The Relationship Between Visual Signs and Logo in Savory and Spicy Food Product Packaging with an Emphasis on Sensory Design

Document Type : Original Article

Author

Associate Professor, Department of Graphics, Faculty of Art and Architecture, University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran

Abstract

Product packaging includes visual features, information and communication of the product with the audience. The main question of the present study is what explicit and implicit concepts do the written signs of the brand name and the visual signs (mascot, product type) in the packaging of savory and spicy food products contain, and what is the relationship between the image and the written sign of the brand name in the packaging design of these products. The purpose of the research is to analyze the implicit meaning of visual and written signs in the packaging of some food products and to pay attention to the sensory meaning of signs by applying explicit and implicit concepts and associative relations in Saussure's semiotic theory and the referential function of signs in Peirce's theory as well as the sensory design theory in Norman's theory. The results of more than 80% of the interview results show that the audience of spicy and hot food products is able to understand the symbolic relationships and the sensory effects of packaging design. In fact, the signs pass through the visual and behavioral levels of the audience and create a lasting memory of taste for them, in which case the sense of nostalgia is accompanied by the sense of taste, and the channel of this connection is the sense of sight. This study is descriptive-analytical in terms of methodology. The data collection method is based on library review (i.e. note taking and image analysis) and data analysis was done qualitatively. In-depth interview method was used. The selection of packaging samples is qualitative and purposeful. The results show that the sensory meaning of typography evokes the implicit meanings of crispness, deliciousness, excitement, and hidden sound through the design of letters and colors in harmony with the visual signs and the type of product. The relationship between the visual elements of color, typography, and visual signs is evolutionary and Syntagmatic, this evolution is effective in making the product look delicious and arousing the sense of taste.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

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Volume 16, Issue 64 - Serial Number 64
Serial number 64, Winter 2026
May 2026
Pages 17-34

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History

  • Receive Date: 14 November 2025
  • Revise Date: 14 December 2025
  • Accept Date: 19 May 2026
  • Publish Date: 05 June 2026

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