Apple+MacBook+Packaging

=ENGL 7741: Digital Media and Literacy Assignment #2=

Kevin McKenzie, Kim Moulton, David White = = = = = = = = = = = Apple MacBook Pro packaging/box exterior =

Structure

 * Thin, "simple" cardboard box
 * Layer of slick printed cardboard; coated with non-glare protective varnish, silky to the touch without registering fingerprints
 * White on black text -- very clean appearance
 * Design based on minimalist principles, high visual appeal

Components

 * Black plastic handle on top
 * "MacBook Pro" and extremely diminutive Mac OS logo on top with sticker detailing product specifications and components
 * Image of laptop on front and back of box
 * Front or lid shows side view, Back or base shows keyboard and monitor view
 * "MacBook Pro" in bold font above image with particular model (15 inch widescreen, etc) in smaller font below, side view image of computer
 * Apple logo top right corner, but "Apple" is not written verbatim anywhere on the box
 * Images along one thin side of box -- "iLife included," "Built-in iSight camera with iChat," and "Intel Core 2 Duo"
 * Large Apple logo center-aligned on opposite thin side of box
 * Apple copyright and trademark information on bottom of box, very small font, also warehouse stock sticker and computer identifying information (serial #, etc.)



The main visual components of the MacBook Pro box: front/lid, back + side visuals, back + side logo, and the old design (white)

To put it simply, Apple chose this style of packaging intending to sell laptops, but furthermore, to sell their philosophy. Apple products are about minimizing, simplifying, cleanliness, and user experience; with each new generation and/or model of the iPod, for example, the device shrinks, buttons disappear, screens become brighter. Apple preaches that products should be enjoyable to use, easy to understand, and additionally, they should be beautiful. Their packaging is no different. Compared to the Dell laptop packaging, consisting of rough, unfinished cardboard and black text with no images, the MacBook Pro box is a work of art. It's simple to open; no box cutters or scissor necessary. It's clean, with virtually no words printed to distract from the laptop itself. With this style of packaging, Apple hopes the minimalist approach will allow the laptop itself to speak to the potential customer, no extra and unnecessary "stuff" to distract. Let the customer experience the MacBook Pro, and the product will sell itself.


 * **Side image of open laptop** (front of box): The designers' intent with this image seems to be to achieve a sense of balance, simplicity, and cleanliness, which suggests a conscious effort to avoid clutter or over-stimulation. Attention has clearly been given to elements of design which achieve that end. The intention here is to underscore that the product within is of such high quality that it doesn't require a lot of busy decoration or trappings; it will speak for itself. Additionally, the "Z" eye movement achieved in the image directs the eye to the understated logo in the top right corner. The intention here is to get the viewer to //experience// opening the computer. It is a visceral appeal to that moment of lifting the monitor for the first time, cultivating a heightened sense of anticipation of that first interaction with the new computer. It should be noted that the image shows the laptop open at a 90 degree angle: this angle is impractical for actual use, but allows the highest resolution image possible in the space provided and creates harmony between the right-angle image and the box shape


 * **Keyboard and monitor view** (back of box): A single large image of the product fills the available space. The intention of this image is similar to that of the front of the box, but is achieved through a slightly different approach. The proportions of the image are approximately 90% actual size providing viewers with a strong sense of what the computer will look like when open before them. There still seems to be an effort to avoid clutter: the entire keyboard and monitor are visible as is the "dock" the trademark Apple application launcher. There is no text whatsoever; it is the computer alone that greets the eye of the consumer. Again, the intention is to imply that the quality of the product requires no other proof than that which is self-evident. A sense of motion is achieved here through the use of perspective and depth, creating again a visceral appeal to the actual use of the computer. Also noteworthy is the depiction of the default (rather than a representative personalized) background image. The intention being to inspire the consumer with a sense of creative potential.

>
 * **Side views:** Side A) Apple logo: The logo is prominent, center-aligned and stark white on black. Pure minimalist symbolism, demonstrating complete confidence in consumer brand recognition of the company and its products. No text, no "Apple" appellation, just the simplest possible use of space. An extremely attractive visual design intended to waste not a moment of a potential consumer's time. Side B) three images: The most significant visual is the Intel Core 2 Duo "image." This does not appear to be the standard trademarked Intel logo for this product; it lacks the Intel swoosh and is not in the Intel logo font. An interesting statement that signals Apple's independence and influence while reassuring consumers that the product is now fully compatible with Microsoft Windows OS which utilizes the same chips. The other images show features that will allow consumers to use the product for social networking and photo/video editing signaling that this product is all about being connected to and communicating with the rest of the world.
 * **Black plastic handle:** The intent of the black handle is to not distract from the images of the laptop. Furthermore, the black of the handle disappears into the black of the box when the handle is not in use. This fits with the goal of cleanliness, simplicity, and balance. Apple hopes the customers will not be distracted by the handle, and that their eyes will be drawn to the colorful, clean images of the laptop.

> >
 * **Slick printed cardboard**: The intent of the slick cardboard is first and foremost to provide a clean visual backdrop for the images featured on the package. The non-glare, fingerprint-proof finish is both useful and aesthetically pleasing. The package is resistant to any marring that might occur during shipping and transport, maintaining the visual cleanliness intended by the designers. More striking than the visual intent of the slick cardboard is the tactile sensation that it achieves. The noticeable silkiness of the finish gives the package a uniquely smooth and clean feel. In so doing, the designers have paralleled with the sense of touch what they accomplished through sight.
 * **Ultra-slim box**: Apple has made the 2010 MacBook and MacBook Pro boxes 53% smaller than the 2006 first generation boxes. This efficient packaging saves Apple money on materials and shipping, and allows them to reduce their waste. According to Apple.com, approximately 80% more 2010 MacBook boxes fit on each shipping pallet, reducing the number of pallets necessary and the number of planes and ships necessary to ship, thus using less CO2. Apple intends to market itself as the greenest company possible, but these changes also save them much money.

