Chances are, it’s not just the bright orange colour or the shape of the packaging that grabs your attention, it’s the image on the carton itself. But here’s the juicy bit: there’s actually science behind this! A recent study from Delft University of Technology dives into the connection between how oranges are shown on packaging and how much we’re drawn to the juice inside. Spoiler alert: it’s all about those visual cues that scream “juicy!”
The Backdrop of the Study
When it comes to food packaging, designers focus a lot on colour and shape. But the team behind this study, led by Francesca Di Cicco and colleagues, realised that not enough attention is paid to the images used on the packaging, particularly how the food looks. They hypothesised that a juicier-looking orange on the package might just make the juice seem tastier, healthier, and better overall. And who wouldn’t want that?
The inspiration for the study came from 17th-century paintings. Back then, artists had an uncanny ability to make fruit look so real, you’d almost want to pluck it off the canvas. Researchers thought: if painters can make an orange look juicy, why can’t packaging designers do the same?
The Juicy Experiment
To test their theory, the researchers created four versions of orange juice packaging. Each had subtle tweaks to the image of the orange depicted. They adjusted two key visual cues:
- Highlights on the pulp: Those shiny, glossy bits that make the orange look like it’s bursting with juice.
- The peeled side: Showing the inside of the orange, which can add a hint of texture and translucency.
The researchers then recruited 400 participants through an online platform. Each person was shown one of the four packaging designs and asked to rate various attributes, like how natural, healthy, and tasty they thought the juice would be. They also rated the perceived juiciness of the orange itself.
What Did They Find?
Turns out, those little tweaks made a big difference. Here are the highlights (pun intended):
- Shiny pulp matters: Packages with highlights on the orange pulp made the fruit look significantly juicier. This alone boosted the perceived quality and tastiness of the juice.
- The peeled effect: Showing the peeled side of the orange didn’t have much impact on its own. But when combined with highlights, it enhanced the perceived quality and taste of the juice.
- Juiciness equals tastiness: There was a clear link between how juicy the orange looked and how tasty people expected the juice to be.
Interestingly, while these visual cues affected how people rated the quality and tastiness of the juice, they didn’t strongly influence perceptions of healthiness or naturalness. That might be because all the packages had an orange on them, which already screams “healthy” to most of us.
Why Does This Matter?
This study is a wake-up call for packaging designers. It shows that the way food looks on a package, not just the shape of the box or the font of the label, can play a massive role in how we perceive the product. It’s a reminder that “we eat with our eyes first,” as the saying goes.
The team behind the research also suggests that insights from vision science should be a bigger part of the packaging design process. By understanding what visual cues make something look more appealing, designers can create packages that not only look good but also communicate the right message about the product inside.
So, What’s Next?
This study focused on oranges and juice, but the findings could be applied to all sorts of food and drink packaging. Imagine a bag of crisps with the perfect golden crunch shown on the front, or a chocolate bar wrapper that glistens just right. The possibilities are endless.
For now, the takeaway is simple: if you want your juice to stand out, make sure the orange on the package looks as juicy as possible. A bit of shine can go a long way in catching the eye – and maybe even convincing someone to pick your product over the one next to it.
So, next time you’re in the juice aisle, take a closer look at the cartons. Which ones make your mouth water? Chances are, they’ve nailed the science of juicy design.
