Abstract
In general, the package design should make consumers associate the product’s taste from visual stimulation. This study aims to investigate the correlations between the shape of food bottles and taste association in 3 stages: (1) classification of the taste of food products on the market; (2) analysis of the features and dimensions of food bottle shapes; and (3) survey of the association between food bottles and tastes. Findings indicated that there are 13 types of packages relating to taste, including single tastes: sour, sweet, bitter, savory and spicy tastes; and mixed tastes: sweet and sour, savory and sour, sweet and savory, sweet and spicy, savory and spicy, savory and sour and spicy, savory and sweet and sour, and sweet and bitter tastes. According to observations, the common features of bottles include the mouth, neck, body and bottom, and each of them has different dimensions. Similarities of these features according to 191 samples are: the cover is located at 1.6-2.5cm of the bottle; the intersection angle of the neck is 151°-180°; the body height is 6-10.9cm; and the bottom width is 6-10.9cm. Results of the survey on the correlations between the bottle shape and taste association indicated that respondents can associate the sour, spicy, sweet and savory, sweet and spicy, savory and sour and spicy, and sweet and bitter tastes from the shape of bottles with similar features. What is noteworthy is that respondents found it difficult to associate a bottle shape with 2 or more tastes.
Keywords
taste association, bottle shape, food content, package design
Citation
Wang, R., and Sun, C. (2006) Analysis of Interrelations between Bottle Shape and Food Taste, in Friedman, K., Love, T., Côrte-Real, E. and Rust, C. (eds.), Wonderground - DRS International Conference 2006, 1-4 November, Lisbon, Portugal. https://dl.designresearchsociety.org/drs-conference-papers/drs2006/researchpapers/13
Analysis of Interrelations between Bottle Shape and Food Taste
In general, the package design should make consumers associate the product’s taste from visual stimulation. This study aims to investigate the correlations between the shape of food bottles and taste association in 3 stages: (1) classification of the taste of food products on the market; (2) analysis of the features and dimensions of food bottle shapes; and (3) survey of the association between food bottles and tastes. Findings indicated that there are 13 types of packages relating to taste, including single tastes: sour, sweet, bitter, savory and spicy tastes; and mixed tastes: sweet and sour, savory and sour, sweet and savory, sweet and spicy, savory and spicy, savory and sour and spicy, savory and sweet and sour, and sweet and bitter tastes. According to observations, the common features of bottles include the mouth, neck, body and bottom, and each of them has different dimensions. Similarities of these features according to 191 samples are: the cover is located at 1.6-2.5cm of the bottle; the intersection angle of the neck is 151°-180°; the body height is 6-10.9cm; and the bottom width is 6-10.9cm. Results of the survey on the correlations between the bottle shape and taste association indicated that respondents can associate the sour, spicy, sweet and savory, sweet and spicy, savory and sour and spicy, and sweet and bitter tastes from the shape of bottles with similar features. What is noteworthy is that respondents found it difficult to associate a bottle shape with 2 or more tastes.