Multi-sensory Design

Packaging design has historically relied on visual properties to engage the customers and to communicate the product. However, such an approach is non-inclusive and vulnerable to data loss. The current paper supports the notion of a multi-sensory design that integrates multiple communicative properties (visual, auditory, tactual, olfactory and gustatory), in order to make the experience available to everyone, to redu-ce data loss and to contribute to happiness. A decade of studies has proven that a multi-sensory design (MSD) approach, can impact at a cognitive level by contributing to the mental well-being through senso-ry activation and product engagement. Thus, MSD has both an economic and an ecological value. As the United Nations are continuing their efforts to achieve the sustainable development goals, an MSD approach could help reach these goals; mainly Goal 3 Good health and well-being, Goal 12 Responsible consumptions and Goal 13 Climate actions. The purpose of the current study is to understand how sensory elements are applied, and in what way they are manifested in packaging design today. To achieve the objectives, the current study has applied a quantitative content analysis in order to understand how MSD is applied in packaging design. Moreover, the analysis aimed to understand how sensory properties are used for marketing communication, and to find possible correlations between the level of applied MSD, the product materials and the price. For the analysis, 13 chocolate products from different price ranges were selected; as chocolate consumption is associated with evoking emotions. The content analysis revealed that all sensory properties, with the exception of olfactory, were present on all packages. Although olfactory was found on the packages that used a combination of card-board and plastic materials, the result was non-conclusive. Additionally, the analysis found that visual properties were dominant in marketing communication and that plastic materials emitted most sound. Fur- thermore, the analysis did not find that the higher-price products had more sensory elements.