VOL 1.
RESEARCH
Balance 4Life
Research
CONTENTS 1
INTRODUCTION 5 PROPOSITION 7 OBJECTIVES 9 TARGET AUDIENCE 10 COMPETITORS 11 SWOT ANALYSIS 12 DESIGN ELEMENT
TIME SCHEDULE 13 RESEARCH 15 QUESTIONAIRE 16 BALANCED DIET 17 FACTS & FIGURES ON OBESITY 18
19 COLOUR PSYCHOLOGY 23 FINDINGS 25 INTERVIEW 27 EXISTING PRODUCTS 33 CONCLUSON
1
INTRODUCTION
“
It has been made a legal requirement to add the calorie content on the front of all food products. However, who really looks at the chart and tries to work out what is healthy? Nobody, because it takes time and effort, which defeats the whole point of ‘fast food or ‘ready meals’. People nowadays feel that ready made meals are convenient and cost-saving. Yes, they maybe cheap and cheerful, however, wouldn’t you rather save your weight than your money! If trends continue, it has been reported that half of UK men and women could be obese by 2030. Researchers say that there will be a drastic increase to 26 million people in 2030 from 15 million people currently being classed as obese. That is a 73% rise in obesity.
“
In today’s society, it has become more evident that obesity is becoming more of a concern than ever before. Yes, everybody loves food! McDonalds, KFC, Burger King, a quick sandwich from Marks & Spencers, however it is only when you are in a rush that these places are convenient. Nobody thinks about the calorie content or how unhealthy these meals really are. How about when you’ve had a stressful day at work, its already late and you haven’t yet eaten?, Generally, people will go to their local convenience store and grab a ready made meal. It is known that in the UK the amount of ready made meals purchased has grown substantially within the last few years.
Yes, everybody loves food!
2
MOODBOARD:PACKAGING TRENDS 2012
3
I truly believe that food packaging can strongly influence the consumers choice of food. Packaging has always been a passion of mine, and I wish to integrate my strong interest with the increasing problem within society today. With a lot of thought and personal research, I feel that’ if I was to design food packaging with a specific colour code, in which would represent ‘healthy’, ‘moderately healthy’ and ‘unhealthy’ food products. This new design will be easier for consumers to determine what is acceptable to eat more regularly than products. This new design
“
“
Design food packaging with a specific colour code
will be easier for consumers to determin what is exceptable to eat more regularly than other food products. Im not neccesarily going to create a new brand for just healthy eaters, this concept is all about helping consumers to understand what can be eaten more often or what should be eaten in moderation. If the packaging stands out and is colour coded in an appropriate way, I feel that this could be the way forward to helping consumers create a healthy and balanced diet for themselves as well as converting food shopping into a fun experience rather than a chore.
4
5
PROPOSITION
I plan to create a new brand to help consumers determine which food products can be eaten more often and which products should be eaten less frequently. This will be done by designing packaging that can make a difference. There is already an optional requirement for the calorie content to be printed on the front of all food products however, I feel that not many people take notice of this, simply due to the size of the guidline. The packaging that I will design will be colour coded to make it easier for consumers to understand what is classed as healthy, medium healthy and unhealthy, as opposed to the small calorie key that is currently being used. I will be doing research on colours, that would be seen as most effective in helping consumers associate with ‘healthy’, ‘moderately unhealthy’ and ‘unhealthy’. For example, a salad would be classed as relatively healthy so therefore the packaging would be green (if this is the chosen colour to
represent healthy foods). If another food product is classed as very unhealthy and should not be eaten as a regular meal everyday it could be red, for example. I feel that this concept will help consumers understand what should be eaten in moderation and what should be eaten more frequently. I also feel that the packaging will be looked at in more detail as opposed to the calorie content currently being used, which consumers do not take much notice of. I aim to make the design on the packaging distinctive, and to stand out on the shelves. This is what will make my brand stand out from its competitors. I will then set up a health campaign using my packaging, to get the idea marketed and become more familiar to the public.
