The packaging design for the Nurika brand fish skin snack product (UKM Mapuse) designed by the Abmas team from the ITS DKV

ITS Campus, ITS News – The Community Service Team (Abmas) of the Department of Visual Communication Design (DKV) of the Institut Teknologi Sepuluh November (ITS) again contributed to Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). This time, to maximize the potential of marine products in Branta Pesisir Village, Tlanakan, and Pamekasan, the ITS Abmas team developed packaging for processed fish skin snack products produced by the Madura Have Taste (Mapuse) SMEs.

The head of the Abmas team from ITS DKV Naufan Noordyanto SSn MSn revealed the purpose of this service project is to provide breakthroughs to new potential customers. “Through the packaging design update, the Abmas team introduced interesting, representative, and marketable product information,” he explained.

Naufan Noordyanto SSn MSn (left) with Nurholis as the owner of MSME Mapuse

Naufan said his team saw that the abundant potential of marine products made the people of Branta Pesisir actively market marine fish in raw and processed forms. One of the processed fish skin products with the Nurika brand has the potential to become a product that is widely known by the public.

Although it is produced seasonally and packaged in transparent plastic or with a simple label, this fish skin processed product is highly demanded. It has even been marketed outside of Madura. However, this packaging model has a weakness similar to other competitors, which confuses the identification of identities in the market.

As a result, the Nurika fish skin snack brand is quickly forgotten and uncompetitive, ultimately becoming economically unprofitable. “Therefore, our team helps accommodate the needs and design problems by identifying products and markets, including observing competitors,” explained the man who once worked at PT Eksis Cipta Citra Komunika, Yogyakarta.

Agreeing with Naufan’s opinion, Nurholis, owner of the UMKM, said that his fish skin snack products did not get new markets; they tended to stay with old customers. He argues new customers seem less confident with this product. “It seems because the product display is packaged simply,” he guessed.
Besides Naufan, the Abmas team consisting of other ITS DKV lecturers such as Sayatman SSn MSi, Rabendra Yudistira Alamin ST MDs, Putri Dwitasari ST MDs, and Nugrahardi Ramadhani SSn MT then made observations and interviews several times with MSME owners. According to the Abmas team, Nurika’s product packaging tends not to reflect the quality of the product and does not increase the selling value of the product. It creates the impression of a cheap product and has a low-quality price.

In addition, the product packaging design does not appear to be worth the relatively high price. Then, the personality of the packaging design does not communicate the product character and brand identity, which is superior to traditional MSME products from a coastal village. This design also does not display the taste and quality of the product. In addition, the packaging does not have a persuasive element, so it tends not to arouse the appetite to buy.

After making observations, the Abmas team determined the distinguishing factors and product advantages, called the Unique Selling Preposition (USP). The USP identification found that this Pamekasan specialty snack is made with selected fish skin and natural spices that are savory, crispy, practical, and can be consumed directly or as a side dish with rice and chili sauce.

Furthermore, Naufan explained, the color variant identifies the variant of the bag packaging design by following the development of the taste or seasoning of the product being offered. The cultural identity of Madura as the origin of product production and coastal narratives are presented to identify the USP of the product as a snack from Pamekasan, Madura, which is practical and can be taken anywhere.

Nurika’s label design as an identifier for product package delivery designed by the ITS Abmas DKV team

It is from this USP that the graphic or artistic appearance is developed through sketches and coloring, such as the Nurika brand’s typography and the packaging’s main illustration, having previously determined the selection of packaging material plans, sizes, and packaging information.

The results of the development of the idea are communicated massively with partners until mutual agreement and the production stage. “Not to forget, the ITS DKV Abmas team also designed a label to provide the identity of the sender and recipient to accommodate product package delivery services,” he said coherently.

The bespectacled lecturer hopes that the output of the Abmas activity, which was officially distributed to MSME Mapuse this past August, can be used to compete with the broader market. In addition, it can increase turnover; the products are more well-recognized, as well as re-cooperation with partners. “Hopefully, there will be more local villagers who are not only able to cultivate the potential of their village but are also aware of attractive product packaging,” added Naufan. (ITS Public Relation)

Reporter: Fatima Az Zahra