Form and Function

Form is the appearance of a product whilst function relates to its purpose. Most products are designed with both things in mind. For example, a JCB is designed to dig holes so the design focuses on function, but it is also painted yellow which matches the brand’s image and therefore its form. Customers are more interested in how it works than how it looks.

For other goods, form is everything – the way it looks is the first thing people consider. For example, with fashionable clothes, customers will look at the appearance of the product first before considering other factors such as fabrication and other features.

Most products are a combination of form and function considerations.

Packaging

Packaging has several functions.

The main purpose of packaging is to keep the product safe or fresh, but it can also be much more than that.

It’s a place to give necessary information about the product, e.g. ingredients in food or in toiletries.

There are a number of laws relating to the type of information that must be given on foods, i.e. the requirement to identify the ingredients in food, including allergens. This is very important for people with food allergies.

There is also a requirement to provide information regarding ‘use by’ and ‘best before’ dates on food products.

Deddf Natasha

'Natasha’s Law’ recently came into effect for the labelling of prepared foods. The act is named after Natasha Ednan-Laperouse who died at the age of 15 after eating a ready-made sandwich from a Pret a Manger restaurant. At the time, ingredients on foods that had been prepared on site and wrapped were not required to be listed.

Watch this video to learn more about the act:

The ‘unboxing’ experience has becoming much more important recently with businesses focusing on giving the customer a pleasant experience when they open the box that holds the product.

An increasing emphasis on sustainability has led to businesses having to pay more attention to what happens to the packaging after it has been used. Many use products that can be recycled or are biodegradable or use less packaging in the first place.

This can be an important factor, especially if the product is marketed as an environmentally friendly product.