Food Quality and Preference 27 (2013) 817

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Food Quality and Preference

journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/foodqual

The design of consumer packaging: Effects of manipulations of shape, orientation,

and alignment of graphical forms on consumers assessments
S.J. Westerman , E.J. Sutherland, P.H. Gardner, N. Baig, C. Critchley, C. Hickey, S. Mehigan, A. Solway,
Z. Zervos
Psychology of Design Group, Institute of Psychological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, United Kingdom

a r t i c l e

i n f o

Article history:
Received 6 January 2012
Received in revised form 22 May 2012
Accepted 27 May 2012
Available online 13 June 2012
Keywords:
Packaging design
Consumer assessments

a b s t r a c t
On-package graphics have the potential to inuence consumers product-related attitudes and behaviours. In the reported study graphics designs on the labels of two products (water and vodka) were
manipulated with respect to shape angularity, orientation, and leftright alignment. Participants evaluations indicated a preference for rounded shapes that could not be accounted for by differences in design
typicality; and preference for upward shape orientation. An interaction between these response variables
for ratings of purchase likelihood suggested that congruence between graphical and product form (droplet shape) may be advantageous. Effects of alignment were not consistent with existing theories, with
right-aligned graphics being preferred. An explanation that distinguishes processing efciency and hemispheric efciency is proposed. Finally, as predicted, a halo effect was apparent, such that effects of aesthetic manipulations extended to ratings of product attributes that were not experienced. Theoretical
and practical implications of these results are discussed.
2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

1. Introduction
Product packaging presents an important opportunity for manufacturers and retailers to communicate with the consumer, both at
the point of sale (Rettie & Brewer, 2000; Silayoi & Speece, 2007;
Simms & Trott, 2010) and through experience of a product over time
(Underwood, 2003). Packaging design provides product category
information, positioning a product within a category (Ampuero &
Vila, 2006), attracting attention to a product (Schoormans & Robben,
1997; Creusen & Schoormans, 2005), and communicating information regarding brand identity and brand values (see Bloch, 1995;
Schoormans, Eenhuizen-van den Berge, van de Laar, & van den
Berg-Weitzel, 2010; Snelders & Schoormans, 2004; Underwood,
2003; van den Berg-Weitzel & Van de Laar, 2003). Given that
aesthetic preferences relating to packaging design inuence consumers product attitudes and purchase decisions (Creusen &
Schoormans, 2005), and that aesthetic judgements can be
probabilistically related to simple design features, such as shape
and colour (Hekkert & Leder, 2008; Lindell & Mueller, 2011; but
see also Orth & Malkewitz, 2008), it would follow that an understanding of these associations bears on the issue of actionability
of design (see e.g., Snelders & Schoormans, 2004); i.e., the extent
to which it is possible to create designs that, on balance of probabil-

Corresponding author.
E-mail address: s.j.westerman@leeds.ac.uk (S.J. Westerman).
0950-3293/$ - see front matter 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.foodqual.2012.05.007

ity, will elicit particular consumer responses. Therefore, here we

examine the possibility that associations can be identied between
specic design features and consumers product preferences.
Of importance, in this regard, is the distinction between structural and graphical aspects of packaging (Schoormans et al.,
2010; Underwood, 2003). Graphical designs provide a useful applied research focus in that they are a relatively malleable design
feature, that does not have the practical constraints that apply to
packaging structure, e.g., with regard to the process of manufacture
(see e.g., Carbon, 2010), storage, and/or transportation. In the reported experiment we examine the effects of graphics shape angularity (angular versus rounded), orientation (upwards versus
downwards) and alignment (left versus right) on consumers
assessments of two products (water and vodka). In the following
sections we explain the theoretical bases for each these manipulations, in turn, and make experimental predictions.
1.1. Shape of graphics
Bar and Neta (2006, 2007) suggest there is a general tendency
towards preference for rounded as opposed to angular contoured
objects. In their studies, participants were required to make likedislike judgments in response to images of a wide range of semantically neutral objects. Given that presentation of angular contours
resulted in increased activation of the amygdala, Bar and Neta
(2007) concluded that preference was based on a fear response.
More recently, Leder, Tinio, and Bar (2011) replicated this average