The Big Idea 6 My plan is to get the community that we live in today more familiar with the calorie intake in their daily diets. If consumers take more notice of this by taking into consideration my packaging and the design of it then the there will be less cases of obesity. Of course its not to say that just food will affect your weight, exercise also needs to be done, however, the initial base is to start with calorie intake, which is where I truly believe my packaging can make a difference to consumers calorie intake.
OBJECTIVES 7
8 1. To explore current food labels and whether they are actually used by consumers, such as the calorie content key and colour coding. 2. To explore the effects of colour and their connection with psychology. 3. To research about obesity and health trends in the UK today.
4. To explore local supermarkets and what they use within their own branding. 5. To research current food packaging, helping me to design an innovative way of thinking. 6. To develop a dynamic visual approach to my proposition, in order to help consumers understand what should and should not be eaten regularly.
7. To develop an effective campaign in order to make consumers aware they are not alone, and that there are food products that are just as good as others with less calories. 8. To aim for my brand to establish itself as a market leader.
9
TARGET AUDIENCE My particular design would of course be aimed at everyone. However, the specific target audience would be aimed at people who are or want to be conscious of their weight. Not necessarily only healthy eaters but those who also enjoy to indulge on slightly more unhealthy food products. This is because my product range would include food that is not the most healthiest, however, will be colour coded to show that the food is not healthy. This is important because consumers should
know that in order to have a healthy balanced diet you must incorporate all sorts of food within your diet. However, it is important to chose to eat unhealthy food in moderation and less frequently.
COMPETITORS My competitors would be a majority of the food industry, such as companies that make ready made meals, cakes, chocolates etc. I will be colour coding healthy, moderatly healthy and unhealthy foods.
This is to say that foods that contain a large amount of calories would be colour coded using the colour red for example, to show high risk. Foods that should not be apart of your everday diet, for example, the company, Mr Kiplings, that produce just cakes, the packaging would be colour coded red.
10 This means that if consumers start taking their diet more seriously they will avoid buying 3 or 4 packs of cakes and possibly buy 1 if not any, which could result to serious consequences for that particular company, business will go down however, obesity will also go down.
SWOT ANALYSIS 11
Strengths
Weaknesses
My concept is to attempt to decrease obesity, as I am focusing on a current problem that is continually growing.
The concept could be unclear at the start, and to avoid this I would need to market my idea by campaigns and leaflets to make the public aware of how this idea is beneficial to the public.
My concept is focusing on packaging and therefore, is being a physical change to what is already in the shops today. This is an advantage because it will not only be eye-catching, but will also be of interest to consumers as they will be intrigued to see what its all about. My idea will help consumers structure their diets. This is because their daily shopping can consist of a range of food, i.e. unhealthy food can be eaten in moderation, whereas healthy food can be eaten more regularly.
Competitive pressure from the food industry, leading to loss of purchases due to colour coded packaging in order to lower unhealthy eating. A majority of people tend to stick to what foods they are comfortable with and trust, therefore by introducing a new brand and way of eating maybe difficult for people to adapt to.
Opportunities This idea is a key for survival for consumers to help decrease obesity for the future. I believe that my idea may change consumer preferences increasing demand for a more healthy life style, as opposed to eating processed and ready made meals on a daily basis. My idea will promote a new way of shopping, in order for consumers to gain a balanced diet.
Threats This is a new idea, therefore, people may not understand the meaning behind the colour coded system. This may result to consumers not buying the food products according to the amount of calories in each food product. This therefore defeats the aim of my idea. In order for consumers to understand the aim of the packaging it is important that campaigns and leaflets, giving out information are carried forward.
DESIGN ELEMENT
In order to get my idea across I need to have a variety of design elements, in order for my concept to be effective. Below is a list of design elements that I will be thinking about in order to get my big idea across to consumers. Brand Identity Logo design Packaging. Marketing collateral (leaflets, posters and campaigns explaining the concept) Apparel design (clothing that may be worn by employers to get consumers attention about the importance of my concept) Website layout that could be potentially incorporated in major grocery stores, in order for consumers to order online.
