I personally had a great time behind the scenes with my new friends; Matt, RJ, Renato and Kristien. Thank you for taking my picture so many times. I even made it into the video a couple of times.

Humongo: meet your new r&d team

Research and development is arguably the most important investment a company can make in its future. Product development and design is what ultimately drives a company’s success, yet many firms don’t have the proper resources to invest in formal r&d teams. Other companies could benefit immensely from additional perspectives or new ideas above and beyond what their internal or agency teams are doing.

Victor Ermoli, Dean of SCAD’s School of Design told us about a new solution for brands looking to grow. SCAD’s collaborative learning program partners design students with actual companies, to help firms gain new perspectives and solutions for their products.

This is a winning situation for everyone involved. Brands get perspectives that would never be possible with an in-house design team or agency. Students get real world experience. Users get better, more interesting products.

JCB is just one of the companies that’s making use of this innovative program. Students reinvented the design of a new JCB bulldozer to be more rough and tough, so that it would have better appeal to it’s users. They also took into consideration the work environment of the bulldozer’s driver — this is a place where he’ll spend his entire workday, so why shouldn’t this get the same industrial design love as the rest of the machine?

The end result went into production, and is now a flagship JCB product offering that differentiates them from their competitors. How many students do you know who have worked on the redesign of actual construction, agricultural and material handling equipment?

We’ve seen collaborations of this sort in technology, bio-tech, engineering and some other fields – but not so much in the creative industry. Schools, businesses – pay attention to what’s happening at SCAD: collaboration is the new way, in a new economy and new world of business.

After a busy morning shoot on location at Montgomery Hall I wrangled the team over to Poetter Hall, SCAD’s flagship building. After a short tour around the graphic design department and admission, I had to get them into shopSCAD. Be sure to check out Humongo’s flickr gallery for all the photos of their Savannah visit.

Humongo’s visit to SCAD was ending and it was time for them to share the social media juice with a couple other big players in the creative coast, BFG & Paula Deen. I personally would like to wish them safe travels and I hope our paths cross again outside the magical land of cyberspace.

1. Comic Sans | 2. Curlz | 3. Times New Roman | 4. Arial | 5. Papyrus

On the flip side, the font that I like the most are Garamond, followed by Century Gothic and Verdana.

The more and more our lives become entangled in the web, the more we need to show constraint and compassion for the flow of content and ideas.

I challenge you to live by this list of  the 10 Golden Rules by Aliza Sherman.

1. Respect the Spirit of the ‘Net – The Internet was not meant for marketing and selling but for communication and connection to people and information.
2. Listen - In virtual spaces where there are no visual cues, good listening skills become a powerful asset. Listening also helps you map out your current social media footprint and measure your marketing campaigns over time. The key to successful social media marketing is listening.
3. Add Value – Enter any online conversation with the aim of adding value. Before posting a message as a new participant in a forum, ask yourself: How is this providing value to the conversation? To the community?
4. Respond - A quick response is more important than ever, and thanks to search tools, alert apps and other services, it is possible to achieve. Don’t be a dam in a conversation flow.
5. Do Good Things – Doing good things can really help you to succeed in social media, too. Just do a Google search for Social Media for Social Good to see the power of this movement. This goes beyond adding value online. It means fundamentally changing your business model from a single bottom line — profit — to a triple bottom line — people, planet, profit — and then perpetuating this social responsibility to all you do in business, including online marketing and selling.
6. Share the Wealth – “If you’ve got it, share it, spread it around,” I’d say, but I wasn’t only talking about money. In social media, sharing is the fuel of the conversation engine.
7. Give Kudos – Social media works when you are generous. There is nothing wrong with self-promotion, but things really take off when you give others praise or a moment in the spotlight.
8. Don’t Spam – This rule does not need any explanation.
9. Be Real – Authenticity is the secret ingredient behind any good and valuable social media marketing campaign.
10. Collaborate – Before you dive into social media for marketing and selling, take a look at who is out there and who is doing it well.