S.J. Westerman et al. / Food Quality and Preference 27 (2013) 817

preference with images of objects of positive and neutral, but not

negative, intrinsic emotional valence. When considering implications for the design of consumer products, consistent with these
ndings, Leder and Carbon (2005) report a preference for rounded
car interiors; Carbon (2010) reports a preference for rounded car
exteriors; and Westerman et al. (in press) found that participants
tended to prefer rounded contours for the packaging of a chocolate
product and for water and bleach bottles. Of particular relevance
for current purposes, in this latter study preferences extended to
the shapes of on-packaging graphics.
However, the situation is more complex than these outcomes
suggest as there are exceptions to this pattern and caveats that apply. For example, Becker, van Rompay, Schifferstein, and Galetzka
(2011) found that participants evaluated angular shaped yoghurt
pots more positively than a rounded alternative. This may serve
to illustrate, when considering the design of consumer products,
the importance of contextual factors as determinants of preference
(see e.g., Bloch, 1995). Here we briey consider factors relating to
the current marketplace, changing fashions, and the consumer. Effects of market context are consistent with the fact that evaluations
in Becker et al.s study combined participants ratings of the items:
(i) superior product; (ii) eye catching; and, (iii) high quality. So,
in addition to preference, the extent to which a product is differentiated from its competitors may have been reected (see also e.g.,
Schoormans & Robben, 1997). An example of the importance of
temporal context is provided by Carbon (2010) who presents evidence relating to car designs suggesting that trends in shape preference (angular versus rounded) vary over time. Design shape
preferences may also be predictably related to consumer context.
For example, Zhang, Feick, and Price (2006) examined effects of
inducing independent versus interdependent self-construal (they
relate this to individualistic versus collectivist cultural perspectives) and public versus private consumption. Independent attitudes were associated with greater preference for angular, as
opposed to rounded, picture frames and company logos (studies 2
and 3, respectively) although this effect was substantially attenuated when participants thought their responses would be subject to
public scrutiny.
H1. The experiment reported here examined further the generality of shape preference and included a manipulation of angularity
in the context of the graphical designs applied to food packaging
(water and vodka bottles). Participants were presented with
designs (bottle labels) that included either rounded or angular
triangular shaped graphical designs (see Fig. 1). Consistent with
an underlying general preference for rounded shapes (Bar & Neta,
2006), it was predicted that participants would prefer rounded
rather than angular versions.
1.2. Orientation of graphical shapes
It has been suggested that the orientation of shapes can be an
important factor determining preference. Two theoretical positions
can be identied in support. First, Berlyne (1960) proposed that designs that appear top-heavy or in a relatively more precarious
state of balance will be less preferred (see p. 244). An alternative
theoretical perspective is provided by a series of studies conducted
by Aronoff and colleagues (Aronoff, Barclay, & Stevenson, 1988;
Aronoff, Woike, & Hayam, 1992; Larson, Aronoff, & Stearns, 2007;
Larson, Aronoff, Sarinopoulous, & Zhu, 2009) that was concerned
with the facial and bodily communication of emotion. They argued
for the adaptive importance of rapid threat detection based on
simple visual forms. As part of their investigations they asked participants to assess simple line drawings that varied in angularity
and orientation (upward- versus downward-pointing). They found
that downward-pointing angular, diagonal lines resembling a V
seemed to be particularly representative of facial displays of threat

Fig. 1. Examples of stimuli. The graphics for Bottle A are rounded, downward
oriented, and left-aligned. The graphics for Bottle B are angular, upward oriented,
and right aligned. Note: the content of the labels was not intended to imply
association with or identify any specic product, only to convey that the designs
were basic (simple) in form.

(Aronoff et al., 1992; Aronoff et al., 1988) and, using a speeded

search paradigm, that downward Vs and downward pointing triangles tended to capture attention and were detected more quickly
than upward Vs/triangles or circles (Larson et al., 2007). Their
results are consistent with those of Bar and Neta (2006, 2007) insofar as angularity of shape was associated with negative emotion
and also in that increased amygdala response was found to be
associated with the perception of downward pointing triangles
(Larson et al., 2009).
H2. In the reported study the orientation of on-package graphics (upwards- versus downward-pointing) was manipulated in factorial combination with shape (rounded versus angular). It was
predicted that designs that combine angular graphics and downward orientation would be particularly disliked.

1.3. Product type

An important issue for investigations of this type is the extent to
which consumers preferences for specic design features interact
with product type. This could arise as a result of associations between the packaging design and the characteristics of the product
contained within. Of relevance to this, Demirbilek and Sener
(2003; see also Creusen & Schoormans, 2005) highlight the inuence that symbolic meaning, as conveyed by product design, has
on the consumers affective response, and Underwood (2003)
considers the potential for shared symbolic meaning in the relationship between packaging and product. A relevant recent strand
of research concerns consumers perceptions of cross-modality
congruence/incongruence with regard to combinations of packaging design features (e.g., shape, colour) and product features (e.g.,
taste) (see Spence, 2012, for review). Product designs having
cross-modal correspondence are thought to be preferred (Schifferstein and Spence, 2008), although further research is required
(Spence, 2012). When considering effects of design shapes from this
perspective, in the study of Becker et al. (2011), mentioned above,
preferred angular containers were regarded as more potent and,

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S.J. Westerman et al. / Food Quality and Preference 27 (2013) 817

