Simplicity Is Highly Valued by Consumers

Streamlined design has now become intrinsic to everyday products including those in the beauty industry, says Kenneth Hirst.

Written By: Kenneth Hirst

AUTHOR BIO: Kenneth Hirst, founder of Hirst Pacific Ltd, is an award-winning product, packaging and retail interior designer. Hirst’s versatility and expertise have encompassed a wide range of disciplines—from luxury goods, consumer products, consumer packaging, home wares, and health and beauty products to medical equipment, electronic devices, lighting, retail environments and furniture design.

In present day America, when consumers enter the marketplace, they experience not only a bombardment of products, but are stifled by an overabundance of information on packaging labels. Consumers frequently become strained when forced to choose from a laundry list of adjectives. The possibilities for hair packaging include: restoring, hydrating, nourishing, strong hold, bodifying, deep shine, and pro elements. In the end, the accumulation of information leaves consumers overwhelmed. In the past, research has shown that when a consumer’s choice is restricted by a lesser amount, they are more satisfied with their purchase than when offered an array of selections. Therefore, marketers should focus on the idea “less is more.” In addition to providing fewer options, designers and marketers should focus on the importance of simplicity. Design success can be achieved by embracing a minimalist approach with the use of “clear calls to action” and “easy to read messages.” This trend has slowly been making its way to the marketplace.

One company, Help Remedies, embraced simplicity in the health care market and has made its way to stores and hotels throughout New York City. The company’s philosophy, “make solving simple health issues easy by stripping away all of the unnecessary marketing, and just helping consumers with a straightforward solution,” captures simplicity brilliantly by capitalizing on uncomplicated design and marketing strategy. Apple products serve as another example of basic design. Steve Jobs ensures his products are easy to use, sleek and compact or as advertisements say, they are “convenience made easy.” Jobs’ goal was to “refine elegance” and make the products feel as if they are the stars in the industry; however, his overall goal is to have his designs embody an image of a Porsche within the tech business. Apple’s high-end mainstream consumers enjoy purchasing these products because they are uncomplicated and create less clutter in their already complex lives. Streamlined design has now become intrinsic to everyday products including those in the beauty industry.

In the beauty business, simplicity has always been a way of industry leaders. In the past few years, more and more companies are applying straightforward design to their products. Two companies who have mastered clear-cut design include Chanel and NARS. The logos of these two brands use distinct typography and keep design to a minimum while communicating brand values to consumers and permitting them to be confident in their own assessments of the brand. A recent study in the Journal for Consumer Research suggests that when exposed to advertisements with less information, consumers engage with the brand/product more, leading to an increase in positive feelings toward that brand or product. The results of this study propose marketers should provide less information to increase positive consumer attitudes toward their brands. Designers in the future would benefit by creating a product that is simple, clean and pure, uncomplicating the offering, while amplifying consumer satisfaction.

Minimal, clean, uncomplicated, easy are all words that once described the anti-consumption movement in the 60s. Today, individuals are no longer opposed to consumption, but rather are more conscious of what they are consuming.