A college professor once told me it was harder, and more challenging, to work on a brand of bar soap than a line of German sports cars. His point was that anyone can make a sports car look good but it takes a really creative person to come up with new ideas to sell a bar of soap.
Before taking up a role in education he had successfully managed several advertising campaigns for non-fad products, including Ivory soap. So I took what he said to heart.
After reading this weeks New York Times Magazine apparently I'm not the only one to get the message.
Three years ago Eric Ryan, "a style and brand fanatic", decided the dish soap market was missing something — a well designed product. So he got together with a chemical engineering friend and created Method Home Care.
The result is a dish soap product that functions great but is designed so well that it received a design distinction award from I.D. magazine.
I'm not an expert in the soap market, but I know that when a three year old business starts giving well established corporations (remember where 'soap operas' come from) a run for their money and retail shelf space it's a pretty big deal. What's more remarkable to me is the success of this common household product is almost solely being credited to the packaging's design.
Lately I keep reading about the plight of the designer trying to sell the importance of good design to a client, boss, or co-worker. Even I have a friend who keeps telling me that I am not affordable.
Great design can turn heads, win awards, and earn enough free press to not need a traditional advertising budget. And it's not just for German sports cars, laptops, or products targeted towards Tweens.
If a guy can sell $10 Million dollars worth of soap mostly because he made it look like art then imagine what could be done with other overlooked, everyday products and services. Including the web.
Join the fray by reading through and commenting at the end.
I love the Method containers. (:
The shape and colours of those containers got me to choose the Mandarin dish soap in the 13oz/teardrop shape over my tried-and-true Palmolive.
It's good stuff.
Make anything look like a Macintosh these days and suddenly people think it has "good design". Even dish soap now, for cryin' out loud.
A couple notes: Greg, of course I agree. The Method products (at least the dish shop package) was designed by Karim Rashid, and I'm sure a big part of Method's success was the business deal that got them into Target as part of their 'desginer' series marketing strategy. Like every designer, I too have tried the dish soap, and I found the soap not so great and the package, while aesthetically lovely, quite poorly designed. It has the innovative approach/gimmick of being labelled 'upside down' so you store it with the opening on the bottom (theoretically helping you get every last drop, like turning the ketchup bottom upside down). The big functional problem is you have to use two hands to open and close the thing, which is very unpractical for anyone who likes to cook and actually does dishes. With Palmolive (not a great package but what a great name!) you just flick the cap with your thumb, squeeze onto your Dobie as you scrub away.
We've come to really like the Method line, and have tried just about all of the products (the peppermint-scented glass cleaner is a favorite of mine), but I have to disagree with you on one point, Tom. The dish soap container is designed so that you can leave the "cap" off, and simply pick it up and give it a squeeze when you need soap. There's a tiny valve in the base that gives under pressure, releasing the soap. We've found the valve keeps the container relatively mess-free.
I actually saw this stuff in Target the other week when I was looking for a glass and surface cleaner. However, when it costs a whole $2.50 more than a traditional 409 AND the 409 comes more, I'm sorry, art loses every time. Especially since I'm a college student on a college budget.
Granted, the bottles are pretty. If I wanted to have an upscale party I'd just put those bottles every where. Mmmm :)
It's amazing how one can take something really simple and turn it into an attractive, must-have object. Karl Rove must have taken a few cues from those folks.
Very valid observation Greg. Thanks!
Thanks Greg. I'm suddenly a lot prouder to be a graphic design major. :)
Interesting read (and beautiful products too.)
Can anyone recommend any good reads that do a good job at supporting the concept of why good presentation layer is an essential component within technical (browser-delivered) projects?
Please do not suggest anything by Jakob Nielson.
Thanks.
I love good design as much as the next guy -- and I think it's important to put the Method products in the "good" design category, because there's nothing particularly groundbreaking about them -- but in terms of my own use of the products, I've found them to be inferior to other brands. The dishwashing liquid especially -- it can't hold a candle to Dawn. They use that stuff to clean up oil spills, for chrrisakes.
For me, the message of Method is that good design is an effective foot-in-the-door with a consumer, but you still have to deliver on the goods if you expect to become a repeat purchase. I was halfway through my bottle of Method when it started "decorating" the workplace kitchen as opposed to my own.
I haven't tried the Method line. I saw it at Target and assumed it was some kind of store brand because it has the same veneer of overdesignedness as the rest of their "designed for Target" stuff. Who knew?
Method's package designs are really great. They have a target market that is willing to pay extra for unique design. It is something people will not hesitate to leave next to the kitchen sink. The package also has a certain interactivity because of its unique method of dispensing the product.
spygeek: Overdesignedness? I don't think anything can be over designed. Any great designer is never fully satisfied with his/her work. If by overdesignedness you mean cluttered, busy, etc., I understand. I personally do not like putting design in a category that can be overdone, like overeating. Don't mean to rave, just an observation.
Great article and analyses. I am a first time reader, and will be back for more.