OUGD601 - Primary Research - Real Life Opinions

I found a very useful article online which questioned actual heavyweights from the craft beer industry.. (https://idesigni.co.uk/blog/best-craft-beer-label-design/)



- James Watt - Co-founder of Brewdog
- Pete Schneider - sales manager at Maui Brewing Co
- Martin Justesen - Logo, corporate identity, label and packaging designer for Evil Twin Brewing, 
- Nick Dwyer - graphic designer, illustrator and creative director at Beavertown Brewery -- Jim Caruso - CEO of the Flying Dog Brewery: the brand that features illustrations from the legendary Ralph Steadman on its label designs.

"As brewers fight for the attention of the beer drinking masses, beer label design has reached incredible new heights of creativity. Purchasing an evening’s supply at a craft ale shop now has more in common with wandering round a gallery space with all the artistic talent on display. Amid the carefully assembled display units you could be forgiven for thinking a simple question: has designing a striking label become more important than the beer itself?

To discover more about the importance of good design to this booming industry, as well as what it takes to create the perfect beer label, we asked the opinion of some of the true heavyweights of the craft beer world"

I took the questions asked, and then each of their answers and summarised this for my own use within my own primary research, with the idea that I could compare their answers with that of the general public as well as specialists/connoisseurs who work in Leeds too:

1. How do you think design has played a roll in the recent boom in craft beer?

Ja   - all about creativity & experimentation with the actual beer, the packaging should reflect this.

       - demonstrates personality and originality

P    - compare to 20 years ago when it was all commercial & traditional 

      - opportunity to reflect the creation of something eye-catching & new

M   - Stand out from constantly expanding community

      - no longer exclusively for beer geeks, but for a broader audience: food enthusiasts, former wine drinkers – the look of the beer can make the difference between picking it up from the store shelves or not.  

N    -  Creativity & innovation brewers put into creating the beer spills and translates directly into the artwork.

      - Not just a way of giving beer a strong identity but also assigns breweries real personality

      - gives smaller companies an advantage over the commercial big boys!

2. What makes a good beer label design?

Ja   - eye-catching and unique                                                                                             

       - communicate character and attitude of the brewery and the beer        

       - reflects personality                                                                               

       - can compare it to fashion and how we dress ourselves to express

P     - you have so little of the consumers time now, the packaging has to be inviting enough to stand out on a shelf. 

       - create fond remembrance - XD design

M     - Needs to work from a distance and up-close

N     - doesn’t have to be crazy and eccentric - simple info laid out clearly and stylishly

3. Do you ever feel the label is more important than the beer?

Ja.  - Never, beer is king!

P     - Unfortunately, yes - some brands really push their identity further than the beer itself

M     - for some I’m sure it is yes - like with any other packaging design 

       -  the design should be an extension of the brands personality

N.    -  No! Even our names come after we have tried the beer itself

       -   we would never try to be so bold as to conceptualise a design & name before we knew if the beer was right/what we were aiming for, the design comes after as its a visual representation of the beer.

      -  doesn’t matter if beer packaging is beautiful and iconic, if the taste is boring or bad it will be discarded, thats what they will remember about it!

I took the questions asked above and developed them for the broader audience I would be questioning

- I introduced one at the start asking what normal people identify as craft beer, just to ensure everyone understands the context and we can gather actual outsiders opinions on the matter too

- I also changed the wording of the last question so it was more suitable for everyone, making people consider how they would initially decide between beer - taste or aesthetic? - rather than which they think is more important...

1. What do you identify as craft beer?
2. How do you think design has played a roll in the recent boom in craft beer?
3. What makes a good beer label design?
4. What comes first when deciding between brands for you? Taste or aesthetic?

General Consensus from asking the general public:

- I spoke to a mixture of creatives in Leeds - undergrad & professionals; and also other industry professionals (and undergrads) so my sample was not biased / all from a design background.

1. What do you identify as craft beer?

• “Fancy Beer”
• Individual and unique beer - not commercial
• Homemade / hand crafted 
• Special / high-end and more expensive

2. How do you think design has played a roll in the recent boom in craft beer?

• More modern
• Eye-catching, bold designs scream luxury compared to that of Carling, Stella, etc
• Has to stand out on the shelf vs all the other options

3. What makes a good beer label design?

• Legibility 
• Combinations of Imagery and Type which create the ‘scene’ and ‘mood’ of the beer on the label
• Bold colours, something which jumps off the shelf at you

4. What comes first when deciding between brands for you? Taste or aesthetic?

• Price is a factor
• Aesthetics and price - Appealing yet affordable
• Its about experimentation and trying new flavours so sometimes it is nice to let the visuals be the decider. 

This reflects how craft is now generally accepted by all and people understand how it has changed the beer industry, however upon my question of which factor comes first when deciding between beer brands it was made clear how for some, price was the largest factor closely followed by aesthetic - people want something appealing yet affordable. 

But the larger percentage of my sample who were craft drinkers yet saw price as no object (this is suggestive of the audiences surrounding craft) did point out how for most it is all about experimentation and trying new flavours, so sometimes it is nice to let the visuals be the decider. 

______________________________

Cody from Tall Boys Beer Market in Leeds 

1. What identifies as craft beer?

• Don't necessarily use the term craft - puts a timeframe/constraint on it
• It is typically good, considered beer

2. How do you think design has played a roll in the recent boom in craft beer?

• Provides strong identity for the brewer; they can tell their story; they want it to look good, feel artisan and fit into the newer, bolder market.

3. What makes a good beer label design?

• Depends on the taste of the beer and allowing it to reflect on and tell a story about the beer

4. What comes first when deciding between brands for you? Taste or aesthetic?

• All about the flavour

5. But, do you think some people do decide entirely on aesthetic?

• When you aren’t familiar with taste then you do rely on the aesthetic and the content provided on the bottle to entice you into buying it - it has to tell a story and reflect the specific vibe of the beer though
• This is where I would come in and help the consumer narrow down their choices and find a beer right for them.

It seems that what is driving the success in the craft beer industry, is that the product itself must work on two levels. While good design can be a huge factor in persuading people to buy a beer and connect them emotionally to a brewer, if the beer doesn’t taste right, then all is lost. Beer might still be king, but to conclude, the design of the label and packaging is still a key factor and technique in the rise of independent craft beer.