Social media tools are only that — tools. We are social media. A smart person once told me, “Face to face human conversation will ALWAYS be the most sincere, most effective form of communication. No technological innovation will ever trump that. So the goal should always be to get as close to face-to-face communication as possible”.

For the unedited list of rules please head on over to the source.

1st RULE: You do not talk about Facebook on Twitter.

2nd RULE: You DO NOT talk about Facebook on Twitter.

3rd RULE: If someone says “stop” or the conversation goes stale, the conversation is over.

4th RULE: Only two people to one thought process.

5th RULE: One conversation at a time.

6th RULE: No shirts, no shoes. (Good rule – No change necessary.)

7th RULE: Conversations about Facebook will go on as long as they have to on Facebook.

8th RULE: If this is your first day on Twitter, you promise not to tweet about Facebook.

But, the truth is, I would – and I have.

There was once a day when you could open packaging, effortlessly. Just flip, pop, twist, or remove and there was your prize. But somewhere in consumerism people changed and so did the packaging. People decided to put poisons in foods and drugs and place them back on the shelf. Someone open vacuumed sealed food to see what was inside, then only to leave it to rot or spoil. What about people that steal items from a box and close it back up and hope no one notices.

Now, you buy a pack of gum and it’s double sealed, bagged, boxed, glue-tabbed and even shrink-wrapped. All this because someone decided to steal a single-stick of gum instead of paying 50 cents for it. It is always some assholes who ruins it all for everyone else.

There are many different types and methods to sealing a package. I like to classify them into two categories. First is Childproof Packaging: Yes, the same kind that your friends, who are adults, can not open. Then you make fun of them and call them a child. It’s a classic that never gets old, (implied sarcasm). Second is Adult Proof Packaging. Same as the earlier type, we also make fun of our friends for not being able to open them – then they hand it to you. So you make sure you get it open the first time by going above and beyond what is really necessary. Like pulling out a blowtorch to open that fully encased  plastic Playstation accessory. No matter what the type is, it’s usually a pain in the ass to open.

Childproof: There is a lot of thought behind childproof packaging. These types are designed to make it as difficult as possible to open. Well, the truth is, childproof packaging was not created for the children’s safety, but to avoid lawsuits. If that was not the case, then why didn’t they do that from the beginning? If you have a bunch of scientists and doctors sitting around creating drugs, you would think someone would say, “Hey, we need to make sure that children can’t get into this stuff at home.” But, then again, these are the types of people who gave us asbestos insulation and radioactive chocolate bars.

Thankfully, enough people complained that something needed to be done. There are a lot of rules and regulations that we must follow when creating consumer packaging. Without these regulations there would be many injuries or even deaths. As much as I curse about these rules, they are necessary. I tend to think more about how the end product will look on the shelf, and not how it will be used or stored in the home. Because ultimately, my job is to make you, the consumer, buy my product.

At the end of the day, when I am sitting at home, I’m glad that these guidelines are in place. All these safety regulations keep our children safe from the dangers that lay inside of all consumer packaging.

Adult Proof: This type of package will most likely causes you to inflict bodily harm when trying to opening it. This is the type that you throw across the room because you are so frustrated – which in return actually opens the package. There is nothing more annoying than opening four safety seals just to get at a product I purchased. What about  buying a Snapple and driving all the way home and then realizing the safety top was popped. So now I’m paranoid that it is was poisoned – so I don’t’ drink it and I have to settle for water. I’m sure as hell not gonna bother going all the way back to the store just to switch it out. And, I know I’m not gonna remember to bring it the next time, let a lone remember the receipt.

I know, I should have looked at the Snapple cap before I left the store. But come on, really? It’s such a pain in the ass. I feel like I need to inspect every product I pick up off the shelf. Why can’t I just grab that shit and toss it in the cart? Consumer packaged goods are getting to the point were there is going to be a lock with a combination that gets emailed to you after you buy it.

I know that these precautions are in place for a reason — well two reasons. The first is to prevent “shopworn” merchandise. No one want’s to buy something that looks like it has been opened. The harder it is to open, the less likely it will be tampered with. If I can create something that has a longer shelf-life, I’m gonna do it.

