here’s an example of how good design must address function as well as form. a couple years ago, the name brands came out with frozen vegetables that could be microwaved directly in the bag they came in. (great idea!) Publix followed along recently with this line of steam-in-bag vegetables.
in my opinion, store brands typically give even less attention to packaging function than they do to what the packages look like. publix, though, clearly spends more time than most on its packaging. i would imagine it pays off for them, too. if customers feel just as comfortable — if not more comfortable — with the store brand, they will buy the store brand more often and also shop at the store more often.
as for this bag’s looks, it’s not bad at all. it uses the photo approach commonly seen on this kind of product, and again puts typographical emphasis on descriptive words rather than product name. i wonder why they didn’t choose to focus on “california blend” since that’s the description that sets the product apart from others near it on the shelf. however, since the bag is in and of itself a selling point, perhaps they wanted to use the type to advertise it.
