HP believes that the consumer's first interactions with a new product are so critical that the company's packaging department has a "user experience designer."

The first time your consumer tries a new experience is key, says Tony Blasio, whose job at HP includes delivering positive package-opening experiences.

"The first time your customer opens your package, their low self-confidence plus uncertainty equals vulnerability," Blasio says. "But vulnerability also presents opportunity."

Consumers' first experience with your product must be successful to get them to purchase your product again. Blasio says some products fail in this quest because the package-opening experience, which includes product set-up, is anything but quick and easy like it should be.

"If they can't do it without it being long or complicated, you need to rethink your approach," he adds, whether it's HP products such as computer printers or any other product that requires an extended "out-of-box" period of emotional engagement.

Blasio offers the following steps to assuring "first-time success" through packaging.

Keep it simple. Streamline the process, and strictly limit the consumer's options. Fiercely resist "feature creep," such as overloading consumers with too many features that overly complicate computer software.
Provide everything that is needed inside the package. Components include sample materials and design templates. Offer point-of-help instructional assistance other than through manuals, which consumers often don't read.
Anticipate lazy behavior and compensate for it. Expect consumers to skim any text, both on the carton and in the manual, and to want to take the easiest path to completing the experience, such as installation. Make it pleasurable by defaulting to the desired experience and requiring them to do extra work to avoid it. Do almost everything for them; let them feel successful, and have some output (such as a printed photo from a printer) for having gone through the process.