Some of the story of the Vodka bubble was the design piece. The best in the field were called in for everything from the contours of the receptacle to the logo. That was at a time where a bottle could retail for $100, sales grew at 40% annually, and investors wanted in, reports Amy Cortese at the DailyBeast.com.
Now, the category is flat. That usually indicates the market is readying itself for another beverage which conveys membership in something special, elite taste, and the choice of cool. The question is: Does the design element enter when the product is already on the way up or is a currently a necessary part of success? In other words: Is design as key an element in the ethos of a product as designers and the media would like us to think? Or, is design usually an after-thought to keep a product which caught on hot?
Now that losing weight via fast food is taking over as the new national craze, will the items of the menu be redesigned to symbolize the elevated status of the taco salad, hold the sour cream, or the 350-calorie KFC combo platter? Another issue: In this age of citizen everything, will consumers want to make their own designs for their favorites products, not just co-create them with the companies? That would put professional designers and those iconic schools of design like Rhode Island's out of business.
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