for participants identied as being high in sensitivity to design

(see Bloch, Brunel, & Arnold, 2003) this was associated with the
product having stronger taste. Similarly, Ngo, Piqueras-Fiszman,
and Spence (2012) reported that angular shapes (used in the
context of packaging label designs) tended to be associated with
sparkling water, whereas rounded shapes were associated with still
water. This may be attributed to congruent effects of taste sensations (see Spence, 2012). As a nal example, in a study of business
logo design, Fang and Mowen (2005, extended abstract) report that
rounded logos were preferred if the intended product was a vase,
but angular logos were preferred in the case of buildings (i.e., product-shape congruence).
In the reported experiment we tested effects of manipulations
of graphical designs on two products: vodka and water. Although
these products share the same physical form (see above), there
were a number of advantages associated with their selection,
including: (i) experimental control of container shape (the same
bottle design was used for both); (ii) experimental control of product form (both were liquids); (iii) product colour was not a confounding variable (see Ngo et al., 2012); (iv) packaging design
may be particularly important for low involvement nondurable
products (Underwood, 2003); and, (v) product function/experience
is markedly different.
H3. On the basis that an anticipated sharper taste will be associated with sharper shapes and that cross-modality congruence is
preferred, it was predicted that angular shapes would be more preferred (less disliked) on the vodka bottle. (This is predicated on the
comparison being with still, rather than sparkling, water
although this was not specied cf. Ngo et al., 2012.) In addition,
it is also possible that these products (water and vodka) differ in
perceived threat and that this will be a key construct (see H2). If
this is so, we could expect that designs that convey threat (particularly downward-oriented triangles) will be more incongruent
with the water product and will therefore produce the largest
between-product differences.
1.4. Leftright alignment of text and graphics
When considering the design of product labels, graphics are
typically combined with text. Given evidence of differences in cognitive processing and preference depending on leftright location
of text-graphics within the visual eld, this is another potentially
inuential design factor. A processing efciency hypothesis has
been advanced in this regard. The bases for this being that: (i)
stimuli from each side of the visual eld are processed by the
contra-lateral brain hemisphere; and, (ii) the left hemisphere is
biased towards verbal processing and the right hemisphere is
biased towards visuo-spatial processing
at least in dextrals
(see e.g., Hansen, 1981; Hellige, 1990, 1993). Differences in processing efciency can be extended to differences in preference by
referring to effects on processing uency (see Reber, Schwarz, &
Winkielman, 2004, for a detailed account of processing uency
and aesthetic perception). In the context of packaging designs,
Rettie and Brewer (2000) report evidence that is consistent with
this. Recall of briey presented (500 ms) material (verbal and
visual) was better when text was presented on the right and graphics on the left of the package. Similarly, when examining the design
of print advertising, Janiszewski (1990) found greater preference
for brand names that were on the right of verbal material and left
of visual material. Predicated on the verbal/visual material rather
than the brand name being the focus of attention, this would also
be consistent with the processing efciency hypothesis.
It is important to note there are a number of methodological
considerations with regard to studies of visual hemi-eld effects
(see Sergent & Hellige, 1986). For example, particularly with regard

to applied settings, determining the extent to which information

has been delivered to, and was processed by a single intended
hemisphere is problematic. In unconstrained viewing conditions
(with regard to stimulus duration and gaze direction) the assumption is that effects are produced because viewing is predominantly
in a given direction (see e.g., Beaumont, 1985). Other, more general, issues of concern include the extent to which the hemispheres
interact when processing information (Hansen, 1981) and differences in the nature of the information provided by peripheral
and foveal vision (Beaumont, 1985).
H4. Text and graphical components were included on the product labels used in this study. It was predicted that designs that had
the graphics component to the right of the text component would
be preferred, as this alignment would encourage hemisphere
appropriate processing.

1.5. Halo effect

The presence of a halo effect has been discussed in the context
of consumers appraisals of product designs (Hassenzahl, 2004;
Leuthesser, Kohli, & Harich, 1995). This may be manifest in a tendency for assessments of different product attributes and product-related attitudes to be positively correlated. Aesthetic
judgements may be particularly potent in this regard, given that
our rst perceptions of objects, people, products, music, and so
on, will typically be of the properties on which aesthetic judgements are based. Conrmation bias (Nickerson, 1998) will then
tend to colour subsequent assessments, to make them consonant
with our rst impressions. A number of studies have demonstrated
the potency of rst impressions in the context of design (e.g.,
Lindgaard, Fernandes, Dudek, & Brown, 2006), and evidence in
support of a halo effect has also been provided for assessments
of practicality/usability (Tractinsky, Katz, & Ikar, 2000) and taste
(Becker et al., 2011). Of course, in an experimental context a halo
effect may arise because participants feel a conscious need to be
able to rationalise their assessments
but it could also be more
generic and reect less conscious processing and be concerned
with the avoidance of unpleasant affective states that result from
cognitive dissonance (Festinger, 1957). To the extent that the latter
applies, halo effects, based on assessments of aesthetics, can be
expected to lead to important consumer-related outcomes, such
as inuencing purchase likelihood.
H5. It was predicted that a halo effect would lead to manipulations of product design inuencing a range of assessed variables,
including those for which participants did not have direct experience (e.g., whether the products would be considered to be nice
tasting or refreshing).

2. Method
2.1. Participants
One hundred and sixteen participants were recruited from the
students of the University of Leeds (49 females). The average age
of the sample was 22.12 years (sd = 4.23). Participants were
screened to make sure they bought and consumed alcohol (to ensure the vodka condition was ecologically valid). Participants cultural background was not recorded however, census data
indicate that with regard to ethnicity the student population of
the university is predominantly classied as white-British/EU
and of either no religion or Christian. Participants were randomly
allocated to the water or vodka conditions (see below). Sixty participants completed the vodka condition.

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S.J. Westerman et al. / Food Quality and Preference 27 (2013) 817

2.2. Design
Participants rated packaging designs on nine items (described
below). These were the dependent variables. Given the number
of product design alternatives that each participant had to assess
(8), the fact that the differences between them were relatively subtle, and that there was no nancial incentive for participation, the
number of items (9) was kept to a minimum to avoid rater fatigue
and unthinking responses. (Each participant provided 72 ratings.)
A mixed 2 (product type: vodka versus water)  2 (graphics
shape: angular versus rounded)  2 (graphics orientation: upwards
versus downwards)  2 (graphics alignment: left versus right) design was used to examine the effects of experimental manipulations
of label designs with product type being a between-subjects
variable and each manipulation of graphics being a within-subjects
variable. In addition, a regression analysis was used to examine the
extent to which purchase likelihood was predicted by other design
assessments.

