Although almost everything seems to change on a daily basis, there are still elements that do not move at the same pace.
Geopolitics, technology, including AI, and media are changing at tremendous speed. But when working with insights at a semiotic level, it quickly becomes clear that change happens much more slowly.
This made me think of Jeff Bezos’ well-known point that we should spend more effort understanding what does not change than trying to predict what does.
Packaging and intuitive decision-making
When it comes to packaging and consumer product choices, the sheer number of options means that many decisions are made unconsciously through what we refer to as System 1 thinking. Packaging is therefore not read; it is decoded.
Colours, shapes, materials, surfaces, typography and proportions create meaning before the consumer has time to think. This is not a rational moment, it is a perceptual one.
When working with packaging design, we are therefore not primarily working with arguments, but with semiotics: signs and signals that translate complexity into immediate meaning.
The consumer does not necessarily seek the new; they seek orientation and guidance.
In a world defined by speed and uncertainty, packaging functions as a point of navigation. An anchor. Something that quickly answers: What is this? Can I trust it? Does it fit into my world?
When packaging design changes too much or too quickly, cognitive load increases. This can create uncertainty—even when the intention is renewal.
Semiotics as a bridge between stability and change
The strongest packaging solutions are often those that understand category codes, respect intuitive decision logic, and adjust with precision rather than panic.
Human symbolic interpretation mechanisms change slowly, and cultural values and associations are often deeply rooted. This makes semiotics a powerful tool for understanding how people decode signals in packaging design, brand narratives and visual identities.
Packaging design is not where one should experiment the most—but where one should understand the human being the best.