DECODING THE DETERGENT AISLE

Q: Do we really think people read detergent bottles in the aisle?

A: No, they glance, compare, and form a sense of what the product is long before they notice any claims.

The following case study was an attempt to understand that first layer of judgment, how the design language used in packaging quietly signals price point and performance, while simultaneously establishing a consumer's trust. We looked at how brands approach this challenge across different price points and sectors, what changes, what stays consistent, and what those small shifts in geometry or graphics actually communicate. A bottle really isn’t just packaging; it’s perception, happening early and fast.

Design Across Price Points & Sectors

Across different detergent brands and price points, there’s a noticeable shift in the design language used in both the form of the bottle and label graphics from simple geometries and block colours toward more detailed forms, expressive and layered graphics.

Bottle design across different sectors such as engine oil and detergent also follows distinct design languages, with geometries ranging from sharp transitions and rugged forms to soft transitions and fluid forms depending on the tastes, perceived or otherwise, of the target demographics.

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For designers and brand managers alike, the ultimate question is always the same: How do we design a product that commands attention, communicates its values instantly, while respecting other factors such as existing brand guidelines, materials, and manufacturing process constraints.

Blurring the Boundaries

Our goal with the 'Bare Undefined' concept was to purposefully blur these boundaries. We set out to create a hybrid design language using AI visualisation tools, blending contrasting visual cues in both geometry and graphics as shown below.

Experimenting With Forms

Using existing bottles as a reference for concept generation is one approach but what happens if you want more control over the direction that the design takes. In this case there is still no substitute for a trained designer's understanding of geometric form, proportions, usability, materials and manufacturing processes. An alternative is to start with the preparation of quick exploratory sketches investigating proportions, handle placements, pouring ergonomics, and silhouette variations.

The sketches were then rendered using AI visualisation tools to understand how different 'Colour, Material, & Finish' (CMF) combinations would work without having to invest time in building the complex 3D CAD geometry for each of the concepts.

Instant Context

Furthermore our use of these tools allow us to drop the different Bare Undefined concepts directly onto a supermarket shelf next to existing commercial competitors, instantly demonstrating how a minimalist design can disrupts the visual noise of the standard detergent aisle.

Or allow us to understand how they might look in the end customer's hand without ever having to make a physical prototype.

And as the D Squared team notes:

"Even AI concept bottles should end up in the recycling bin."  

Partnering with D Squared Product Development

Whether you are a university academic, clinician, or technology start-up seeking to bring an innovative new product or medical device to market, or an established manufacturer looking to enhance your existing product range and/or outsource elements of your development process, please get in touch to see how we are able to support your requirements.