Design safe from materials costs

Packaging and literature design will not be affected by the soaring prices of paper and other packaging materials, according to major design buyers.

The cost of corrugated board, polythene and styrene are all set to double this year, reaching record levels.

Paper pulp has already more than doubled in price since 1994.

However, United Biscuits packaging development manager Peter Singleton predicts these price increases will be short term, and will not affect the amount of packaging design the company commissions.

“Our feeling is that prices will come down,” he says, “I have not got to respond in a knee jerk fashion to price changes.”

BT head of corporate design Tony Key adds: “I do not think [the increase in pulp prices] would directly affect the way we buy design because we would carry on buying quality design, although we might produce less literature.”