The second is to protect the consumer. When someone tampers with the adult-proof packaging it’s usually very obvious. You are not going to buy a product that is missing the safety seal. These precautions alert the consumer that something might be wrong with the merchandise.

At the end of the day, I will still sit here like the rest of you and complain about how difficult it has become to open consumer packaging. I will still bitch and moan about the clamshell packaging that almost broke my scissors, but remember, it is there for my own good and I am thankful.

First, there’s “Open”, he stated first in his list of six major problems with Adobe’s pride and joy, Flash. In Steve’s open letter he states: “Flash was created during the PC era – for PCs and mice. Flash is a successful business for Adobe, and we can understand why they want to push it beyond PCs. But the mobile era is about low power devices, touch interfaces and open web standards – all areas where Flash falls short”.

This is what it might look like if Apple posted an ad in response to Adobe’s ad. This is just too funny not to put on my blog. Thanks Laughing Squid and TechCrunch. Original saw this tweet posted from TUAW.

If you are out of the loop please travel over to TechCrunch when they first covered Adobe’s message to Apple on the flash war.

Client: ”When this gets printed, what sort of colors get mixed together?”

Me: “Well, anything that gets printed is basically a combination of black, yellow, cyan, and magenta ink or toner…”
Client: “That’s unacceptable! I’m printing these for boys, not girls. Magenta is a girls color. Take the magenta out of your printers and replace it with red. Red is much manlier.”

Good luck!

Hyperactivitypography from A to Z is an activity book for typographers illustrated in a nostalgic vintage style to give it a sweet and childlike look. The book is packed with activities, ranging from silly to hard-core nerdiness. It’s great to test your skills on and to learn new things while having fun. Who said typography had to be stiff and boring? – I agree!

Would you like to buy this book? You can by simply sending an e-mail to johnny.papir@arcticpaper.com!

I have been lucky enough to find a small goto list for those new designers out there on some basic type rules of thumbs. Pi Design has kindly put together the following list:

1. Limit your use to two (three at the most) typefaces for a single piece. Just because you have 638 fonts loaded doesn’t mean you have to try to use all of them at once. Having too many typefaces can cause your piece to appear fragmented, weakening your message and confusing your readers.
2. When choosing a combination of typefaces, don’t pick two typefaces that are too similar. A safe bet is to pair a serif typeface such as Garamond, Caslon, or Times with a sans-serif typeface like Helvetica, Frutiger, or Futura. Choosing two typefaces that are too similar may seem to be a mistake on your part.
3. Consider how much copy your audience is going to be reading in the typeface you choose. Is this a headline that needs to be read in a second or two, or a long passage of text? Choosing a light or thin typeface for either of these cases is probably not the right choice. Headlines need to be noticed and should be set in a strong and legible typeface. Choosing a light typeface for the body of a long article can strain your reader’s eyes to the point where they simply stop reading.
4. Think ahead and decide whether you’re going to need to reproduce the typeface at extremely small or large scales. Not all fonts are created equal, which should be clear by their range in price. Cheaper fonts are generally not as well-drawn and detailed as the expensive, and while at normal point sizes this may not be too obvious, at larger scales, the imperfections can be glaring.
5. Choose a typeface to convey the type of personality you want your piece to have. It may seem like an oversimplification, but if you want it to be taken seriously, choose a typeface that looks serious; if you want your content to appear fun and bubbly, choose a fun, off-beat typeface. Look at it this way, if you were trying to get a job at the bank, would you show up dressed like a clown?
6. I couldn’t help but throw in a bonus tip: When you feel the urge to select comic sans from your list of fonts, let go of the mouse, step away from the computer, pour yourself a cup of coffee, and think twice about what you’re about to do.

If you are unable to follow rule #6, please stop reading my blog. No really, I mean it.

Read more @ How to safely choose the correct font

If you’ve got a great idea for a new badge, you can submit your request directly to Foursquare using their official badge request form. They’ll ask you for a suggested name, your thoughts on what the badge should look like and how the badge should be earned. You can even post links to venues that might help Foursquare understand the badge a little better. The best badges are ones that have a little bit of quickness to them, so be creative in your suggestions!

