Introducing DesignCounts: quantitative packaging evaluation from the design research experts

11.02.21


Say hello to the new way to research packaging design online!

DesignCounts is The Big Picture’s innovative quantitative approach to validating new designs, informed by behavioural economics and utilising gamification to replicate system 1 shopper responses.


 

So what’s new?

Rather than relying on generic norms or assessing new designs in a vacuum solely against your current pack, DesignCounts uses advanced software and survey design to add multiple competitor benchmarks to every study. This enables brand and insight teams to assess KPIs against their real market context, providing a robust foundation for strategic decision-making.

 

We’ll give you a clear, 360° view of your design’s performance, by measuring:

An ongoing challenge for online quant research has been how to reliably capture visual standout – online eye tracking lacks the necessary accuracy to test at-shelf impact.

We addressed this by developing PatternID, our proprietary salience assessment tool, created in partnership with leading Behavioural Economist Nick Southgate. In this test, consumers are challenged to use their pattern recognition skills to assess which designs have the best stand out on-shelf.

Our findability exercise uses the latest survey software to dynamically test navigation in a range of different shelf layouts, so we can be confident your products will be found in any environment.

We replicate the noise and clutter of the real-shelf environment to elicit the shopping mindset, which allows us to assess the real impact design can have on purchase decisions. By evaluating the design in the competitive context we can understand if it compels shopper to buy.

The combination of shopability, findability and salience helps us assess your design’s performance at each stage of the purchase funnel/journey.

We recognise that communications need to work at both a system 1 and 2 level, and have the tools to assess both.

This guarantees insights that span both the immediate impressions communicated at shelf, as well as the more considered messages consumers consciously engage with on pack.

 


 

Integrated insight, fusing quant data with qual insights

Our ‘best practice’ approach also includes additional qual interviews to further explore design communication with consumers, providing rich insight, interpretation and direction.

Fusing qual and quant narratives into an integrated story has been a huge hit with our clients and has facilitated faster, better-informed decision-making in the face of strategic challenges.

We put a lot of energy into ensuring we collect the highest quality data, however, it’s what we do with it that really counts. Fear not, we won’t deliver death by data tables; our impactful output will leave your team and design partners energised and clear on the next steps required in design development.

 


 

“The blend of implicit and explicit questions in DesignCounts really made us consider different aspects of how the packs were viewed by shoppers. In particular, the difference between how the design works when quickly glanced on-shelf, versus the more considered view when ‘in the hand’. This balanced view was essential for giving us a full understanding of our proposed new design and guidance on how to progress.”

Jo Soanes, Senior Insight Manager at Britvic 

Get in touch if you’d like to hear more about DesignCounts, or if you think you have a brief that is well suited to this approach.