WHEN TO MAKE YOUR PRODUCT LOOK COMPLEX

Summary from the TLDR Marketing newsletter

People are willing to pay more for visually complex products when they are compared directly to simpler alternatives. In a series of experiments, participants were willing to pay 10.1% to 13.7% more for complex-looking stationery and assumed such products cost 29% more to produce. However, this effect disappeared when items were displayed separately or when people were told both versions require the same effort to make. Simpler packaging is preferred for products associated with purity, like health foods, and cultural differences may influence these perceptions.