1
2.3. Materials
A generic bottle design one that was considered plausible as a
container for either water or vodka was selected for this experiment. This had the advantages of: (i) controlling bottle shape
across product conditions; and, (ii) minimising possible brand
associations. A label was applied displaying a textual product
description (Vodka or Water), the word Basics (this was thought
to be congruent with, and provide some explanation for the simple
nature of the label design), and a graphic design comprising ve
shapes, identical in form but of varying sizes. Shapes were essentially triangular in form allowing orientation to be manipulated
but they varied in degree of angularity according to the experimental condition. The bottle was lled with water (in both product
conditions). In total there were sixteen label alternatives consistent with a factorial combination of the four independent variables.
Digital images were taken of each of the product designs for presentation to participants (see Fig. 1 for examples). The images used
were monochrome to control for possible product associations
with colour (see e.g., Ngo et al., 2012). The on-screen dimensions
of the bottle were approximately 35  125 mm, with the label
being 25  35 mm (the brand name occupied approximately
20 mm and the graphics approximately 10 mm width). Viewing
distance was approximately 55 cm. This meant that the label subtended a horizontal viewing angle of approximately 3.6. The use of
digital images, as opposed to real bottles, allowed greater control
over presentation (e.g., viewing angle) and facilitated sequencing
of presentations.
Participants were asked to rate each design on each of the following items using a 5-point Likert scale with Denitely not
and Denitely as the anchors:
1. I would purchase this product. This item was included on the
basis that purchase intention is an important applied outcome.
2. This design is attention grabbing. This item was included
because the functional value of packaging design extends
beyond engendering consumer preference. Getting a product
noticed can also be an important attribute and dissociations
have been noted between attention and preference (Schoormans & Robben, 1997; Valenzuela & Raghubir, 2009). Of course,
this item assumes that the relevant experience is accessible via
introspection. We return to this issue in the discussion.
3. This design is typical for this product. This item provided a
manipulation check and was included because typicality can
be an important determinant of preference (see e.g., Winkielman, Halberstadt, Fazendeiro, & Catty, 2006).

Rounded

Angular

Fig. 2. The interaction between contour and orientation for purchase likelihood.

1
Vodka

Water

Fig. 3. The interaction between product type and orientation for attention
grabbing.

4. This design is visually appealing. This item relates to participants assessments of visual aesthetics.
5. This design would be practical. This item was included to
enable consideration of possible halo effects (Tractinsky et al.,
2000), but also may reect participants assessments of information processing demands.
6. I think this product would be nice tasting. This item was
included to test the halo effect (see e.g., Becker et al., 2011).
7. I think this product would taste refreshing. This item facilitates assessment of halo effects. However, it was also thought
to differentiate the products (higher rating for the water product) and so was included as a useful manipulation check.
8. I nd this design pleasing. This item relates to the core affective state of the individual (Russell, 2003) and was included to
index a positive affective state (c.f. Watson, Clark, & Tellegen,
1988).

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S.J. Westerman et al. / Food Quality and Preference 27 (2013) 817

Table 2
Regression of ratings of purchase intention onto ratings for other items.

Beta
Attention
Typical
Appealing
Practical
Nice tasting
Refreshing
Pleasing
Annoying

0.089
0.159
0.173
0.174
0.005
0.061
0.196
0.168

P
2.513
5.415
4.259
5.771
0.132
1.652
4.693
6.621

0.012
<.001
<.001
<.001
n.s
n.s
<.001
<.001

R2 = 0.47, F(8, 919) = 101.019, p < .001.

1
Vodka

Water

Fig. 4. Interaction between product type and contour for ratings of typicality.

9. I nd this design annoying. This item was included to reect a

negative affective state.
2.4. Procedure
Participants were tested individually, with eight product designs
(those for either water or vodka) being computer-presented in a
random sequence. They were asked to assess each design on the
nine items listed above that were presented in a consistent
sequence (as listed above). Responses were self-paced. After
completing the ratings for each design participants were offered
the opportunity to take a short break (on-screen message) to reduce any effects of fatigue/boredom. Data were gathered in accordance with the ethics guidelines of the British Psychological
Society.
3. Results
Inter-item correlations (see Table 1) and a regression analysis
(see Table 2) were calculated to enable consideration of the
independence of the questionnaire items. These analyses were
conducted by treating each participants ratings for a design as a
case (n = 928). The regression analysis involved regressing participants ratings of purchase likelihood onto all other assessments.
Design manipulations were not included (but are analysed separately, see below).
Generally inter-item correlations were fairly moderate (and
none greater than 0.76), suggesting that the items were indices

of different aspects of participants assessments of the product designs. Regression diagnostics for multicollinearity indicated that
VIFs were all 63, (mean = 2.14), and tolerances were all P0.33.
This suggests that multicollinearity was not problematic (see Field,
2005). This was also supported by the results of the regression
equations, for which all items, with the exception of taste and
refreshing contributed unique variance to the prediction of purchase likelihood. Nevertheless, where strong correlations were
apparent consideration was given to aggregating item scores to
provide an index of a single underlying construct. Item 1 (purchase
likelihood) and item 2 (attention grabbing) were fairly strongly
correlated. However, in previous research these have been found
to be differentially related to design constructs (Schoormans &
Robben, 1997). Moreover, in the regression equation attention
grabbing was not a strong predictor of purchase likelihood. Item
4 (I think this design is appealing) and item 8 (I think this design
is pleasing) were fairly strongly correlated. However, these were
considered somewhat theoretically distinct on the basis that the
former relates more directly to notions of engagement and interest
(OBrien & Toms, 2010) whereas the later provides a marker for a
dimension of core affective state (Russell, 2003). Item 6 (I think
this product would be nice tasting) and item 7 (I think this product would be refreshing) were strongly correlated. However, item
7 was included with specic reference to the water product to
provide a manipulation check so these were not aggregated.
Therefore, for each item, data were analysed using a 2 (shape) 
2 (orientation)  2 (alignment)  2 (product type) ANOVA. The following sections present these sequentially. For the sake of brevity,
only signicant results are presented (p < .05).
3.1. Item 1: I would purchase this product
There was a signicant main effect of contour, F(1,114) = 50.99,
p < .001, such that participants reported being more likely to purchase products with the rounded graphic design (mean = 3.11,
s.d. = 0.96) than the angular design (mean = 2.52, s.d. = 0.94). There
was also a signicant effect of orientation, F(1,114) = 15.47,
p < .001, such that participants were more likely to purchase the

