As consumers, we consume. But we’re also collectors who collect. Our homes are a collection of forms and artifacts that make up an atmosphere. Furniture, artwork, accessories, textures, colors, etc. They’re all conscious and sub-conscious choices we’ve made to personify what we stand for. Right down to the kind of hand soap we buy to be displayed in the bathroom or the rug that sits inside the house in the entryway. We make choices and gather pieces of clothing, shoes, accessories, etc. In a way, we don’t simply choose items, we’re designing atmospheres for ourselves that epitomize who we are as people.
There’s a lot of design choice out there. Millions of sku’s. Hundreds of flavors. Dozens of textures. Some would have you believe that because the landscape is so cluttered that being “like the others” is good enough. That just being “in the mix” will allow a brand to grab some market share. That looking just a little bit different than the other brand is different enough. Not the case. Now, more than ever, it’s paramount that your design messaging be concise and, more importantly, special. To be special means that you care just a little bit more than the next guy about telling your design story as it relates to your audience.Method’s line of home cleaning products exemplifies why we as a consumer base have become more aware. It’s soap and cleanser. Not cars or clothing. But it’s still carefully designed. To begin with, Target was one of the first to carry this line of products, which says a lot. There’s a reason why you’ll find it at Target and not Kmart.
Method’s products represent everything clean; their products are used to clean, but they’re also clean for the environment. And the packaging and brand design supports this perfectly: clean, simple and colorfully designed. Minimal messaging and easy-to-follow uses supports its brevity. Simply put, it’s a wonderfully designed story. Remember, this line sits within the sea of sameness that is the compilation of products that we’re used to seeing; and mostly unat. But the Method line stands out due to clean, thoughtful design.
The permeation of design has completely changed the landscape of today’s marketplace. No longer is design limited to an elite group of consumers or those who can afford it. Design is now for all of us. Even simple, basic goods are well thought-out and well presented. And now every audience in the marketplace is demanding that their products and brand experiences be well designed and appropriate to them. Gone are the days of making something look and feel average. Consumers are simply more brand design savvy, and that’s a good thing. It will make those who truly believe in design successful. Because it’s for everyone now. •
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