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The psychology of Apple packaging
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The psychology of Apple packaging

Steve jobs and Jony Ive prioritized packaging, which they said could be "theatre".

Trung Phan
May 10
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Apple has sold ~2B iPhones.

And with a clear understanding of human psychology, Apple designed its packaging to make these ~2B new iPhone unboxing experiences very memorable (and prob why you can't get rid of the box).

Here's a breakdown:

Steve Jobs announced the first iPhone in January 2007. During the presentation, he noted that Apple had filed or been granted 200+ patents for the device. One of the patents: the iPhone case.

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Jobs and Apple’s head designer (Jony Ive) long understood the value of packaging. As Ive recounts: "Steve and I spend a lot of time on the packaging. I love the process of unpacking something. You design a ritual of unpacking to make the product feel special. Packaging can be theater."

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As the last thing someone feels before seeing their phone, Apple put in 1000s of hours perfecting the package.

There's literally a "packaging room" where a design employee will spend months opening up 100s of prototypes (w/different materials + shapes) to nail the experience.

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What are they looking for?

Lux-feeling boxes w/ the right friction and drag to create a brief pause when you open it (air pockets have to be *just right*).

Like the moment before a magician's reveal, Jobs knew the power of anticipation and designed it into iPhone packaging.

There's a reason why unboxing videos on YouTube get billions of views a year.

The anticipation -- even when we know what's coming -- plays right into the curiosity gap: our psychological need to close the information deficit between what we know and what we *want* to know.

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iPhone openings are also a multi-sensory experience:

  • You *see* the box

  • You *feel* the opening as you pull against friction

  • You *hear* the whoosh of air rushing out This adds to the theatre and creates a powerful memory recall effect like this:

Twitter avatar for @TrungTPhanTrung Phan @TrungTPhan
Amazing Coca-Cola ad campaign. It’s high-res images of the drink that challenges you to “try not to hear this”. The pics create the effect of synesthesia, when 2 senses cross in the brain (sight + sound). Coke is one of the few brands that can pull this auditory illusion.
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August 12th 2021

119 Retweets858 Likes

Small details at every step make bring about the "ritual" Ive spoke about:

  • Pulling the box's plastic off with a tab

  • The entire opening experience

  • Peeling back the screen protector

  • Inspecting cords/earbuds held in origami paper

All of this before even touching the phone.

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Even if you're not a fan of Apple, it's easy to see how a customer can use the heuristic: "Wow, if they're spending *this* much time on the packaging, the rest is probably pretty good too."

The detail in Apple's packaging is a great example of Jobs' "back of the fence" story:

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Apple's packaging in general has a clear understanding of human psychology and how people shop. The designs give all relevant info in an eye-catching and quick-to-process manner:

  • Pictures > words

  • Image sizes are "as in real life"

  • Clean/minimalist so as not to overwhelm

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In another patent application for *iPod* cases, Apple writes: "It may diminish from the aura of a well-designed product to present it to consumers in a standard cardboard box. A package that is more fitting of the high-tech design of the product is what consumers expect.”

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One more example of Apple’s obsession with packaging goes back to the mid-1980s, as told by writer Walter Isaacson (who wrote a very popular Steve Jobs biography):

Twitter avatar for @TrungTPhanTrung Phan @TrungTPhan
21/ An example of Steve Jobs emphasis on good packaging from the 1980s (for Macs). Via @ShaneAParrish podcast (
youtu.be/HIpLKjlIJtc)

November 3rd 2021

2 Retweets28 Likes

In the surest sign that Apple's packaging has reached a new level vs. other consumer tech products, people hoarding iPhone boxes is a meme.

With all the effort Apple's team put into it, not really a surprise.



PS. Here is my collection Apple boxes which serve literally no purpose but that I’ll never ever ever get rid of.

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Sources

Packaging News (Link)

Cult of Mac (Link)

The "Inside Apple" book has the best detail on iPhone packaging (Link)

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Rob in Germany
Writes The Randomness of an ADD Mind ·May 10

Funny I do the same thing, saved all my Apple boxes, never thought why What throwing them in the recycling didn’t feel right

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