People love to unwrap things, it just a matter of fact, whether you’re a kid at Christmas or an adult with a new gadget. There’s something mysterious about a new box placed in your hands that makes you incredibly excited to just tear into it. There are a million sites that simply feature people opening up new products, little children shrieking, and adults drooling. Packaging designers know this and take advantage of it, like people at Apple. They know that making a great product is one thing, but a great product with great packaging just improves the overall experience that much more, and that in turn leads to more sales. So as web designers, is there a way we’re able to create this same experience with our websites? At SXSW this year I was inspired to bridge that gap.
Just in case you aren’t one of those people who sees the value in great packaging, here is an example of a fun product I just discovered, SNIF Tag. A SNIF Tag is a transceiver that is clipped onto your dog’s collar so you can monitor your pet when you’re away from home. Basically, it’s a toy for people who treat their dogs like children, and like gadgets.
Don’t worry there’s more text past the images. ;)
Hopefully you can see from the photos that the people at SNIF Tag seemed to think about every bit of surface area their product was housed in. Each time I found out another box or pulled open another flap there was something new and fun to discover, whether it was cute graphics or fun spot varnish paws placed on the box, that were only noticed when the light hit it just right. This whole unwrapping process created anticipation and excitement at each step, leading to me a good first impression of the final product.
So how do we create this feeling on the web? I feel like I found part of this answer during a talk at SXSW this year given by Paul Annett. During the talk, Paul quoted Don Norman, who is best know for his great book, The Design of Everyday Things: “It is not enough that we build products that function, that are understandable and usable, we also need to build products that bring joy and excitement, pleasure and fun, and, yes, beauty to people’s lives.” Here are some of Paul Annett’s examples from his talk:
Silverback
Silverback is a usability product that is made by the people at Clearleft. The fun thing about this website that you can’t really see in the image, is that as you resize the browser window the different layers of vines move separately from each other.
Twequency
Twequency is a tool where, you might of guessed it, it measures your tweeter frequency. Again, like Silverback, the magic appears when you resize the browser window. The clouds start moving back and forth and when you minimize it enough it reveals a cute pink bird in the clouds.
Both of these examples happen when you resize your browser and cater to the web-savvy audience, but I’m sure there are a million other things we can implement on our own sites to give our users that same feeling of joy. There could be hidden links that reveal something special, having something different appear when you hover over an object, or an interesting error message, but then again I’m still experimenting myself. Just because we work on the web doesn’t mean that we can’t have fun with it; let your imagination run wild.
41 Comments
Robin Cannon 03/25 10:25am
Nice focus. Those little touches can add a huge amount of character to, and interest in, a website. Great to see as well that some web designers are increasingly taking inspiration from other mediums than virtual, and well worth highlighting the advantages of doing so.
Sandy 03/29 1:08am
Awww I somehow came across your lovely site, and oooohed and awwwwed at the little birdie on the header moving his wing slightly and showing the weather, that is just awesome ;)
You have a very lovely site, and I loved reading your ‘About Me’ page and smiled when you mentioned the mitten and the trolls for Michigan.
I can only dream about having a site like this :lol:
You are very talented!
:)
Nikki 03/29 5:06pm
The Sniftag seems like just a social networking tool for humans via the use of their dogs. But I have to admit, that packaging does look really nice. It’s got some great colors.
Those website examples are great! I love the little surprises you find in great designs. It’s the same with footers - I love happily designed footers because there’s a certain surprise element to them (I love the whale in yours). Thanks for sharing these!
Greg 03/30 12:08am
Neat product and (to your point) packaging for that Sniftag product! It’s more gadgety than anything but that’s part of your point!
Cool beans with the sites you showed, too! My personal/family site is just in its beginning stages (haven’t even settled on a theme yet; it’s a WP site), but I’m handy enough with code that I want to try to include some of the “easter eggs” you’re talking about. Even though my audience will be only about 12 people. ;-)
Might as well take this opportunity to mention that I absolutely love your site design. It’s a step beyond.
Greg
Beau 04/01 3:49pm
Snif-tag might be a nice addition for fans of Tyson. :)
http://skateboardingbulldog.com/
Love your design (go typography!)
Wenting lin 04/23 12:00am
我很喜欢小狗，但是我却养不起它们。
Robin 04/26 12:53pm
我不会英语，看啦哈，这个博客不错，我喜欢的风格，我网站现在还没有开通，有时间来我网站做做
Rak Design 07/02 8:25am
Excellent blog, very interesting. It definately seems that all too often the overall experience is just as, if not more important than the actual product, and this is specially the case when it comes to web design.
SJL Web Design 07/09 6:04am
Really enjoyed this post, I have never thought about the comparisons between web design and carefully and well planned packaging, but I totally see your point. On another point, going back to when you mentioned apple’s packaging. I recently purchased a macbook air and the box was one of the most extraordinary things I’ve ever ripped open!