Foursquare’s official rep on GetSatisfaction says they’re “going to start doing something with the millions (ok, not that many) of great badge ideas soon!” Hopefully we’ll be seeing lots of new badge rollouts in the not-to-distant future…

Are you interesting in designing your own badge? I think you should go for it. Design your own graphical badge and write-up a short description on how a foursquare user would earn that badge. I will then compile user submissions into a  blog post that shows the  badge designs with a description and a link to the original designer. For some inspiration please check out this list of foursquare badges.

Please email your idea/ideas and leave a comment so I know you are working on a badge submission.

Email badge submissions to: 4sq [at] printedbyerik [dot] com

Submission is over at this time.

1. Adult Toy Store: We do not what to know that you are shopping for pocket rockets, chocolate panties and Astro-glide. Some things need to kept anonymous.

2. Divorce Attorney: This probably would not be much of a big deal because most attorneys handle other kinds of legal cases. But if you are “Friends” with your significant other on Facebook and you announce it to the world that you are @Smith & Roberts Divorce Counsel, LLC, it might not go over so well. Kind of like breaking up with someone via a post-it note X 10.

3. Interstate Rest Stop: This is wrong in so many ways. Just make sure you disinfect your phone before leaving.

4. Jail: Actually, the chances of actually checking-in at the jail are probably slim to none since they confiscate your belongings. I think there should be a special badge for this check-in. “Dumb-ass Badge” “Idiot Badge” or “High Five Badge” –depending on the charges.

5. McDonalds, Burger King, or any other fast food joint: One check in is fine, if you are going for points. But the minute you start becoming Mayor of these places then you might need to recheck your priorities. This is nothing to be proud of (Mayor of Jalapenos notwithstanding) and you may need to start checking in at the gym/park to balance it out.

6. Comic Book/Video Game Store: This applies to single men. Only if you want to remain single and living in your parent’s basement surrounded by action figures and game consoles while sitting in your own filth would you want to announce to your friends that you are checking-in AGAIN at Gamestop.

7. Walmart: Sadly, I believe I am just a bit bitter because I was recently ousted as Mayor of Walmart. This person did me a favor. What the hell was I thinking being proud of this sad, pathetic accomplishment?

8. Ex-boyfriend/girlfriend’s business and home: So your boyfriend just dumped you, who also just happens to be the 2nd shift manager at Target. You decide to check-in from your car in the parking lot at 11pm while you wait to see if he walks out with some new Starbucks barista on his arm. Too many check-ins at Target could result in a restraining order and/or jail time (see #4) not to mention a trip to the Jerry Springer Show.

If you have found yourself in any of these situations, you should probably consider leaving Foursquare out of it. If you cannot resist the temptation to check in then please exercise caution and choose the special “Off The Grid” feature. Your reputation will thank you later.

One of my first jobs after high school was working for an internet provider in upstate New York. Guess what I did 8 hours a day? I created websites in Netscape Composer for small businesses in the downtown Syracuse. I was unable to find an old startup screen of Composer but this lighthouse brings back fond memories.

This was my first official introduction to the WYSIWYG HTML editor. At the time looking back, it was a great job. This is where I learned how to read and edit HTML code. I was never brave enough to dive into anything more complicated like JavaScript though. I did take one class at the public library one time. Anyways, please check out AccuCom. This was the company that I worked for over 10 years ago. The owner and the home page have changed over theses years but that logo in the upper left corner, create by yours truly. Not that I am proud, it is a piece of my geek history.

Lets move forward, like 10 years, back to HTML5 and enjoy Kevin’s informative presentation.

On Monday, April 19th, Social Media Club will be meeting at SEED Eco Lounge from 5:30pm – 7:30pm for their monthly meet up of networking, enjoying eco-friendly beverages, and talking about the latest and greatest Social Media Club info.