Table 1
Item correlation matrix.
Purchase
Purchase
Attention
Typical
Appealing
Practical
Nice tasting
Refreshing
Pleasing
Annoying
Note: All ps 6 0.001.

0.47
0.40
0.54
0.44
0.37
0.36
0.57
0.34

Attention

0.20
0.69
0.21
0.49
0.40
0.67
0.18

Typical

0.24
0.56
0.13
0.14
0.28
0.11

Appealing

0.28
0.53
0.48
0.76
0.23

Practical

0.21
0.23
0.34
0.17

Nice tasting

0.75
0.54
0.11

Refreshing

0.49
0.11

Pleasing

0.31

S.J. Westerman et al. / Food Quality and Preference 27 (2013) 817

upward graphics (mean = 2.94, s.d. = 0.90) than the downward

graphics (mean = 2.69, s.d. = 0.90). Finally, there was a signicant
interaction between contour and orientation, F(1,114) = 4.51,
p < .05, such that effects of orientation were relatively small when
the angular graphic was used, but larger when the rounded graphics was used (see Fig. 2).
3.2. Item 2: This design is attention grabbing
There was a main effect of contour, F(1,114) = 34.55, p < .001,
such that the curved design was rated as more attention grabbing
(mean = 2.54, s.d. = 1.04) than the angular design (mean = 2.06,
s.d. = 0.68). There was also a main effect of orientation, F(1,114) =
12.41, p = 0.001, such that upward oriented shapes were regarded
as more attention grabbing (mean = 2.41, s.d. = 0.88) than downward oriented shapes (mean = 2.20, s.d. = 0.77). There was a significant interaction between orientation and product, F(1,114) = 4.32,
p < .05, such that the effect of orientation was larger for the vodka
than for the water (see Fig. 3).
Finally, there was a signicant 4-way interaction between contour, orientation, alignment, and product, F(1,114) = 5.65, p < .05.
However, this was not readily interpretable.
3.3. Item 3: This design is typical for this product
There was a main effect of contour, F(1,114) = 13.05, p < .001,
such that the rounded designs were regarded as more typical
(mean = 3.10, s.d. = 0.96) than the angular designs (mean = 2.86,
s.d. = 0.90). There was also an interaction between contour and
product, F(1,114) = 4.81, p < .05, such that effects of contour were
much more pronounced for water than for vodka (see Fig. 4).
Finally, there was a main effect of orientation, F(1,114) = 4.64,
p < .05, such that the upward oriented designs were considered
more typical (mean = 3.03, s.d. = 0.88) than the downward oriented
designs (mean = 2.92, s.d. = 0.93).
3.4. Item 4: This design is appealing

13

rated as more appealing (mean = 2.48, s.d. = 0.87) than downward

oriented graphics (2.20, s.d. = 0.71). There also was a main effect of
alignment, F(1,114) = 5.75, P < .05, such that graphics on the right
were rated as more appealing (mean = 2.41, s.d. = 0.75) than graphics on the left (mean = 2.27, s.d. = 0.80). Finally, there was a significant interaction between contour, alignment and product,
F(1,114) = 4.52, p < .05, such that the advantage of right versus left
graphics alignment was greater for the rounded water product, but
greater for the angular vodka product (see Fig. 5).
3.5. Item 5: This design would be practical
There was a main effect of contour, F(1,114) = 17.59, p < .001,
such that designs with rounded graphics (mean = 3.28,
s.d. = 0.83) were considered more practical than designs with
angular graphics (mean = 3.00, s.d. = 0.91). There was also a main
effect of alignment, F(1,114) = 3.97, p < .05, such that designs with
the graphics on the right were considered more practical
(mean = 3.20, s.d. = 0.80) than designs with the graphics on the left
(mean = 3.08, s.d. = 0.90).
3.6. Item 6: I think this product would be nice tasting
There was a main effect of contour, F(1,114) = 26.53, p < .001,
such that participants thought products with the rounded contour
graphics would be nicer tasting (mean = 2.63, s.d. = 1.03) than
products with the angular graphics (mean = 2.23, s.d. = 0.83). There
was also a main effect of orientation, F(1,114) = 5.65, p < .05, such
that participants thought that products with upward oriented
graphics would taste nicer (mean = 2.50, s.d. = 0.92) than products
with downward oriented graphics (mean = 2.37, s.d. = 0.85). Finally, there was a main effect of product type, F(1,114) = 35.60,
p < .001, such that participants thought the water would be nicer
tasting (mean = 2.85, s.d. = 0.63) than the vodka (mean = 2.04,
s.d. = 0.82).
3.7. Item 7: I think this product would taste refreshing