//Overall Impact://
The packaging for the MacBook Pro has undergone and continues to undergo design changes from one generation of product to the next. It should be noted that earlier renditions of the packaging featured black on white text (a white box): the new black box represents both a 180 degree about-turn and a greater investment in design and packaging. The black card is potentially easier to damage or mar, necessitating a varnish coating so that ink does not lift from the surface. The resulting visual difference is dramatic: the black appearance is bold, the image of the open laptop stands out--the text pops out and the logo is bright. The black reinforces the minimalism: there is nothing now to look at except the product itself. The design says that the box is nothing at all, it's what is inside that matters (especially the back of the box with the large size image). The package design mirrors the product itself, clean, minimalist: it is saying in bold terms: "it's not the hardware that matters, it's what you can do with it that counts" hence the images on the side panel which are merely suggestive rather than representative. The packaging design says so little directly about the product that it almost elevates it to an object of desire, rather than a functional tool for word-processing, email, internet surfing, etc. It is almost as if the designers don't want anything to come between the consumer and the sense of the product, not even the box itself. Even the image change, from a closed laptop on the old white box to the open laptop on the new black box, speaks volumes: it says open me up, take me for a spin, I'm everything you imagine me to be, and more.


 * **Side image of open laptop** (front of box): As you take in the image, the first element noticed is the clean right angle formed by the open computer. The lines of the monitor and computer base being parallel to the edges of the box also contribute to a clean overall appearance that lends a sense of balance to the image despite the the large amount of open (black) space. Moreover, the small white Apple logo in the top right corner serves as a counter weight to the rest of the image and further imparts a sense of balance. The impact of the understated, white "MacBook Pro" text is also one of cleanliness and simplicity. While the image is indeed simple, the eye movement invloved in experiencing it does suggest some action. As the eye moves from the top of the monitor, to the text in the middle, then along the bottom of the computer, a rough "Z" shape is achieved, lending an aspect of motion to the image.


 * **Keyboard and monitor view** (back of box): The design elements of the front-view open computer image continue the theme of cleanliness, simplicity, and balance from the box front. As the image is perfectly centered on the box, a sense of balance is instantly achieved. The lines formed by the base of the computer, the joint of monitor and keyboard, and the top of the monitor are parallel to the top and bottom edges of the box, contributing to the sense of balance as well as imparting a clean feeling to the image. The absence of text of any kind, together with the default background image on the monitor create a sense of simplicity that is in line with the overall theme of the package. The vertical lines, however, are not parallel to the edges of the box because the use of perspective is employed to give the image depth. Not only does this impart a three-dimensional effect to the image, but it also achieves a sense of movement.

>
 * **Side views**: Side A) Apple logo: The impact on the consumer here is one that maintains the prevalent minimalist theme and further suggests cleanliness and simplicity. The white Apple logo stands out against the all black background, drawing attention to the brand in a clear, yet understated way. The absence of text implies (correctly) that no further explanation is necessary for identifying the brand, creating within the consumer a sense of comfort about the authority and quality level of the product. Side B) Three images: The imact of these images maintains the pervasive minimalism of the packaging while also functioning to convey relevant information. Interested consumers can quickly find what they need to know about the processing and connectivity capabilities of the product. The designers achieve that somewhat utilitarian end without sacrificing the smooth cleanliness of the entire package.
 * **Black plastic handle**: A semi-recent change from the white plastic handles on older MacBook Pro boxes, this black handle echoes the clean design of the box itself. Because the colors of the handle and box match, the handle appears to disappear into the box itself, and looks to be an extension of the box. While the past white handle may distract from the image of the laptop due to the contrast of colors, the black handle allows the focus to stay on the images of the laptop itself (and the Apple logo), where Apple wants the customers' eyes to naturally gravitate.

>
 * **Slick printed cardboard**: Sight is clearly not the only sense the designers were looking to stimulate. While the non-glare finish to the cardboard is visually appealing, most striking is the way it feels to the touch. There is a surprising silkiness to the feel of the packaging that is quite noticeable. Consumers who are used to either the roughness of typical cardboard boxes or the plastic sensation of other ones will be pleasantly surprised by the unique feel offered by the MacBook Pro packaging.
 * **Ultra-slim box:** While the box itself might not communicate greenness to the consumer, the recyclable stickers on the bottom surely do. Many of Apple's customers will appreciate the company's attempts to reduce their carbon footprint, and be more willing to buy a computer from a company that uses its resources carefully than one that wastes material.

Related Areas for Inquiry

 * Packaging of the Apple MacBook, the newest generation of MacBook Pro packaging, iPad packaging
 * Dell, Toshiba, and other PC packaging
 * Comparing Apple desktop computer packaging to their laptop packaging
 * Apple advertising campaigns

Relevant Research
>
 * Lick Me, I'm a Macintosh
 * Meet the Apple Packrats

Recommendations for Teachers
By encouraging students to look at product packaging through an analytical eye, we can teach our students more about the creative process. Every choice in the styling of the packaging is a conscious decision made by (or approved by) the company, just as each word in the books they read was carefully chosen by the author. By breaking down the reasons behind the creative process of packaging, we can help students understand the similar creative process of writing.

If teachers wanted to craft this research into a full lesson plan, they could have students redesign the packaging of a product, making note of the reasons why they made each of their design decisions. Another option would be to have students imagine that they (or their writing) were the product, and create and describe the packaging that they believes tells the most about the "product" -- themselves, their writing, or any other direction the teacher chooses to go with this assignment.