I will be presenting a website idea for our local Savannah foursquare community. What can a small community do to aid foursquare in always being fun and fair? I don’t have the end all solution, but I have an idea that can only be developed with the support of my local community. Please come out to SEED and enjoy a beer and hopefully an organized presentation on a geek’s next great idea. Please leave a comment if you think you think you will be able to attend.

To those who are unfamiliar with the world of printing; offset and digital printing requires 4 basic colors to make up the wide range of colors that are represented in the natural world: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black.

In the digital/computer/television world, it is all made up of 3 colors, Red, Green and Blue. The combinations of these 3 colors are an interpretation of the actual natural light colors on your monitor.

If you look closely at your monitor, it’s made up of tiny RGB lights and if you look closely at a full color printed material, it’s made up of CMYK dots. This is what makes printing work.

RGB – Good for computer/digital use. Bad and not usable for printing (paper or clothing)
CMYK – Good for offset and digital printing. Bad and not interpreted correctly on the computer

Every once and a while a designer will be faced with a project that goes against their moral beliefs or it is considered offensive to someone. Sometimes that designer has to make a life changing decision. Yes, life changing. If they refuse, they could lose their job. If they take it, they could seriously harm their reputation. But who has the right to judge and criticize another human being for designing a package just because THEY think it’s wrong?

There are a lot of issues and products that I am personally against. But I’m not going to tell someone that they were wrong for re-designing the packaging for a cigarette brand. When critiquing someone’s work, you have to look past the subject content and focus on the design. You do, however, have to take into consideration the target audience and whether it was executed well.

There are an endless number of things that can be seen as immoral or offensive to someone, somewhere: Fur, Pornography, Tobacco, Alcohol, Prescription Drugs, etc. Someone in the mid-west may think that legal drugs and doctors are evil – that Holistic Healing is the only way to go. But just because the minority thinks it’s wrong doesn’t mean that I should feel ashamed for showing a Tylenol package in my portfolio.

And yes, I do mean the minority. If a very large majority felt that it was that bad, then it would be illegal – like Crack. “Well, what about cigarettes? They kill people, and they are legal.” Yes, well cigarettes ARE bad for you. So is alcohol, soda, salt, red meats, and pretty much anything else in this world that is used in excess. Try doing Crack like you would cigarettes, 20 – 40 times a day, and see if you outlive a smoker.

I decided to write about this topic because of a conversation that I overheard a while ago. Two people were discussing previous candidates for a design position. Here is a small clip from what I heard.

“…Oh, and this one guy. He showed me this whole campaign he did for a Pro-Life group. Can you believe this guy!?! The last thing I need is some Super Conservative Jesus Freak walking around the office judging everyone. I couldn’t imagine having to be all Christian like around him everyday….”

There are tons of laws in place that protect people from discrimination – Race, Age, Gender, Sex, Religion, Political Affiliation, etc. But there is nothing really in place that protects designers. I mean yeah, technically you could make a case of it, but come on. How can you prove that? If you show 12 items in your portfolio and 1 is “offensive,” how can you prove that it was the deal breaker? All they have to say is that “you weren’t qualified.” And in design, that is justifiable, because you can’t discuss taste. But you can argue good design.

The point of this is to make YOU think about what you can do to help prevent these types of things. Maybe not to go out and PROTEST THE MAN!, but maybe write your own blog or post. Give your two cents. I would be naïve to think that this little post is going to change the design community. But I would like to see YOU absorb this and let it sit in the back of your mind. So the next time that this situation arises you can stop and think.

I’m not saying that you should go out and show a layout you did for Hustler Magazine when you are applying to Christian Monthly – be smart. But we shouldn’t be afraid to show a cigarette pack if we are applying for a packaging job position in consumer goods – regardless of the company.

Good Design is Good Design.

I work in an office where EVERYONE is on the COMPLETE opposite side of the political spectrum as myself. But I get along great with everyone there. I love the people I work with and I couldn’t image being anywhere else right now in my career. But where would I be now if I had shown something “offensive” in my portfolio review? I may have never had the pleasure to work with any of them.

