The visual presentation of food on packaging is key in shaping consumer perceptions and decisions. Humans are highly visual, and food packaging that showcases the product in a realistic, appealing way can positively influence expectations about taste and quality. This is vital for packaged foods, where the packaging is the primary medium of consumer engagement and influences purchasing decisions.

Our research group use art, especially oil paintings to study human perception. We applied the knowledge learned from perceptual studies to packaging design in this paper.

Methodology

We made 4 variations of packaging images following a 2 X 2 design via digital manipulation of the highlights on the pulp (present vs. absent) and physical manipulation of the state of the orange (unpeeled vs. peeled). I took the photos in the studio with controlled lighting and made the mockup juice packages.

400 participants (100 x 4 groups) finished the online experiment. Each participant was randomly assigned to one of the four conditions and rated their perceptions of the juice's juiciness, expected quality, and tastiness based on the packaging design.

▲ Experiment design

Findings & Conclusion

The study found that the presence of highlights on the orange pulp significantly enhanced perceptions of the juice's juiciness, expected quality, and tastiness. The image of a juicy orange on the package, would elicit a better overall impression of the orange juice. This demonstrates the practical applications of vision science in packaging design and visual communication in general.