Sometimes when you're strolling through the supermarket, your brain just decides to go rogue. You suddenly think, “What if cola came in papaya flavor?” or “Why isn’t there a spaghetti-scented air freshener?” Not all ideas are winners, obviously. But they are hilarious. And once in a while, someone makes something so weird, you wish it existed just to try it once. That’s where people like Jeff Wysaski come in.
Jeff Wysaski, the genius behind “Obvious Plant,” takes supermarket chaos to a new level. He’s a prank artist who creates fake products so convincing and bizarre that people sometimes try to buy them.
But beyond the laughs, how we view a product often depends entirely on its look. Packaging isn’t just pretty, it tells us what the product is, how it should make us feel, and why we need it. To understand more about this, we spoke with Asif Iqbal, a seasoned UX/UI designer. He’s helped shape the identity of popular snack brands. So yes, he might be the reason you picked that one chip bag over another.
Asif says it all starts with a rough brief from the client. "They tell us the vibe, color scheme, tone, what kind of customer they’re targeting,” he shares. Sometimes the company already has extensive research done. Other times, the design team dives in to help define the direction. "The initial phase is always the most exploratory,” he says. It's like building a puzzle from scratch.
The brainstorming phase isn’t just about making things look cool. It’s about walking the tightrope between what the company wants and what the customer needs. “You want it to look eye-catching,” Asif says, “but not like a carnival exploded on the shelf.” So, designers simplify without stripping away the fun. It’s about clear hierarchy and strong visuals. Clarity, after all, sells.
Designers also have to keep an eye on the competition. “You want the product to stand out but not feel out of place,” Asif adds. If it looks too similar to a rival brand, that’s a problem. If it looks too weird, it might never leave the shelf. This balance is where great design lives. And yes, even font choice can make or break it.
Once the visual identity is settled, the team builds a prototype. This is a rough mock-up of what the product will look like in real life. “We tweak, test, and repeat until it feels just right,” Asif explains. They consider everything, logo placement, material finish, even how it photographs. Especially in today’s world, packaging isn’t just for shelves. It’s for Instagram too.
But even the best design can fall flat if the user experience doesn’t hold up. “You want the product to feel intuitive,” Asif notes. For example, a resealable bag should actually reseal. And a health drink shouldn’t have a design that screams ‘junk food.’ These things sound small but make a big difference. Consumers notice. And their wallets follow.