The next time you walk into an interview and show your work, don’t be afraid to show “offensive” content. And on the flip-side, the next time you are interviewing a disabled pregnant minority, with red hair and glasses, you better ALSO look past the subject matter in their portfolio – please evaluate on design quality. Don’t be a Dick.

It’s not a secret that Pepsi is pulling their multi-million dollar Superbowl opening ad position to focus on a multi-million dollar social media campaign.This is just one more example of how fast and how big of an impact social media has made for PR and advertising practices.

This year, Pepsi will utilize social media in its Pepsi Refresh Project campaign to encourage the global community to nominate projects and ideas that need funding. Individuals, organizations, and businesses can upload their idea or project and then rally for votes. The project/idea with the most votes will win grants from $5,000 to $250,000.

Forgoing the expensive ad spot in exchange for funding great ideas that potentially make our world a better place and stimulate the economy? Yes, please!

Being a Coke guy myself, I do appreciate the power of this Refresh Project. This is a great chance for Pepsi to gain back a market share that might have slipped away over the past months or even years. Social Media will never be the same.

From the moment I entered the action figure isle at Toys ‘R’ Us, I knew. I saw all of the cool illustrations and photos plastered all over the packaging. I said to my mom “When I grow up, I want to draw the comics on the front of the boxes.” So, all through school I kinda ignored all of my classes besides art. I slept though Math, English and sketched during Science. Well, I got a rude awakening when I started my professional career.

The first few months were pretty easy. I was using existing templets and products, updating artwork and redesigning outdated materials. Then, my overly ambitious thoughts started to kick in. I wanted to create something from scratch. Not just a resized box, but something that I hadn’t seen before. So, I decided to create the Snoopy Dog House out of a single piece of card-stock that folded up easily.

The first attempt didn’t turn out so well. Neither did the second or third. I sat there wondering why my folds and tabs didn’t line up. Or how I was going to get the roof to have an awning without gaps. It took WAY too long to find the solution. The final die-line turned out great, but it took entirely way too long.

My problem was math. Yes, basic everyday problems that a 12 year old can do. I sure as hell wasn’t smarter than a 5th grader and it was kind of embarrassing. I always hated math, never even took the time to give two shits. “Why do I need math? I’m an artist.” That was my second favorite line, behind “I go to art school.” Now look who’s the idiot. After that, I took the time to buff up on my math skills. And it has paid off in a big way. I feel very confident when I start to tackle a complex die-line.

I use math problems every day to create complex die-lines, converting units for the content weights, and things as simple as adding and subtracting. I use math so much that I didn’t even realize how much I used it until I started writing this.

One digit can cost you or your company thousands of dollars. All it takes is “NET WT .15 OZ (4.5g)”, when it should be .14 OZ. That right there means that 30,000 new packages need to be re-printed. Or, a new screen charge to fix your mistake. However, not all mistakes cost you at the printer, some waist time – and time is always money.

So here’s a tip for anyone interested in getting into package design – take extra math classes and LOVE IT! Well, maybe not love it, but at least pay attention. The more you can do in your head the better.

I found this amazing adaptation by Neil T. McDonald of the generic CMYK formula. This is a great use of a letterform mark.What is CMYK?
CMYK stands for: C = Cyan; M = Magenta; Y = Yellow ; K = Key or Black

What happens if you do not have a reliable logo for your brand or your marketing materials?

1. Your business will not look stable.
2. You will look like a very small business.
3. You will look unpolished and rough.
4. You will look unfocused.

Your business logo is the most important element of your brand and it is essential for creating a great brand identity and will show your business’s reliability. When having your logo designed by a professional, it is always a good idea to try to decide on which type of mark would be the most powerful and effective for your business so it can help you achieve a stronger and more focused direction. There are 5 basic types of marks.

1. Word Marks – A word mark is a logo comprised of text only featuring a unique typographical treatment used to convey the brand’s message or positioning.
2. Letterform Marks – Letterform marks use one or more letterforms as a symbol to convey the brand message.
3. Marks – A mark is a literal and often pictorial representation of a company or product. The image is usually a reference to the company or a brand attribute.
4. Abstract Marks or Symbols – Abstract marks and symbols use visual form to convey a concept that is relevant to the brand message.
5. Emblems – Emblems are a complex mixture of pictorial elements and type that are linked to the organization and its positioning.