12
13
TIME SCHEDULE
6/
cts du s
2) /1 07
nitial ign-I Des ent ames, id ity, packag i nd n n D g e , Bra sig ding/pallette Pa n ur co colo he cka - De alt 3/7/2012) - wee h c ging ve k 5 (2 k7 W Wee a m , fi e ek pa i 7
Design Creat -Final e marke packa t, sk g etc ing, t rs, u W h e en r o e b k9 te oo esta ol 20/ k w bl pm d c s, pos 0 o l 8/1 We or i 20/8/12) ize aflet ( l 9 2 ek ek -w k na , le e 9 W s (20 ee 2)gn /0 01 8/ 2 / 1 2 /8 (6
le
du
e ch g agin
Tha
tM
a
kes
r ch ea us c Fo
eS Tim k Pac
Seconda r y r e sear Cur ren ch t p esearch statistic ackaging ar y R s of ,e Prim tionnaires, SWOT an obesity xistin s , co alysis gp Que m , a r ticle peti ro /2012 Week 3 (9/ s & tor 7 2: 2/7 / n 2 012 ew eek )-W s. 2 W e 01 e k 4( 6/2 1
5/
Wee k1 :2
14
F.M.P nce er e iff AD
Pr In ima gro ter vi ry Re ups ew s s, ng unchi d-la n a br n. the tatio /12 g /2012) in en 3/9 0/09 1 ( sh pres 11 12 k ek e w )-
15
RESEARCH
QUESTIONAIRE
Food Packaging That Makes A Difference As a percentage, how many people do you think are obese in the UK? Do you feel there is any concern for the increase in obesity today? Are you aware of what constitutes a healthy diet? Are you aware of what constitutes a healthy diet? Do you believe in a healthy diet? Does packaging influence your choice of food? Is there any specific food packaging that grabs your attention? Do you consider the packaging in which your food comes in? Whilst food shopping, do you look at the calorie content? If the calories content was made obvious on packaging, do you feel you would keep to a balanced diet? Do you pay attention to the traffic light coding system on the front of your food products? Do you think that the traffic light coding system on food packaging is effective? What colour do you relate with healthy foods? What colour do you relate with moderately healthy foods? What colour do you relate with unhealthy foods?
16
BALANCED DIET There are two keys to a healthy and balanced diet:
17
3. Dairy foods, i.e. plenty of milk.
1. Eating a range of foods (balance)
4. Small amounts of foods high in fat and sugar.
2. Eating the right amount of food for how active you are.
5. Some meat, fish, eggs, beans and other non-dairy products.
The range of foods in your diet should include: 1. Plenty of bread, rice, potatoes, pasta and other starchy foods. (trying to choose wholegrain varieties is always best.) 2. Plenty of fruit, vegetables.
Below is a typical ‘eat well plate’ This shows the different types of food that needs to be eaten. It also shows the proportions of what food should be consumed more often to gain a balanced diet. The image was obtained from the Food Standard Agency www. food.gov.uk
FACTS & FIGURES ON OBESITY Obesity in England has doubled in the last 25 years. This recent increase has been seen in every country in the world, however the rate of icrease in England has been particularly high. (shown below)
between 1993 and 2010 from 41.0% to 30.9% among men, and 49.5% to 40.4% among women. In England, currently 26.1% of adults (aged 16 years and over) are obese (HSE 2010). By 2050 the prevalence of obesity is predicted to affect 60% of adult men, 50% of adult women and 25% of children (Foresight 2007).
The rapid increase in the prevalence of overweight and obesity has resulted in the proportion of adults in England with a healthy BMI (18.5-24.9) decreasing
The latest Health Survey for England (HSE) data shows that in England in 2010: 62.8% of adults (aged 16 or over) were overweight or obese 30.3% of children (aged 2-15) were overweight or obese 26.1% of all adults and 16% of all children were obese Reports, were published in October 2007, predicting that if no action was taken, 60% of men, 50% of women and 25% of children in Britain would be obese by 2050. Recently reported modelling suggests that without action 41-48% of men and 35-43% of women could be obese by 2030.
