On Visual Elements and Their Properties in Packaging Design (I)

[Abstract] The concept of modern packaging is a dynamic concept. Under the conditions of modern market development, the connotation and function of packaging and the design of packaging itself have new contents and definitions. In the packaging design, the materials, structures, etc. constituting the packaging design are the material basis for making the design concept into a real design object, and also an important medium for forming the design beauty, and form the elements of the graphic design, color, text, and modeling of the packaging design. , it is an important means to meet people's requirements for the use of design based on the same time to meet the aesthetic needs, but also design an effective way to achieve high added value to enhance competitiveness. The article will analyze the aesthetic functions of various elements in packaging design.

[Key words] packaging design visual elements

Today, with the globalization of economy, packaging and commodities are integrated. Packaging, as a means of product value and use value, plays an extremely important role in the fields of production, distribution, sales, and consumption. It is a concern for the business community and the design community. Subject. With the development of the world economy, packaging design has now made great progress on the basis of traditional packaging: the concept of packaging has enriched new content, the packaging style has been further subdivided, and the function of packaging design has also been followed. Expansion, if only from the function of the packaging concept, then the packaging design should be a kind of human aesthetic, life needs, in line with production technology, environmental and ecological needs, in line with the protection of goods, transportation, sales demand design. If the packaging design itself, the packaging design now refers to the use of appropriate packaging materials, the use of clever technology means for the packaging of goods container structure modeling and packaging of landscaping decoration design. From here you can see the major components of packaging design:

I. Graphic - The main carrier of information

The graphics of packaging and decoration mainly refer to the image of the product and other auxiliary decorative images. As the language of design, the graphic is to express the internal and external elements of the image and convey the information to consumers in the form of visual images. To achieve this goal, accurate positioning of the graphic design is critical. The process of positioning is the process of familiarizing with the entire content of the product, including the nature of the product, the trademark, the meaning of the product name, and the current status of similar products. All of these factors must be familiarized with and studied.

Graphics can be divided into physical graphics and decorative graphics.

Physical graphics: The use of painting techniques, photo photography, etc. to express. Painting is the main form of packaging and decoration design. It draws the picture according to the needs of the overall concept of the package and serves the goods. Compared with photo photography, it has the characteristics of choice, refinement and generalization of freedom. The painting technique is intuitive and enjoys rich taste. It is a means of propagating, beautifying, and promoting products. However, the commercial nature of commodity packaging determines that the design should highlight the true image of the product, and it should give the consumer an intuitive image. Therefore, using the photographic industry to express a true and intuitive visual image is the best expression of packaging and decoration design.

Decorative graphics: It is divided into two representations: abstract and abstract. Patterns of figures, landscapes, animals, or plants can be used as a symbolic graphic of a package to represent the contents and attributes of the package. The abstract tactics are mostly used for freehand brushwork. They use abstract patterns, patterns of dots, lines, and faces to form images. They are concise, eye-catching, and have a sense of form. They are also the main expressions of packaging and decoration. In general, figurative forms and abstract expressions are not isolated in the packaging and decorating design but are combined with each other.

The dialectical unity of content and form is the universal law in graphic design. In the design process, according to the needs of the graphic content, the corresponding graphic representation techniques are selected so that the graphic design achieves the unity of form and content, creating a reflection of the spirit of the times and national style. The applicable, economical, and aesthetic design work is the basic requirement for packaging designers.

Second, color - pass the emotional package

1. The role of color play

Color design plays an important role in packaging design. Color is an important factor in beautifying and highlighting products. The use of packaging colors is closely related to the conception and composition of the entire screen design. The packaging color requires planarization and leveling, which is a high degree of summary of color filtering and refining. It is based on people's association and the habit of color, and a high degree of exaggeration and discoloration is a means of packaging art.

2. The moral meaning of color

Under different circumstances and conditions, color is a symbolic constituent medium. It is reflected in the sense of importance, expansion and contraction, cultural taste, and values.

Visual psychological experiments have shown that the intensity of high intensity, high purity, and long-wave vibration can cause people's nervous excitement and can effectively express human emotions. It is also a symbol of red, red lanterns and red hijab. The red flag symbolizes revolution, upwards, and progress. Passion; and the red of road command lights and fire engines indicates stoppage or danger. Also in yellow, the yellow on the Chinese emperor's robes symbolizes the dignity of the imperial power, and the yellow shirt worn by the traitor Judah who sells Jesus becomes a symbol of despicableness; in India it is a symbol of glory, while in Brazil and other countries it is death and Despair symbol.

Different geographical conditions, cultural backgrounds, and age levels will produce different color preferences. Due to geographical differences, people in the coastal areas like to have strong contrasting colors, such as Helsinki in Finland and Venice in Italy. People in the basin area like to blend with conservative colors such as Paris, London, Milan, etc. People like rough and bright colors, such as the United States; island-based cultural areas like soft and delicate colors, such as Japan. Even in the same geographical area, due to the differences in ethnic customs and cultural traditions, the preference for color will also be quite different. For example, in the ethnic minority areas of Yunnan, the Yi people adore the black, and the costumes are mostly black, red, and yellow. The Bai people are mainly white and red, and the Miao are blue. Therefore, color is the most sensitive and popular form of beauty. As a result, when choosing colors for packaging design, designers have to fully consider the different meanings that colors are given in different environmental and cultural contexts, so as to take advantage of the universal beauty that color can bring, while avoiding possible negative impacts.

3. The composition of color beauty - color and purity

In the expression of color, the most important factor in color tone. Hue can be contrasted or it can be harmonized. Hue can present different temperaments and styles and express different emotions and personalities of different genders and age groups. Therefore, the hue is a colorful skin and is the soul of color.

Purity is the degree of color saturation or turbidity. In the range that human vision can feel, most of the colors are non-pure colors. When the hue species is mixed with white, the lightness increases; if mixed with black, the lightness decreases. It is because of the change in purity that colors are extremely rich. Therefore, purity reflects the inherent character of color, the key to color aesthetics.

4. The color law of packaging design

Different from other visual arts or graphic design, the design and application of packaging color is to a certain extent very professional. In many product packaging fields, certain specific rules for color and tone distribution have been used. These laws, people will feel this package is wrong color.

For example, foodstuffs are often rich in rich colors, mainly in warm colors, highlighting the freshness, nutrition, and taste of foods; medicines use pure cold and warm colors; cosmetics often use soft midtones; hardware and mechanical tools commonly used in blue, black and other calming The color blocks represent the characteristics of solidity, precision, and durability; children's toys are commonly used in various colors of vibrant colors and strong contrasts to meet the children's psychology and hobbies; sporting goods use bright and vibrant blocks of color, In order to enhance the active and sports feelings, different products and features have different characteristics and attributes. Designers should study the habits and preferences of consumers and the changing trends of international and domestic fashion colors in order to continuously enhance the sociology of color and consumer psychology. Learning awareness.

5. Color issues in serialized packaging

Modern packaging color design can be based on the needs of the promotion, the formation of different color sequences and to carry out development: on the one hand is assimilation, that is series of packaging using the basic colors specified by the CIS plan unified; the other is the alienation, that is, in the series of products Note that while maintaining visual identity, different products are differentiated by using certain changing color series.