Head over to Positive Space Blog for logo examples in each category.

How do you hire a graphic designer? You have two choices, hire David Airey or read his FAQ’s on what questions as a client you should be asking potential designers. David Airey is just a shameless plug because I follow him on twitter and enjoy reading his blog

Do not try to create your own logo. Always consult a professional, not your 13 old nephew that knows Photoshop. You will thank me later, I promise.

The typeface-driven design uses common typography of Apple. The use of Motter Tektura, Apple Garamond, Myriad, Univers, Gill Sans, and Volkswagen AG Rounded are all fonts that have been present in Apple’s branding and products.

See more at Eugene’s collection of Hyper-Realistic Typographic Portraits

I’m talking about junk that you buy that comes in a box. We have all been “had” at some point in our lives when it comes to buying crap. Whether it was that cheap ass toy that your family bought you when you were a kid, or the spatula that you got from WalMart that broke in your first batch of cake batter. We all know the feeling when you realize, “this sucks… wtf.”

There are three main factors that you consider consciously, or subconsciously, when buying a product.

1. Power of the Brands: We are more inclined to buy Kraft or Hasbro products then the generic stuff sitting next to it.
2. Quality and visual appeal of the Package: The better a product is packaged the more likely a consumer is going to buy it, or at least pick it up off the shelf and look at it – which is a big deal in packaging.
3. The Overall Cost: We buy products based on price because it looks like a good deal, you’re cheap, or because you are just flat broke. Cost is a major factor when deciding to buy an item or not. Are you gonna pay $49.95 for a product or $29.35 for the item sitting right next to it that looks exactly the same?

Power of the Brands!!!
Yes, they are powerful for a reason. If a company can last for more than 20 years then they are obviously doing something right. Think about it, your grandmother bought it for your mother, your mother bought it for you, and now you question whether you should buy it for your kids? Why? You’re still alive and kicking. It has been remembered and passed on for how many generations? Buy it! A company that lasts long enough to see 8 different presidents should at least get a chance to say “Hey, give us a shot. We have a proven track record.” Any dip-shit with a half-brained idea can create a product, but it all depends on how long they last that proves the quality and consumer loyalty of a product.

You really are a cheap ass… or just plain irresponsible. Think about it. What expenses do you have that make you pinch pennies? Super sizing your meal, when you throw out the last half of your burger and fires. Getting that Snickers bar at lunch that you really don’t need. Or, like my post college days, you really are broke and need every sale and bargain that you can find. Whatever the case, the cost can be a major factor. But, like everything else in life, you get what you pay for.

OHHH… All the pretty packaging!!! This is my flaw, like many other people. Well, it’s really not a flaw but a subconscious decision maker. Most people aren’t designers and they couldn’t create an artistic rendering of a spec of dust, but they could pick out the product that won multiple package design awards out of hundreds of items. Why? Because it looks good! No other reason.

We all know what we like and we seem to agree for the most part. The talented designers that create these consumer masterpieces, ehh-hem, like myself, are hand picked by the higher-ups to represent their companies. It’s no wonder that you bought the G.I. Joe action figure from Hasbro over the Toys ‘R’ Us generic brand for your kid (or, in my case, for myself.) The box was sturdy, it had silver foiling, spot-varnishes, holograms, the works! It just jumped off the shelf and I bought it. I looked at the True Heroes Military Action Figures right next to them, but you could tell they were crap. The package had no bells and whistles. It was made of cheap cardboard, matte finished, and the colors were muddy. I thought it was going to break just by looking at it.

Well, one day I was at Toys ‘R’ Us and I was sitting there looking at the new selection of G.I. Joe’s – the ones from the new movie (that HORRIBLE ABOMINATION OF A TRUE CLASSIC!! That was NOT G.I. Joe – another topic completely) But I was sitting there thinking, this is not going on my nerd shelf at work. So I slid over to the other brand. I picked out the “coolest” looking guy and bought it. AND… I saved $7!!!