18
COLOUR PSYCHOLOGY 19
My idea is all about choosing an appropriate colour scheme for my packaging to help consumers understand a balanced diet. As the main element to my concept is to do with colour, I have researched the psychology of colour. I have also conducted a questionnaire, asking people’s opinion on what colours they perceive with healthy, balanced, and unhealthy food products. All this information will help me to decide on an appropriate colour scheme for my packaging. The psychology of colour is based on the mental and emotional effects that certain colours have on people in
everyday life. I believe that colour is a powerful psychological tool within the packaging industry. The colours that I will be using will be based on what can be eaten on a regular basis and what should be eaten in moderation. The message I am trying to convey to my target market, is to do with health and well being. In order to portray this positive and relevant message, appropriate colours need to be chosen. I also want to create a fresh and vibrant feel for my brand to encourage sales. Once I have chosen my colour palette I will be testing them on my target market, to determine its success and to make any relevant changes.
I discovered that there are commonly noted psychological effects of colour, which relates to two main categories, warm and cool colours. Warm colours such as yellow, reds and oranges, tend to spark a variety of emotions ranging from comfort and warmth to hostility and anger. Cool colours such as greens, blue and purples often create feelings of calmness. Below I have gathered research on colours and how people perceive these colours on a day-today basis; this will help me get an insight of what could be used as my colour palette to portray my idea in a successful way.
White When I asked my target audience how they perceived the colour white, they all mentioned that they relate it to innocence, purity and new beginnings. White represents cleanliness, equality, efficiency and simplicity. The colour white is also used in numerous health professions for example doctors, nurses and dentists. By adding specific colours to white it can create a number of different messages, for example adding red with white suggests excitement and draws attention to the products. Yellow implies a light-hearted, happy and fun message
20
21
Black
Green
The colour black is known to symbolize power, control and authority. My target audience mentioned that black adds mystery, looks great with other colours, such as pink and lime green. It was mentioned that black used in packaging could make the product look elegant and classy. Black is also associated with anger and evil.
Green represents balance and harmony of the mind. Many people mentioned that green is associated with healthy eating, wealth, growth and security. However it was mentioned that green is linked with jealousy. Although I got a similar response that green should be used as the colour for healthy eating, I want to make my concept stand out from the crowd. If green is used it will be very similar to a vast amount of healthy eating products and concepts already on the market. It was mentioned that muted greens are often related with the environment and mid greens are generally used for organic and ecological products. It came to my attention that all green foods, such as salad, broccoli, beans, peas etc. all prevent cancer if eaten regularly. I understood that when my target market sees green packaging, they
Physiologically, black can be seen as an intimidating and controlling colour. However the power of black can also instill confidence in some. It is know that black in small quantities can add strength to a product. Black mixed with other colours such as red, emerald green, magenta, blue, gold, silver or white can create a dramatic impression.
automatically relate it to healthy food products. Although green would be the obvious choice for the products that are healthy, I want to stay away from the norm as my packaging needs to grab attention.
Blue Many people claimed that blue relates to strength, calmness and trust. It was mentioned that blue should not be used on food packaging as it could be perceived as an unnatural colour in foods and mould. However I came across that blue foods such as blueberries help protect memory and motor function as you age. It is also known that it helps fight cancer and heart disease, therefore the colour blue defiantly relates to strength I believe that different shades of blue capture a variety of messages to buyers. It is known that the younger market perceives the colour blue to be
for more mature people. However, universally, blue is the most liked colour by both males and females and therefore is a relatively safe colour to use. This could therefore mean that it’s a very predictable and could be perceived as boring.
Red Psychologically, the colour red symbolizes energy, action, passion, excitement and strength. Many people perceive the colour red to be a warning sign. I also discovered that red encourages buyers to take action and make a purchase. It is known that using red in large amounts is effective in promoting products or services related to food and appetite, energy, passion or speed. However, I want to stay away from the norm, by using red as a warning for unhealthy food. My reason behind this is because red foods actually lower the risk of heart disease, prostate cancer and other types of cancer.
Yellow My target audience believed that yellow was linked to happiness, sunshine and good times. It was also associated with laughter. It is a known fact that when a person is surrounded by the colour yellow it makes them feel optimistic as the brain actually releases more serotonin! However I discovered that a brighter shade of yellow represents flames, and studies have proven that babies cry more in a bright yellow room. The colour yellow also has the power to speed up metabolisms and bring out creative thoughts. Yellow foods such as corn and bananas protect against macular degeneration, which is a cause of blindness in the elderly. Yellow should be used if you want people to keep moving. A majority of people is unable to stay in a room where there is a lot of yellow. This is why a majority of fast food outlets use yellow and red, in order to encourage people to eat
lots quickly and to carry on moving. In a retail store there are many distraction, however the eye always sees yellow first and therefore it is the best colour to use in promoting point of sales purchases. It is known that yellow should not be used to see expensive items to men, as they perceive it as cheap and unsophisticated.