There was a main effect of contour, F(1,114) = 41,10, p < .001,

such that rounded graphics were rated as more appealing
(mean = 2.64, s.d. = 1.04) than angular graphics (mean = 2.03,
s.d. = 0.69) (see Fig. 5). There was a main effect of orientation,
F(1,114) = 18.35, p < .001, such that upward oriented graphics were

There was a main effect of contour, F(1,114) = 45.14, p < .001,

such that participants thought products with the round contour
graphics (mean = 2.70, s.d. = 1.05) would be more refreshing than
products with the angular contour graphics (mean = 2.24,
s.d. = 0.88). There was also a main effect of orientation, F(1,114) =
5.42, p < .05, such that participants thought that products with
the upward oriented graphics would taste more refreshing
(mean = 2.54, s.d. = 0.98) than products with the downward oriented graphics (mean = 2.40, s.d. = 0.92). Finally, there was a main
effect of product type, F(1,114) = 42.56, p < .001, such that participants thought that the water (mean = 2.95, s.d. = 0.75) would be
more refreshing than the vodka (mean = 2.02, s.d. = 0.79).
3.8. Item 8: I nd this design pleasing

1
Vodka

Water

Fig. 5. Interaction between product type, contour and alignment for appeal.

There was a signicant main effect of contour, F(1,114) = 37.99,

p < .001, such that participants thought that the rounded graphics
was a more pleasing design (mean = 2.69, s.d. = 0.98) than the
angular graphics (mean = 2.13, s.d. = 0.65). There was also a significant main effect of orientation, F(1,114) = 10.01, p < .01, such that
participants thought that the upward oriented graphics were more
pleasing (mean = 2.51, s.d. = 0.81) than the downward oriented
graphics (mean = 2.30, s.d. = 0.70). Finally, there was a main effect
of alignment, F(1,114) = 5.08, p < .05, such that participants
thought the designs with the graphics on the right were more
pleasing (mean = 2.47, s.d. = 0.73) than the designs with the graphics on the left (mean = 2.35, s.d. = 0.71).

14

S.J. Westerman et al. / Food Quality and Preference 27 (2013) 817

3.9. Item 9: I nd this design annoying

There was a main effect of contour, F(1,114) = 9.56, p < .01, such
that participants found the angular contoured designs more
annoying (mean = 2.72, s.d. = 0.92) than the round contoured designs (mean = 2.45, s.d. = 0.95). There was also a main effect of
alignment, F(1,114) = 4.64, p < .05, such that participants found
the designs with the graphics on the left more annoying
(mean = 2.66, s.d. = 0.91) than designs with graphics on the right
(mean = 2.52, s.d. = 0.85).
3.10. Separate analyses of the Vodka condition
As effects of typicality were similar to those for preference measures it could be argued that typicality was a causal factor. However,
the interaction between angularity and product type indicated that
there was little effect (non signicant) of angularity on typicality for
the vodka condition. Therefore, by analysing the vodka condition
separately we can examine effects of the angularity manipulation
in circumstances where typicality was not inuential. The pattern
of results from these reduced analyses was similar to that for the full
analyses, reported above. For the sake of brevity we only report outcomes that differed in whether they were, or were not, signicant.
As indicated by the interactive effect, mentioned above, there was
no signicant main effect of angularity on ratings of typicality,
F(1,59) = 1.02. Also, the effect of angularity on ratings of annoyance
were also not signicant, F(1,59) = 1.58. All other previously significant effects of angularity remained signicant.

appears consistent with Berlynes (1960) theory that designs that

appear to be in a better state of equilibrium will be preferred. There
was no support for the hypothesis that, because of association with
communication of threat, the combination of angularity and downward orientation would be least preferred (Aronoff et al., 1988,
1992; Larson et al., 2007). The only signicant interaction between
contour and orientation was for ratings of purchase likelihood. The
nature of this was such that there was an advantage of upward orientation in the rounded condition but little effect of orientation
in the angular condition. Of course, it might be argued that the
combination of rounded and upward-oriented graphic properties
was seen as communicating the least threat and was preferred
for this reason. However, an alternative post hoc explanation is that
this was produced by other inuential associative processing effects. For example, it may be that upward-oriented rounded triangular shapes that were used in this study resemble a drop of liquid
and that this association with the characteristics of the product
produces increased preference (cf. Fang & Mowen, 2005; Spence,
2012; Underwood, 2003). However, we should be cautious when
making inferences based on this interaction, given that it was not
apparent for other measures of preference. Further research would
be needed to examine this possibility more directly.
It is of note that there was no effect of orientation on ratings of
typicality. This suggests that preference for upward orientation is
not determined by familiarity or ease of categorisation (cf., Winkielman et al., 2006). However, if the post hoc explanation of the result for purchase likelihood is correct, this would also seem to
imply that a droplet shape is not typically used on current products
of this type (although perhaps it should be!).