When I opened the package I was very disappointed. First, the blister pack fell apart. I’m surprised it lasted that long on the shelf. Second, it was missing his really cool machine gun! And, when I finally got around to posing him up on my shelf with his weak-ass shovel raised in the air… his arm fell off!!!! Really? That just happened? Piece of crap.

No, the packaging doesn’t always represent the quality of a product. But, here are a few things to consider when trying to argue my point.

• Materials – The stronger, safer (meaning less harmful chemicals,) more reliable a material is, the more expensive it is.
• Printing – Silver Foil, Spot Varnish, adding extra spot-colors, holograms, etc…. all cost $$$. The more you have, the more it costs to print.
• Labor – A safe, well licensed, inspected and certified factory is more costly to run than a sweat shop. I’m not talking about things just made in the U.S.A, there are a lot of well respected factories over-seas.

So, when a company produces an item and sells it for a high cost, it’s usually because they spent a lot of money to produce it. Not because they are all greedy corporate pigs.

You will always get what you pay for. Here is the mathematical breakdown. Let’s use Hershey’s as our example. Hypothetically Hershey spends 52-cents to make a single chocolate bar. It costs that much because it is expensive to have the best ingredients, marketing, packaging, etc. Company XYZ spends 23-cents to make a single bar of chocolate. Their company is operated out of east bum fuck New Jersey. They use whatever ingredients are the cheapest. The chocolate is processed in China, the wrappers are made in India and the packaging was designed by Mr. Smith’s 10th grade art class. So, they spend less and sell for less. The factors are different for every product category, but the results are the same. Piss-poor effort results in piss-poor quality.

The next time you think about spending $5 less for a product just because it’s cheaper, think about why it is $5 cheaper. It may not kill you, but it sure as hell isn’t gonna make you stronger.

About 10 years ago bar soap was about as masculine as you could get when it came to soap, but a majority of them left your skin feeling itchy and dry – the generic body wash wasn’t much better. Now, if you look in the aisles at your local stores you will see an entire section dedicated to men’s bath and body. You will find everything from age defying creams to body washes – all for men.

One day, some guy (or woman) decided, “Hey, men need to take care of their bodies just as much as women do. We should make *$#^@ for men!” And just like everything else in consumer goods, someone made some money and people realized that they had something and the rest followed.

The perfect comparison for men’s versus women’s products is shaving razors. Take a look at a men’s razor and a women’s razor. They consist of the same basic components; razor blades, a moisturizing bar, and a handle. What makes them different other than the color? Nothing! It’s the SAME! So why is one for men and the other for women? The same is true for a very large number of other products.

Packaging and Marketing, that’s what makes a product “just for men.” I should know because I design packaging for both men and women. I am the one who writes the ingredients on the back of a label that no one really reads. We use Latin words, scientific words, coded numbers and everything under the sun that the government requires us to put on there. If you took a bottle of women’s shampoo and a bottle of men’s shampoo and looked at the ingredients, they are basically the same. They just have different technical names for the same ingredient. And they do the same thing – clean your hair. But, are you going to buy a shampoo bottle in pink or black? What about the commercials? Imagine a white background with classical music playing and a woman in the bathtub versus a guy getting mobbed by women because he is using a certain shampoo – it’s the same stuff with different commercials. But, which is going to make you more inclined to buy their product?

The way that I see it, we are all human beings. We all need the same things when it comes to personal hygiene – clean healthy skin, hair, and teeth. We all need to shave one part or another. And we all need to smell unoffending. So why act like a tough guy and say “Body wash is for *$#^@%, I’ll take bar soap any day!” or “Only chicks use lip balm, I’m a man. I don’t get chapped lips.”

So now you know. Go out and buy some body wash and an AXE detailer (aka loofah). Get yourself some CHAPFIX+ for your lips and a good skin moisturizer. Just make sure that the packaging is black and labeled for men.