Firebubble Design 07/18 8:26am
I love well planned packaging, when it makes you want to explore deeper into the box/wrapping and find new things. I love you comparison between this and web design and design in general! You should always try and catch your users imagination and want them to explore and get excited.
Jonllen Peng 07/26 10:29pm
I like this blog style very much!I want to used it in my website when I’m feel.
haha~`
Ryan 08/19 9:00am
YES! I agree with you! For me personally - I LOVE packaging. :D Sometimes, if I love it enough - I keep the bag. Or the box.
Also, I love your site design! Its so well done!
jc 08/29 11:24am
哪都能看到中文.......
うんこ 09/06 9:34pm
うんこですね。
Shminow 09/07 8:54am
The blog is very nice!I like it,and felt a warmed.I love the blog style,and I hope myself make a same it.
err…
mario 09/28 11:36pm
this is very nice..
Website design service 10/09 7:23am
It’s so cool. Thanks.
Carl Franke 10/20 7:42pm
First off, your site is gorgeous. Really nice job!
Yeah, I remember when I saw that Silverback site for the first time I honed in on the vines instantly and was mesmerized and just kept thinking “how the hell did they DO that?!”
Retro 10/28 6:09am
Great article, I brought a new kodak printer yesterday and I swear they make it smell a certain way when you first open it. Although I love great packaging, I’m not so keen on unnecessary packaging. If a company can get the right balance, then I’m happy.
Christchurch Motels 11/08 6:33am
Sniftag is mind blowing. I am wonderstruck with the way technology has catching up with humans. I am sure dog lovers will be on cloud nine on hearing about sniftag. Thanks for sharing this with us.
شات 11/21 9:46am
that phone is so great i will bay one soon >> thanx
Magnetic Signs 12/03 12:20pm
Interesting post, never would of thought about the comparisons between packaging and web design. Also I really like the sniftag packaging, very well thought out.
Thanks for sharing.
ring 12/16 12:57am
Thanks for sharing this great article! That is very interesting Smile I love reading and
I am always searching for informative information like this.
Daniel 12/16 5:17pm
Lovley site :) Enjoyable reading.. I like the idea, that, there could be “secrets” .. normally on a logo, you have to click, and it takes you to the frontpage of the site, on my logo, when you hover, a mootools effect, makes it a little nicer, and a link appears.. thats kinda the same thing :)..
jewelry 12/17 12:54am
It’s so cool. Thanks.
ClubPenguinCheats 12/22 3:43am
You have a very lovely site, and I loved reading your ‘About Me’ page and smiled when you mentioned the mitten and the trolls for Michigan.
I can only dream about having a site like this :lol:
Paloma 01/05 10:11pm
I just stumbled upon your website and enjoy exploring it. It is the whole style of this blog which I do like very much.
nice web portfolio 01/06 8:59am
nice article and informative and your portfolio is also very good i want friendship with you i am also designer
Martin 01/09 4:39pm
Today I felt like having a Christmas package because I bought the Logitech G9x. The package is really high-quality.
nicolas 01/24 4:23pm
I think christmas websites are really seldom.
mod converter 01/30 6:26am
seldoms are invaluable.
Campervan Hire Australia 02/03 1:52am
Inspiring design work has me thinking about Christmas 2010.
Ash Value 02/03 5:59am
I love packing as anyone else, but it is a stick with 2 ends to it. As packing plays important role in presentation it can dramatically increase sales to certain type of goods, and sometimes can be the only major factor in marketing certain goods but the end of stick is environmental issues as amount of people who against unnecessary extra packing is increasing every day. So to create attractive packing and not to cross line of “unnecessary” waste is becoming harder and harder and take hat down to those who have such skill
Ash Value 02/03 6:12am
Regarding creating such feeling on web for me new, but its so makes sense. Question is where is the line of its usability. It should work (at least worth experimenting here) with on-line gadgets, games, music, gifts, certain unique experiences - example personal horoscopes and so on, basically entertainment related. But is there anyway of interpreting this feeling to other sites: e-commerce, informational and educational sites, blogs?
Patrick Schwarz 02/11 10:00am
Very interesting article. Thank you for the information.
Grafica 02/15 4:33pm
Thanks for sharing this great article! That is very interesting Smile I love reading and
I am always searching for informative information like this.
And I´ll try it in my next projects.
Thanks a lot!!
Spanish homes 02/19 8:50am
Really pretty designs
Pinky 02/22 5:41am
I love you comparison between this and web design and design in general!
insanity 02/24 10:17pm
it’s always nice to open up nice packages, great article and love the pics
m65 03/01 9:11pm
very nice website i really found the information helpful and thanks a lot for this great article
fabian 03/05 7:00am
Yes nice artikel thanks for share…
and kompliment for this site.