Orange Orange is often perceived as a fun, energetic and happy colour. It is usually associated with organic products and ambition. The orange in food products such as carrots and sweet potato’s help prevent heart disease by lowering cholesterol and helps reduce the risk of strokes. The colour orange is also known to have an effect on our minds that relate to issues of physical comfort, such as food, warmth and sensuality.
22
Purple
23
Purple was perceived as a royal colour and was generally associated with prosperity, wealth and sophistication. It is known that purple stimulates the brain activity used in problem solving. When purple is used in a common setting, it is seen as artificial. The purple in grapes helps to prevent heart disease. Physiologically, purple is known to heighten people’s sense f beauty and their reaction to more creative ideas. Purple is often used to denote a quality or superior product such as Cadbury’s chocolate. Purple is often connected with the 18-25 year old market, as they perceive it as a sexy and rebellious colour. Combining other colours such with purple, such as gold, turquoise, magenta etc. creates a unique and contemporary look.
FINDINGS
Whilst conducting my questionnaire, I wanted my target audience to think about colours other than green, amber and red in order to represent healthy, medium, unhealthy foods. I was quite surprised that many people had the same opinions on different colours representing these foods. For example 29% of my target market all shared the opinion that lime green could represent healthy food products.
Usually it is a dark green that most people link to healthy eating, as salad and vegetables are mostly green. However, whilst researching the meaning of lime green, I discovered that it represents something new and fresh. It is also known that lime green creates anticipation
of the potential of what is on offer. 18 % also believed that turquoise could represent healthy eating. However 33% believed that turquoise would be more appropriate to use for medium healthy foods. I also believe that turquoise would be more appropriate to use for medium healthy, as I found out that turquoises relates to balance, which is the idea of medium healthy foods. For unhealthy foods, 25% of people believed that red relates to unhealthy foods, and also magenta. Magenta is from the pink family, which is red and white mixed together. the 25% of people who thought magenta was
more appropriate than red, explained that red is used with warning signs, however red meats are very healthy for you. Many people also believed that red is linked with passion and energy, which is also what I discovered whilst researching colours within psychology. The highest percentages for each food category are as follows: Healthy-Lime green Medium Healthy-Turquoise Unhealthy-Magenta I believe that all these colours work together as well as working with their individual category. I will experiment with these colours whilst designing my logo. To the right are the charts to show the results from the questions asked. 1. What colour do you relate with healthy foods?
2. What colour do you relate with medium healthy foods? 3. What colour do you relate with unhealthy foods?
24
25
INTERVIEW
www.weightlossrescources.co.uk
“
more regularly, and what should be eaten occasionally. Vicky Harold also mentioned that I could have groups of the packaging shown for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks to show what a whole days balanced diet could consist of. It was very useful to get her opinion on my idea, and she managed to give me some insight on calories and diet. She also mentioned that being honest about calories is a must. On certain packaging it shows the calorie content of the food product before being cooked on the back and on the front it shows the calorie content after being cooked. The calories before being cooked is always more, and therefore doesn’t show the consumer an accurate and honest content.
“
Today I contacted Vicky Harold from weightlossresources.co.uk about balancing calories on a regular basis. She explained that no food is unhealthy. Some foods need to be eaten occasionally. She explained that my idea was a good idea, however, in order for my packaging to be a success I need to be clear on the fact that there are no foods that are unhealthy. It is the quantity in which certain foods are consumed that makes them unhealthy. The categories I have currently are - healthy, medium healthy, unhealthy. In order for consumers not to feel that certain foods are unhealthy I have decided to change the categories to regular, in moderation, occasionally. This then shows consumers that all foods are ok to eat, however the categories show what can be eaten
No food is unhealthy.
