BOX TICKING EXERCISE

Legislation  - Design vs. Legislation

Legislation can play havoc with design, but it is a must. Retail appeal is more vital than ever in today’s plethora of choice.  Clever design is required to ensure attractive eye-catching packaging while also adhering to legal requirements.  Packaging for food and children’s toys of course carries many legislative messages accepted by the consumer. However, legislation covers all goods from a box housing a candle to an expensive perfume.

Once the designer has been told what legislative items must appear, they should then consider how these words or symbols can be incorporated into the design. Often these details can be discreetly positioned on the back or base of the box, but not always. This incorporation must always be considered at the start of a design, not as an afterthought.

Designers often find it hard to be constrained by these details, but they are a must, as mislabelling is not to be recommended.  Recolouring of symbols so they complement the design must be checked, as this may not be legally permissible. Reducing the size of type or symbols can be another method to lessen the impact, but again, this must be done with due care as there maybe legislative minimum sizes that need to be adhered to.

The crucial step to good packaging design is to be fully aware of all that must appear on the box. (For more information on Packaging click here)  This will allow creativity and result in appealing designs, with all the legislative requirements incorporated uniformly into the artwork.

Please note that the views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in this article belong solely to the author, and not necessarily to any other group or individual. To ensure you are fully compliant with all current legislation, please take legal/professional advice and do not rely solely on the information provided in these articles.