4. Discussion
4.3. H3: Effects of product type
The reported experiment examined the effects of manipulating
graphical designs in the context of consumers appraisals of the design of product packaging. A factorial combination of shape
(rounded versus angular), orientation (upward versus downward),
alignment (graphics left versus graphics right), and product type
(water versus vodka) was tested for each of nine design assessments. Correlation and regression analyses were also conducted
to examine the interrelationships between items of assessment.
4.1. H1: Effects of shape
As predicted, results indicated a mean preference for rounded
graphics (greater purchase likelihood, more appealing, more pleasing and less annoying). This is consistent with a number of previous studies relating to the design of consumer products (Carbon,
2010; Leder & Carbon, 2005; Westerman et al., in press) and also
with the more general results of Bar and Neta (2006, 2007). However, interpreting this outcome was complicated by similar effects
of shape on ratings of typicality. A possible explanation would be
that preference was determined by typicality (Winkielman et al.,
2006). Further analyses of the data enabled these constructs to
be disentangled. An interaction between shape and product type
indicated that the effects of shape on ratings of typicality were only
present for the water product (see Fig. 4). Therefore by isolating
data from the vodka product condition it was possible to examine
the effects of graphics shape in the absence of effects of typicality.
With the exception of the result for the item annoying the significant preference for the rounded designs remained suggesting
that a preference for rounded shapes was independent of assessments of typicality.
4.2. H2: Effects of orientation
Upward oriented graphics were generally preferred (greater
purchase intention, more appealing, and more pleasing). This

When considering effects of the manipulation of product type,

participants rated water as better tasting and more refreshing than
vodka. This is of note because it indicates that the manipulation of
product inuenced participants assessments of the designs (it was
not ignored). However, the results provided limited, if any, support
for the experimental hypothesis that designs that employ shapes
and orientations that convey sharper taste (angular designs) or
threat (particularly downward-pointing triangles) would be more
incongruent with the water product and would therefore produce
stronger negative reactions in this experimental condition. There
was an interaction between orientation and product type for ratings of attention grabbing (see Fig. 3). Downward-oriented graphics were less attention grabbing for vodka than for water, but there
was little effect of product type on ratings for upward-oriented
graphics. This might suggest that downward-oriented graphics
are more strongly associated with vodka products. However, the
results suggest that typicality was not the basis for this. For ratings
of typicality there was an interaction between product type and
angularity (as mentioned above), such that angular designs were
rated as less typical for water than for vodka, but there was little
difference between products for rounded designs (see Fig. 4). Finally there was a three-way interaction between angularity, alignment, and product type for ratings of appeal. There seem to be
no strong theoretical grounds for relating this to taste or threat
perception. Overall, this suggests that effects of shape and orientation are general to these products.
4.4. H4: Effects of alignment
When considering the effects of manipulating the leftright
alignment of graphics and text, results indicated that participants
preferred label designs for which the graphics were placed to the
right-hand side of the text (these designs were rated as more
appealing, more practical, more pleasing, and less annoying). This

S.J. Westerman et al. / Food Quality and Preference 27 (2013) 817

is contrary to prediction based on the efciency hypothesis. Of

course, it can be argued that the unconstrained viewing conditions
used in this experiment (no restrictions on stimulus presentation
duration or direction of gaze) were not conducive to effects of
hemispheric asymmetry (Sergent & Hellige, 1986). It is possible
to describe settings in which consumers have only brief or peripheral views of products (see e.g., Rettie & Brewer, 2000). However,
we argue that the unconstrained viewing conditions in this experiment would be typical of many consumer-product interactions.
Moreover, unconstrained viewing conditions have been used in
studies of aesthetics and laterality (e.g., Beaumont, 1985; Levy,
1976). Also relevant to this discussion is evidence that laterality
effects can be disrupted by repeated presentation (Hardyk, 1986).
In the reported experiment the textual content of the label was
constant across all presentations for a single participant. Again, this
may not be unrealistic in the context of the processing of brand
names which will be subject to repeated presentation and will
often be highly familiar. Consistent with this, Gontijo, Rayman,
Zhang, and Zaidel (2002) report that processing of brand names
was less lateralised than processing of common nouns.
Although these factors might explain why a preference for leftaligned graphics was not found, they do not address the nding of
preference for right-aligned graphics. In this regard previous
research evidence pertaining to picture perception deserves consideration. Consistencies of preference have been identied for
specic pictures presented in either normal or mirror image formats. Different explanations for this have been advanced. Based
on the efciency hypothesis, Levy (1976); Beaumont (1985) have
suggested that images are preferred when the greatest weight or
most interesting content is to the right on the assumption that
this leads to the presentation of visuo-spatial material to the left
hemi-eld. The congurations of the labels in the reported experiment were not consistent with this. It seems reasonable to assume
that the graphical element was the more interesting, as this was
the only component that varied from trial to trial. However, when
the graphics were positioned to the right then text would be presented to the right hemi-eld. As before, this is contrary to a processing efciency explanation. Directionality of the image has also
been proposed as encouraging laterality effects. In this experiment
it seems likely that the text component would ensure that the
directionality was consistently left-to-right. Moreover, a preference for right-aligned graphics is not consistent with interactive
effects of directionality and interest reported by Christman and
Pinger (1997).
In summary, it seems that laterality effects struggle to account
for these data. However, an explanation is suggested by the nding
that the design with right-aligned graphics was rated as having
higher practicality. In this regard it is important to note the possibility that differences in processing efciency that result from the
leftright alignment of label graphics do not necessarily result
from the effects of hemispheric asymmetry. These data may indicate that preference for right-aligned graphics reects facilitated
processing for other reasons, perhaps because the brand name
(contents in this instance) is more accessible (i.e., on the left in left
to right reading cultures). It seems that further research into the
global processing demands associated with different layouts of
product labels would be valuable.