26
EXISTING PRODUCTS 27
Nutrition Labels: Nutrition labels are used to help consumers choose between products and to keep a check on the amount of foods high in fat, salt and added sugars. Pre-packed foods have nutrition labels on the back or side of the packaging. These labels include information on energy (calories), protein, fats and carbohydrates. Additional information such as sugars, sodium, salt, fiber and saturated fats are also included on these labels. In order to make this information more visible, some supermarkets and food manufactures repeat calorie information on the front of the packaging. This is called the traffic light coding system. It is not a legal requirement to have this on the front of all packaging. Nutrition labels are used in order to help consumers choose a balanced diet, which consists of reducing fat, salt and
added sugars. Meals should be based on starchy foods, such as bread, pasta and rice. It is always beneficial to have a diet, which includes wholegrain foods. Fruit and vegetables should also be eaten at least five times a day, if not more. Protein-rich foods such as fish, pulses, meat and dairy foods should also be included in a balanced diet. Whilst researching the nutrition labels used on food products, I found it very hard to read and understand. The idea is very useful however I felt that the label is very confusing. I believe that nutrition labels are very useful to consumers, however if the label was colour coded or made more appealing to consumers it might be used more often.
Traffic Light System The traffic light calorie coding nutrition label, found on the front of the packaging allows consumers to determine whether certain foods have high, medium and low amounts of fat, saturate fat, sugars and salt, at a glance. Green means low, amber means medium and red means high. If a product has more green lights it is a healthier option. If the majority of lights are amber, the food product is neither high nor low in calories, which indicates that consumers are able to eat these foods a majority of the time. Red lights indicate that the food is high in fat, sugars and salt and therefore should be consumed in moderation. Whilst conducting my questionnaire I asked my target audience whether they though the traffic light coding system is effective. A majority of people claimed that they do not pay much attention to it.
28
Others claimed that it is a good concept, however if made more obvious using vibrant colours it could b more effective. It was also obvious from analyzing my results that one of the reasons why people don’t take much notice of the calorie content is due to sizing on the packaging. The concept is there, however if made more urban it would attract consumers.
29
This is why I believe that my idea could be successful. My concept is to make consumers aware what foods can be eaten on a daily basis and in moderation by using bright vibrant colours.
FAMILY FRESH A new concept that I came across whilst researching existing products was the Family Fresh Market. This idea is about helping consumers get into a well-balanced program. The concept is to use tags on all food products that are related to appropriate health attributes. For example foods that contain no gluten have a yellow sticker that has printed “gluten free�. All organic items have green tags, 100& fruit juices have orange tags, low sodium items have aqua tags, heart healthy products have pink tags, calcium foods have blue tags, fiber content is labeled using a gold tag and low saturate food has a purple tag. All foods that are tagged heart healthy are all low in fat, cholesterol and sodium levels.
30
Existing Products I went out to photograph some existing packaging and to get some inspiration on colour schemes. I went to Marks & Spencers, Waitrose and Tesco. It was interesting to see that the colour scheme I had chosen is very trendy at the moment.
31
A majority of packaging consisted of oranges, blues, pinks and lime greens. It was interesting to see how some packaging had complex designs and others where very trendy. I believe that packaging does have an effect on consumers, and the packaging needs to be attention grabbing. Below are 3 mood boards to show my research.
32
33
CONCLUSION
I have learnt a lot from doing primary and secondary research. I now have a good understanding about obesity, balanced diets, colour schemes and the pyschology of colour. From conducting my questionaire, it allowed me to gain opinions from my target audience about my chosen subject. It has also helped me, in terms of choosing a relevant colour scheme for my idea.
“
I was also lucky enough to gain some knowledge about balanced meals from Vicky Harold, www.weightresources.co.uk., who has a good understanding about food and quantities This has helped to get an understanding that there is no food that is unhealthy. Food only becomes unhealthy if you eat to much of a certain product. My design process can be seen in Vol.2 34
“
After researching my chosen topic, it allowed me to develop my designs to the best of my ability.
Food only becomes unhealthy if you eat to much!
Balance 4Life VOL 1. RESEARCH FOR Balance4Life MA DESIGN FOR COMMUNICATION FINAL MAJOR PROJECT