultures being made in a similar manner to how they are portrayed in MAC's promotional campaign.

This goes to show and confirm what I have written in my literature review with regards to people connecting with products on an emotional level. Even though ideally the connection is a positive one, and one with the aim of attracting customers and subconsciously giving them a reason to purchase a particular product, the connection could turn into a negative one. The consequences of this could be similar to what happened to MAC: being called out on the internet. Unfortunately it could also cause a loyal fan to distance him/herself from the company, or even drive away a potential customer.

This is a pure example of how a company can lose a loyal customer as quickly as it can gain one. 

Aesthetically Obsessed?

I came across the following website while conducting research;

http://www.byrdie.co.uk/prettiest-beauty-product-packaging/slide19

The title alone - 15 Beauty Products for the Aesthetically Obsessed - already implies that there are people who would buy products just for the sake of having something pretty to look at, or because 'it matches their style'.

The opening lines to the article are as follows:

"Aesthetics are very important to me—I want my beauty products to look as good on my bathroom shelf as they do applied to my face. Either subconsciously or with an artfully arranged Instagram snap in mind—it’s usually the latter—I find myself purchasing products that best match my style."

This made me think; due to my job I am already fairly certain that aesthetics do influence the client's purchasing decisions since I have seen it happen on countless occasions. But to go to the extent of buying a product simply because 'it looks nice' is a bit over the top in my opinion. Is the design of a package that influential? What sort of connection is created between the user and the product? Would you be willing to purchase a product which you know you can buy for a lower price, but opt for the higher priced option because of what it looks like? It would take a lot more than that for me to do so. Primarily, it would have to be literally 'love at first sight' in terms of the package's colour, the shape, and the style. Secondly, it would have to be something which I don't currently own, and would have to know that the product actually works, more so if I would be potentially spending a hefty sum of money. Apparently, I am one of the few who analyze purchases in this way. To each his own! 

The literature review I carried out a couple of weeks ago has already answered a couple of the questions I mentioned in the previous paragraph. There could be a number of influential factors, such as the choice of colour, what the form and the materials of the product represent in terms of social class, etc. Unfortunately there is no correct answer as even though studies have been carried out, each individual person has a different understanding as to what is aesthetically pleasing. As we say in Maltese, 'għalhekk il-baqra tinbiegħ kollha!' 

Why The Beauty Industry Can Get Away With Charging A Fortune For Make-up

Link to webpage:
http://www.alternet.org/story/148140/the_cosmetics_racket%3A_why_the_beauty_industry_can_get_away_with_charging_a_fortune_for_makeup

This article discusses the issue of pricing, and whether beauty products and the ingredients which make up the actual product cost as high as they are priced. 

Even though my critical study focuses on the aesthetics of make-up packaging and how this influences consumer purchasing decisions, one can't deny that pricing is also a determining factor. I agree with what the article states, that is, that for most of the high-end products with prices starting from $90, clients would be paying for the brand - packaging, and marketing and advertising schemes - rather than for the ingredients within the product itself. 

This shows that clients are 'tricked' unintentionally by elaborate packaging and claims about the product which could be true but somewhat exaggerated in order to attract customers, and ultimately instill a sense of want for the product in order to satisfy their needs or possible insecurities.

"Cosmetic companies are acutely aware of the anxieties consumers have about aging and 

other skin concerns. They know what consumers want to hear, and they claim exactly that, even 

when it isn't true. Hope springs eternal, and a lot of people are willing to pay a lot more than

 is necessary for a product that promises to fix whatever bothers them."

- Paula Begoun, make-up artist, cosmetic expert and author

Another factor which is also influential is psychology. Cosmetics clients tend to believe that higher pricing means better quality, and thus that instills a feeling in the clients which makes them feel good about themselves, and ranks them higher within the social scale. 

The following is a link to a youtube video in which a make-up artist find dupes for high end products from the high street in order to create the same look. She applies the high street products to one half of her face, and the high end products to the other half. Shes uses the same techniques for both sides of her face, and leaves the make-up on for most of the day. At the end of the day she analyses both sides of her face in terms of the make-up's staying power, long-weariness and colour intensity. The results are quite interesting; sometimes the difference is so minute that it wouldn't even be worth paying a large amount of money for high end products when spending a quarter of the money on make-up from the high street will still get the job done. This goes to show that the majority of the price of high end products comprises packaging, and other brand advertising schemes. Elaborate packaging is mostly the sole reason for client's purchasing decision in these cases. 

Link to youtube video: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDkMfdg-1as