Left isn't always right: placement of pictorial and textual package elements

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to investigate how the positioning of textual and pictorial design elements on a package affects visual attention (detection time) toward these element types.Design/methodology/approachThe study has a 3×2 (stimulus×location) between‐subjects design. One pictorial and two textual package elements, located on the top right‐ or top left‐hand side of a package, were used as stimuli. Visual attention was measured by eye‐tracking. A total of 199 university students participated. The data were analysed using a two‐way ANOVA and a Pearson's chi‐square analysis with standardised residuals.FindingsThe results show that in order to receive the most direct attention, textual elements should be on the left‐hand side of a package, whereas pictorial elements should be on the right‐hand side. This is inconsistent with previous design directions (based on recall), suggesting the opposite element organisation.Originality/valuePrevious research has focused on recall (whether respondents remember having seen package elements) or preference (whether respondents prefer a package based on element positioning). The focus of the present study determined whether respondents actually saw the different elements on a package, and how long it took them to detect such elements. Detection time for certain element types can be viewed as a new and complementary way of evaluating the position of package elements. The paper also addresses whether preference is a result of easy information acquisition.