Don't Design the Box: Merchandising

Here is a warning provided by designer Christopher Fahey not to miss the point of product packaging by getting carried away with the marketing aspects of presenting a product to the consuming public.

Don't Design the Box

"Merchandising can be defined as the strategy and implementation of how a product is presented to customers as they decide whether or not to adopt or purchase. It is the aspect of design that focuses on a product’s desirability (as opposed to its utility, price, usability, etc.). It is where product design and advertising intersect...

Merchandising is the strategy and implementation of how a product is displayed in stores, how it shows up in photography, how it is described on a web site. It’s a consciousness of — and responsibility for — the final step in the product supply chain."

- Christopher Fahey

The video below is a parody of Microsoft's packaging approach if it was applied to the iPod.