March 5, 2013

I was an odd child. My mom often recounts finding floral beads, marbles, smooth rocks, fake decorative grapes (from those fake fruit displays), and so much more in my pockets at the end of each day—wondering where in the heck it all came from.  At the time, I just knew that I liked the way those things felt in my hand. I know…weird… don’t judge.

I have recently realized that I still have this same overwhelming attraction to these smooth, round shapes– but instead of picking up random things from God knows where— it now plays out with the packaging that I am drawn to and the products that I purchase. It’s made me wonder about the roles that shape  and “touchability” play in packaging.

Here’s what I learned:

• Touch is one of the most universal senses— it transcends language and culture.  Some even view touch as a language of its own—one that is learned well before writing and speech.
• Studies have found that touching an object creates a feeling of ownership and, that, if a person has a positive response to the touch, she is more willing to pay for it.
• Although shape is the first thing the human eye recognizes, it is second in the hierarchy of packaging communications (after color).
• Women prefer rounded shapes to linear ones and are drawn more to cosmetic products with a feeling of smoothness, regardless of its functional effectiveness.

These are a few of the products that I just had to buy recently, solely because I liked the way they looked and felt in my hand. (Turns out, I actually like all of the products too!)

(Counter Clockwise from Top Left: 1) EOS Hand Lotion 2) Rohto Ice Eye Drops 3) Sephora Dual Pencil Sharpener 4) EOS Lip Balm 5) Fabulosity Perfume by Kimora Lee Simmons)