With designs on changing minds

The story on npd, “Boxing clever” (MW January 20), says “Designers are united in a plea for more rigorously defined and executed research.” It quotes Mark Wickens as saying “Most designers hate research because they think it screws up their pack designs.”

If designers took a more positive attitude towards research they would realise it provides a valuable contribution to progressive design development.

Furthermore, they could become more influential in formulating the type of information that is required to successfully establish a mood of change for npd. Updated interpretations would not only stimulate interest but also challenge the bastion of over-familiarity.

This will not happen unless marketing, design and resear-chers have a change of attitude. If money is spent on research, why not use it and establish the degree of change that consumers would accept in making retailing more interesting.

Peter McNeil

McNeil & Robinson

London WC1