---

Brand Engine |  Goodwin |  Gravity |  Tin Horse |  MSU School of Packaging

---

View 3-D Models — Click Here

Gravity

First-rate package design is a deliberate act of art-making. It's informed by the science of consumer analysis, manufacturing priorities, and a sometimes incalculable knack for meeting multiple client needs. Just ask Frank Grimaldi and Seth Quillin, vice president of creative services and national creative director, respectively, of Gravity, a design firm with offices in Cincinnati, Columbus, and Chicago.

"Stopping power" — or grabbing hold of a potential buyer's attention as his eyes graze along the store shelf — is a pivotal concept, Grimaldi offers. "The first rule of engagement is engagement. You have to be visible on the shelf," he says.

To realize this, Quillin and the rest of the Golightly redesign team did its homework. The team performed a systematic audit and analysis that includes environmental scrutiny of Golightly's presentation in stores, database research, and an examination of product segment trends.

What Gravity discerned is particular and to the point. "We discovered that the core group of consumers interested in this product is becoming younger, primarily 18- to 24-year-old females who are increasingly health conscious," notes Quillin. These female consumers are likewise drawn to the idea of durable, attractive packaging that can be conveniently toted around.

At the same time, older people are also buying and enjoying Golightly's variety of candy flavors, Grimaldi learned from his research-based observations, partly because Golightly has the most flavors of any sugar-free candy available. "We wanted to create a package relevant for an older audience, but with broadened appeal for younger folks with active lifestyles," says Grimaldi.

With this in mind, saturated colors and visuals — images of candy to stir appetite and interest — were incorporated to compete effectively with other established and widely distributed candy brands that employ such design hallmarks. "But we also wanted to avoid design without reflection on real manufacturing considerations," Grimaldi stresses. The curved, flexible packaging of Gravity's redesign concept — evocative of a slimming waistline — is also meant to suggest candy with fewer carbs and calories. "The curvature also brings vitality and communicates health benefits, while helping Golightly to break out of its category norm," Grimaldi adds.

The challenge in design, Grimaldi and Quillin agree, is working within a packaging milieu where clients place a premium on novelty, but also on speed to market and cost control. All of which make it no small task to walk the fine line between design creativity and practicality. The question that truly informs in every design challenge, Grimaldi believes, is "What's meaningful innovation for this brand?"