A.  At DuPont, all development and innovation projects start with collecting what we call "Voice of Customer."  We look at consumer influences, buying habits, and past and current trends.  We also rely on the expertise of brand managers and design houses ... people in touch with the latest trends.  We also like to observe people in everyday life to better understand what consumers want and ultimately what they desire in their personal care and cosmetics packaging.  Often we will go straight to the source and test ideas out on family and friends -- real consumers are often our best critics!!

A.  Trends in this industry are impacted by overall consumer lifestyle trends, industry regulations and the onset of next generation materials such as bio-based polymers.

Increasingly, consumers are carrying more personal items with them.  So, when developing new packaging and packaging materials, we need to take into consideration that people want to be able to comfortably fit everything into their pockets or handbags.

One of the hottest trends in cosmetics is "fashionable" packaging -- packaging that matches a person's style or outfit.  You can equate this to the cell phone accessory craze.  Currently, there are so many ways to customize our cell phones simply by adding gems or changing case covers.  People want to personalize their property and have the option to alter the look of the things that they use most, like their cell phones, as well as their favorite lipstick or compact.  It's fun and it adds a touch of glamour to an otherwise ordinary package. 

Thanks to technologies like sublimation printing, it is now possible to create unique, sophisticated, decorative effects that are highly resistant to wear, scratches and abrasion.  High-precision images, or even fabric patterns, are "sublimated" onto parts made of DuPont™ Crastin® PBT polyester resin or DuPont™ Delrin® acetal resin to create interchangeable "snap-on" shells, curved parts and other complex shapes.

A.  In the cosmetics industry, particularly in the prestige segment, packaging has an incredible influence on what a consumer will buy.  With an increasing variety of products and brands to choose from, unique packaging can set one brand apart from another.  

Although the luxury industry puts a lot of emphasis on visual appeal, what a consumer looks for in the packaging of their products goes beyond just the beauty of the package.  Consumers are constantly traveling and, with recent airline travel limitations and liquid restrictions, we are seeing a growing need for miniature, portable, robust packaging that can be thrown in a pocket, handbag or luggage.

For example, "portable" cosmetic products often have a greater risk of accidental spraying or damage, so we have to think about closure devices in the package as well as the overall package strength, to help prevent leakage or breakage.  The sublimation technology mentioned above, for example, allows the creation of glass/resin hybrid packaging concepts where glass containers are protected by a secondary casing made of tough, transparent DuPont Surlyn® resin.  What is distinguishing about Surlyn® is that it can be molded in thick parts while maintaining glass-like clarity.

A.  There are many ways that get you from inspiration to an actual, tangible product.  The strength of our process lies in bringing together creativity, purpose and functionality.  What is unique about DuPont is that we involve a "triangle of people" in each step of the process: brand owners, designers and converters/molders.

DuPont strongly believes that getting all parties involved early in a project -- leveraging each others' strengths and expertise -- stimulates and accelerates the packaging innovation process.  This ultimately helps get new products to market faster.

Testing is a very important component - from the prototype to the finished product.  By creating and testing a prototype, major adjustments can be made to improve the product or fix any kinks along the way.  In the end, this saves time and money and ensures a quality product.  Depending on the desired outcome, DuPont can conduct a variety of tests during the process, ranging from structure optimization to compatibility testing.

A.  The DuPont electroluminescent technology (EL), currently used to illuminate point of sale (POS) displays, helps brands differentiate their product and catches the consumer's eye.  EL is based on the use of conducting and insulating luminescent inks, which are suitable for manufacturing printed electroluminescent "lamps".  The printed circuitry is shielded by a tough, transparent outer layer of DuPont™ Surlyn® resin. 

In close cooperation with Toly Products, Ltd. and Seribase Industrie in France, all the electronic components have been further miniaturized, including the integration of the driver into the printed electroluminescent film.  This means that DuPont is now able to propose the second generation of EL technology and apply it to primary packaging, which has never been done in packaging before.