Generally speaking, when it comes to product packaging design, attention should be paid to the fact that the designed packaging must comply with product requirements, as well as corporate culture, brand image, etc.

1. Key points of expression (that is, sunflower seeds)

Focus refers to the concentration point of the performance content. Packaging design is carried out within a limited screen, which is a limitation of space. At the same time, the packaging is recognized by buyers within a short period of time during sales, which is a time limitation. This time and space limitation requires that packaging design cannot be blindly comprehensive and comprehensive. Putting everything on it means there is nothing.

2. Angle of expression

This is the deepening after determining the form of expression, that is, after finding the main target, there must be a specific breakthrough. For example, if a trademark or brand name is used as the focus of expression, is it to express the image, or to express a certain meaning of the trademark? If the product itself is the focus of expression, is it expressing the external image of the product, or is it expressing some internal attribute of the product? Is it to show the ingredients of the drug or to show its functional effectiveness? Things have different angles of understanding, and the performance is more concentrated on one angle, which will be beneficial to the clarity of expression.

3. Expression Techniques

Just like the focus and angle of expression are like goals and breakthrough points, expression techniques can be said to be a tactical issue. The focus and angle of performance are mainly to solve what to express. This only solves half the problem. Good expression techniques and forms are the vitality of design.

No matter how it is expressed, it must express the content and certain characteristics of the content. From a broad perspective: everything must have its own particularity, and everything must have a certain relationship with certain other things. In this way, to express a thing or an object, there are two basic methods: one is to directly express certain characteristics of the object, the other is to indirectly rely on certain characteristics of the object, and the other is to indirectly rely on certain characteristics of the object. It should be clear about other things to express things. The former is called direct expression, and the latter is called indirect expression or assisted expression.

1. Direct expression

Direct expression means that the focus of expression is the content itself. Including expressing its appearance, purpose, usage, etc. The most common method is to use photography or opening windows to express it.

In addition to objective direct expression, there are also the following direct expression techniques using auxiliary methods.

Foil: This is one of the auxiliary methods, which can make the subject more fully expressed. The background image can be concrete or abstract, so be careful not to overwhelm it.

Contrast: This is a form of transformation of foil, which can be called contrast, that is, it uses foil from the opposite side to make the subject appear stronger in contrast. The contrasting part can be concrete or abstract. In direct expression, you can also use methods to change the image of the subject to make its main features more prominent, among which induction and exaggeration are more commonly used techniques.

Summary: Summary seeks clarity through simplification, while exaggeration seeks prominence through change. The main thing they have in common is that they make some changes to the main image. Exaggeration not only makes choices, but also emphasizes, making the main image reasonable but unreasonable. There are many vivid examples of this technique in our country's folk paper-cutting, clay toys, shadow puppetry and foreign cartoon art. This technique of expression is full of romantic interest. The exaggeration of packaging pictures generally pays attention to the characteristics of cuteness, vividness and fun, and should not adopt the form of ugliness.

Exaggeration: Summary seeks clarity through simplification, while exaggeration seeks prominence through change. The biggest similarity between the two is to make some changes to the main image. Exaggeration not only makes choices, but also emphasizes, making the main image reasonable but unreasonable. There are many vivid examples of this technique in our country's folk paper-cutting, clay toys, shadow puppets and foreign cartoon art. This technique of expression is full of romantic interest. When exaggerating packaging pictures, we should generally pay attention to the characteristics of being cute, vivid, and interesting, and should not adopt the form of ugliness.

Close-up: This is a technique of making drastic changes and using part to express the whole, so that the characteristics of the subject can be expressed more concentratedly. Pay attention to the locality in the design.

2. Indirect expression

Indirect expression is a relatively intrinsic expression method. That is, the object itself does not appear on the screen, but the object is represented with the help of other related things. This technique has a broader expression, and is often used to express certain attributes, brands, ideas, etc. of the content.

As far as products are concerned, some things cannot be expressed directly. Such as perfume, wine, washing powder, etc. This requires indirect expression. At the same time many or in direct performance of the product. In order to obtain novel, unique, and varied performance effects, innovation and change are often sought from indirect expressions.

The techniques of indirect expression are metaphors, associations and symbols.

Metaphor: Metaphor is a method of comparing something with another thing, and it is a method of connecting one thing to another. The metaphor elements used must be specific things and specific images that most people understand in common. This is It requires designers to have relatively rich life knowledge and cultural accomplishment.

Association: The association method uses a certain image to guide the viewer's understanding in a certain direction, and the association generated by the viewer supplements things that are not directly explained on the picture. This is also a method of expression from some to that. When people look at a design wound, they don't just accept it visually, but will always have certain psychological activities. The awareness of certain psychological activities depends on the performance of the design, which is the psychological basis for the application of the association method. The media image used by association method is more flexible than metaphorical image. It can be concrete or abstract. Various concrete and abstract images can arouse certain associations in people. People can think of happiness from concrete flowers, frogs from tadpoles, Egypt from pyramids, autumn from fallen leaves, etc. You can also think of mountains and rivers from abstract wood grains, think of the sky and sea from horizontal lines, think of grasslands and forests from green, and think of passing time from flowing water. The ice flowers on the window will give people various associations.

Symbol: This is a transformation that combines metaphor and association. It is more abstract in its meaning and more condensed in its form. In packaging and decoration design, it is mainly used to express a certain meaning of a brand and the abstract attributes of a certain commodity based on the common understanding of most people. The pictorial method is different from the metaphor and association methods, and is more rational and implicit. For example, the Great Wall and the Yellow River are used to symbolize the Chinese nation, the pyramids symbolize Egyptian antiquity and civilization, the maple leaves symbolize Canada, and so on. As a symbolic medium, the expression of meaning should have a kind of permanence that cannot be changed arbitrarily. In symbolic representation, the symbolic use of color is also important.

Decoration: In terms of indirect expression, some gift packaging often does not directly use metaphors, associations or symbolic techniques, but uses decorative techniques to express it. This kind of "decoration" should pay attention to a certain direction. Use this quality to guide the viewer's feelings.

4. Expression form

The form and technique of expression are all about solving the problem of how to express it. Form is an external weapon, a specific language for design expression, and a visual communication of design. . Consideration of the form of expression includes the following aspects:

How to design main charts and non-subject graphics; whether to use photos or paintings; concrete or abstract; realistic or freehand; induction or exaggeration; whether to use a certain form of craftsmanship; area How about the size etc.

What is the overall tone of the color? How to grasp the hue, brightness, and purity of each color block, how different color blocks relate to each other, how the area of ??different colors changes, etc.