Re-designs and Living Up to Change

Given that we are predictably irrational creatures, we often make decisions based on comparing the options we have experience with rather than the options that would be the best (or that's how Dan Ariely describes us in his book anyway). Given this reality, I've been considering the topic of re-designs and major campaign changes in line with our most recent brief. While a designer may think a change or fresh idea is a good idea, it must always be considered in line with the original experience of a brand's audience.

Gatorade recently re-designed their bottle design in a way that consumers found confusing and dissapointing, and sales have suffered as a result. As described on an interesting blog called This Blog sits at the intersection of Anthropology and Economics the failing is a result of misunderstanding the brand's existing culture.

"Edgy is easy.  If you live in the right part of town, read the right magazines, and consort with the right colleagues, it is not so very hard to capture cool.  How much more difficult it is to master culture!  Now, the designer must actually learn things that are badly out of fashion, to talk to Americans who have dubious taste in clothing and eyewear, to talk about things that are never talked about in hipster Brooklyn.

I believe good designers have always had a way of escaping the 2% approach to culture. And I believe the profession is mobilizing to look at culture much more broadly. As one case in point, IDEO uses ethnography to investigate the consumer in ways that take them (and the client) beyond "cool" into the details of daily life and the meanings of culture. We shall see if the rest of the profession follows suit. "

Given the task of actually murdering Peperami's well loved Animal (in our current $10 000 bounty), I couldn't help but consider that the idea has to be more than just amusing or cool - it has to be relevant to the existing fans of the brand. Perhaps some food for thought?

I'd love to see your suggestions for excellent and terrible product re-designs, list them below. Pretty please :).