aesthetics of joy

I love the rich, bright gradients on these packages from Bermellón, a Mexican confectionary shop. (Not to mention the bright colors of the sweets themselves.) The colors are as functional as they are eye-catching, reflecting the intense spicy and sour flavors with which Bermellón infuses its sweets.

In this way, the packaging essentially replicates the vibrant skins of fruits, which advertise their sweet, flavorful contents. Research suggests our color vision evolved to find those ripe fruits, so it’s no surprise we feel delight when our food comes wrapped in bright colors. More than just a pretty wrapper, these boxes tap into some of the most primal associations we have with nourishment: they feed the eyes, and also the soul.

Also, how great is the pop of yellow on the inside of the bag? A little flash that proclaims: “good stuff in here!”

Images: Anagrama, via Designboom

Last week I was interviewed for this great piece on the trend towards “tiny sweets” by New York Times writer Julia Moskin. In the article I try to demystify why it is we’re attracted to mini-canolis or Baked by Melissa cupcakes (above) and talk about the “Alice in Wonderland effect,” where big changes in the scale of objects around us, either tiny or huge, make us reconsider our scale in relation to the world in a joyful way.

For more, check out past posts on tiny sweets, giant sweets, and the joy of miniaturization.

NYT: “Small Wonders”
Image: Tony Cenicola/New York Times