15

effect (Hassenzahl, 2004; Leuthesser et al., 1995). This is also supported by the results of the regression analysis, in which taste and
refreshing were the only items not to contribute unique variance
to the prediction of purchase likelihood. This suggests assessments of these items were driven by other directly experienced
items. Of course, halo effects may have been encouraged by the
absence of information on which participants were asked to make
assessments of taste (Leuthesser et al., 1995), but this is not
unrealistic. Consumers may frequently make a similar type of
judgement when trying to decide on a product that has not
previously been tried.
This pattern of results can be contrasted with that for ratings of
practicality. Although there were main effects of contour and
alignment for practicality, there was no signicant effect of the
manipulation of orientation. Moreover, this item made a highly
signicant unique contribution to the regression equation. This
suggests that practicality was experienced and was evaluated
independently on its own merits. This would be consistent with
the item reecting ease of perception (as suggested above).
When considering psychometric issues relating to the halo effect, Leuthesser et al. (1995) suggest that an average inter-item
correlation greater than 0.6 or 0.7 would be an indication that
participants may not be treating questionnaire items sufciently
independently and that statistical correction could be applied. In
this study the average inter-item correlation was substantially
below this (r = 0.37, when using absolute values). We consider this
encouraging, insofar as it suggests participants were providing
thoughtful assessments of the different product designs. Moreover,
the correlations between the item annoying and other items were
consistently negative, as expected.
However, the results for attention grabbing are surprising in
this regard. They indicate that typical products were also attention
grabbing. This is contrary to results of Westerman et al. (in press)
and Schoormans and Robben (1997). This could arise because, consistent with a halo effect, participants ratings of this item were
inuenced by other rationales (e.g., patterns of preference), perhaps because none of the designs were considered particularly
attention grabbing and/or because assessment of the extent to
which a stimulus grabs attention is only partially open to introspection. Relevant to this, it should be noted that the correlation
is relatively weak and there were dissociations between these
variables in terms of the interactive effects of other manipulated
variables (see above). Further studies that incorporate behavioural
measures of the capacity of stimuli to grab attention would be
required to clarify this. A nal possible explanation that must be
considered is that this result is produced because the rounded
graphics covered a slightly greater area than the angular graphics.
When producing rounded graphics there is a choice between, (i)
maintaining the coordinates of the three extremes of the triangular
shape; or, (ii) controlling the area covered by the shape. In this
study we opted for the former. This means that the rounded
graphic shapes were slightly larger than the angular versions.
However, an explanation based on area differences does not seem
plausible given that there were effects of the orientation manipulation (for which shape area was constant) on the attention grabbing item.
4.6. Conclusions

4.5. H5: The halo effect

As predicted, preference for graphics also extended to assessments of product attributes that were not experienced. Consistent
with the general pattern of ratings, ratings for the items referring
to taste and refreshing were higher in the rounded and upward-oriented conditions (this also applied when responses to
the vodka bottle were analysed in isolation). This suggests a halo

These data support previous results indicating a preference for

rounded designs. This effect was independent of assessments of
product design typicality. In support of Berlyne (1960) theory of
preference for designs that have apparent equilibrium, participants
also indicated a preference for upward-oriented graphics. However, the results were not consistent with the hypothesis that dislike would be evoked by the specic combination of shape

16

S.J. Westerman et al. / Food Quality and Preference 27 (2013) 817

angularity and downward orientation communicating threat (Aronoff et al., 1988, 1992). Instead, the graphic properties of upward
and rounded were the highest rated combination for purchase
likelihood. It was suggested that this may be attributable to packaging-product congruence (e.g., association with the shape of a
droplet). This seems consistent with recent work on effects of
cross-modality correspondence (Spence, 2012).
Contrary to prediction, right-aligned graphics were preferred.
Differences in ratings of practicality suggest this may relate to
ease of processing. In this regard, an important distinction can be
drawn between ease of processing and hemispheric efciency.
Although visual hemi-eld effects have been demonstrated in previous studies, further research is needed to clarify other factors
relating to label organisation that inuence general processing
demands when viewing labels containing text and graphics in
unconstrained conditions (with regard to viewing duration and
gaze direction). Finally, as predicted, halo effects were apparent
with participants judgment of non-experiential constructs (product taste) being inuenced by aesthetic manipulations. This illustrates the importance that should be attached to developing
aesthetically appealing packaging designs.
Of course, these empirical outcomes must be considered in context. It is important to recognise that consumers responses to
packaging designs reect the inuence of a complex array of variables that extend beyond those studied here (cf. Bloch, 1995). In
this study we have examined the effect of manipulations of graphics shape, orientation, and alignment for two product types (vodka
and water). Consumers responses to packaging may be inuenced
by a range of further design variations, including the type, number,
size, and combination of graphical design shapes, variations in colour and colour combinations, and variations in container shape
and size. To the extent that cross-modal congruence effects apply,
arising from associations between the design and the product,
preferences will also be dependent on product type. Consumers
responses to packaging designs may also be inuenced by factors
relating to the market context, such as brand identity and category
membership (Ampuero & Vila, 2006; Schoormans & Robben, 1997;
Van den Berg-Weitzel & Van de Laar, 2003). Designs also exist
within a time context, and it remains to be seen whether these
effects will change over time, in line with prevailing design trends
(see Carbon, 2010). Finally, it is important to recognise that there
may be predictable individual differences in consumers responses
to packaging designs (see e.g., Bloch et al., 2003). The sample
recruited for this study was restricted in terms of both age and
culture. Systematic differences in product preferences may arise
as a result of cultural differences (see Hekkert & Leder, 2008, for
a review of relevant evidence). However, when considering responses to abstract shapes, it is interesting to note that Oyama
et al. (2008) report relatively small cultural differences in the
semantic associations with abstract two-dimensional forms; and
consistency of response would also be anticipated if preferences
are the product of adaptive perceptions of danger or threat (Bar
& Neta, 2007; Larson et al., 2009).
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