Brands must not neglect the importance of design, says consultant

When developing a new product, companies must not forget the importance of design, according to a brand consultant at the Emballage trade fair in Paris last month.

Satkar Gidda, sales and marketing director at Sieberthead, said that design is perhaps the most important element in the product development process because it is where brands communicate with the consumers. He said design should therefore inform the entire development process rather than be tagged on at the end if a new product is to be successful.

With very little time to attract the busy consumer from the shelf, Gidda said products have to be designed with clarity and an understanding of who their target market is. Gidda describes what should influence the design process and goes through an example that illustrates some potential pitfalls.