Anuj Prasad: Good design comes from deep understanding of the packaging process

Desmania arrived on the design scene in the wake of India’s liberalisation poli­cies. What started out as a small home-office operation creating product design solutions for multina­tionals such as LG, Whirlpool, Eureka Forbes, P&G transpired into an inte­grated design studio at its 20,000 square feet facility at Manesar, Haryana. The unit helps in converting ideas into products. Desmania also has its own proto shop, with a paint-shop and a range of 3D printers.

Prasad co-founded Desmania with his wife Sandhya Raman in 1993, after both graduated from the National Institute of Design. In 2001, Desmania introduced packaging design services to its portfolio.

Prasad says, “Packaging design needs to integrate the business objective. We try to achieve this through discussions, and design research. Each project has a different requirement and it has to be perceived from the consumer’s point of view. The packaging, which includes various aspects such as shape, design and labelling, has to live up to the brand reputation.”

Team Desmania Design

Design research
According to Prasad, design research differs greatly from marketing research or consumer survey. “We execute it using two tools, namely ethnographic and psychometric research. In ethnographic research, the designers gain insights about the ecosystem, mainly through observa­tions. While, in psychometric research, we speak to stakeholders and customers following certain guidelines which help us gain insights and understand the ecosystem, the competition, and most importantly the consumer behaviour. This is fol­lowed by an internet-based second­ary research where we find out the global trends pertaining to materials, textures, colours and shapes, pursued by benchmarking. This leads us to converge on our decision for the features that are to be selected for the design.”

Prototyping
In the next phase, the designers use their imagination to conceptualise the package through sketches. “The aes­thetics we provide in packaging is an outcome of our experience and expertise. We mentor the designers, we choose the designs and it’s poten­tial to meet the business objectives of the clients and the user needs. And then we convert these sketches into 3D rendering,” says Prasad.

The prototyping process is carried out using processes such as CNC mill­ing, 3D printing and thermoforming, among others. After the concepts and renders are made, brand representa­tives present the produced mockups to their management and also to a focus group of consumers, for feedback.

Desmania's design centre in Manesar

To elucidate which, Prasad cited an example usually observed in the rigid packaging design, during the incorpo­ration of labels. “It is essential to con­sider the label type such as shrink-sleeve, stick-on or wrap-around while designing the package. If the requirement is that of a stick-on label then the rigid pack has to be manufac­tured with a flat surface area for facili­tating the sticking of the label.”

Go Eco design programme​
Desmania started a design programme called Go Eco in 2017. It comprises well-articulated
steps and processes which enable waste reduction and encourage recycling, through design. It
enables the clients to embark on a journey of sustainability in a phased manner.
“We are trying to educate our clients with this process and we can see green shoots of
acceptance. The emphasis is more on recycling rather than using biodegradable material.”

Go Eco’s hierarchy of design:

• Frugality – Making lesser use of the material at the time of designing.
• Homogeneity - Innovative use of homogeneous materials so that the product can directly
• go for recycling without the need for segregation.
• Awareness - A certain amount of space is allocated to make consumers aware of greener solutions.
   

Sustainability and cost
Prasad feels that the industry is not yet ready to implement sustainable practices because of the cost involved and the hassle in changing the produc­tion processes. “Cost is crucial for FMCG brands. This is a strict criterion given by the client at the outset of the project. The big challenge that design­ers usually come across is to innovate within the cost boundaries.”

In a price-sensitive market like India, there is a need to adopt cost-efficient processes and materials. “For a com­mon man, sustainability is overshad­owed by the price.”

Prasad shed light on a critical facet that is trending in the industry that most brands won’t readily adapt to a change unless enforced by the gov­ernment. And one has to implement sustainable packaging models through baby steps, but with a firm belief and targeted date of imple­mentation.

“Sustainability is emerging as a national issue, and the government is passing a strict mandate to the FMCG industry to curb the hazards of plastic disposability, with firm deadlines. For example, manufacturers would have never given up sachets, if not imposed by a regulation from the government. Now, the Pan Masala industry makes only paper sachets, due to the strict regulations laid by the government.”

Staying ahead
Prasad reiterates, “The most impor­tant part that helps us differentiate is the resonance that we create with a business objective. We go to the depth of things, we look at the supply chain, stakeholders, and the factors driving the cost reduction and testing, and so on. We not only understand the busi­ness but also understand the technical aspects in a detailed and deep-seated way.

“We keep in mind, how the moulding is done and the various ways in which it can be done, the raw materials used. We have thorough knowledge about the entire manufacturing process and the importance of a filling line, and the speed at which the conveyor moves, and all these play a very vital role in the design.”