Using Green Washing As Visual Images In Packaging Designs

Abstract

Packaging designs are formed to protect and store a product in terms of production purpose and basic function; with the changing social conditions and the return of the developing consumption culture, it has undergone a transformation with differentiations in its context. Along with this process, packaging designs began to aim to enrich the design with the help of design elements and images that attract the consumer and push them to buy. Packaging designs are in need of keeping up with the cultural transformation by incorporating the design understanding and innovations brought by the age; therefore, it has been seen that social needs and mass distinctions are also diversifying according to their demands. One of these mass needs and demands is as a result of the rapidly increasing consumption and the negative consequences of the global destruction in the near future; increasing demand for sustainable and natural products. It is seen that natural and sustainable symbols are increasing in packaging designs. However, it is understood that green symbols trigger the consumer to consume visually, but the fact that these symbols are misleading in terms of content reveals the concept of green washing in packaging design. With this research, the use of green washing symbols used in packaging design as a visual image will be discussed; the study will be supported with examples of packaging design selected from cleaning products as an example.