아동의 건강한 스낵 섭취 행동을 위한 패키지 디자인 연구 - 아동용 시리얼 패키지 디자인의 문제점 분석을 중심으로 -

Background Consuming a large portion of high-energy-dense snacks has been considered as a key driver of children’s high energy intake and weight gain. Despite the potential that package design can play a role as an effective tool for the portion size control of snacks, academic research on children’s snack package design is rare. The purpose of this study is to identify problems of children's cereal packages and to suggest design directions for children's healthy snack consumption. Methods Four kinds of children's cereal packages were selected based on brand market shares and sales rankings. The selected cereal packages were analyzed based on visual, informational, and structural aspects. Result Design strategies, such as providing information, offering different sizes, indicating feedback, or recommending a specific portion size to help children’s healthy snack intake, were not used in children's cereal packages. In a visual perspective, children’s cereal packages mainly emphasized chocolate images, and focused on attracting children’s interest rather than considering their health. In an informational perspective, children’s cereal packages did not provide any information for children’s adequate portion size. In a structural perspective, children’s cereal packages tended to be big-sized. Conclusion The main problem of the current cereal packages for children is the lack of design strategies for children’s healthy snacking. Therefore, the development of cereal package design would be needed and helpful to encourage more healthier choices for children.