Box Design
Dublin Core
Title
Box Design
Subject
Board game boxes of the Barbie game, Dr. Kildare & Ben Casey M.D.
Description
The Barbie Game box depicts Barbie in a ponytail wearing a gold crown and pearls. Next to her are spot illustrations of her shopping, dating her boyfriend and partaking in school activities with a friend. These illustrations are positioned on a teal background with hints of purple, pink and yellow (a somewhat girly and pastel color palette). The box on the whole, has a "sit still look pretty" vibe.
Dr. Kildare looks serious and professional with perfectly parted hair, a stethoscope on his neck and clad in a lab coat. Next to him is an illustration of a general hospital on the box . The colors used are red, green, yellow, white and blue. The tones of the colors are very similar to the usual board game color palette.
The Ben Casey M.D. box showcases Ben Casey himself, from the TV series inside a red triangle for emphasis. There is also an illustrated panel of doctors (in scrubs) operating on a patient with various surgical tools laid out. In this panel, there are probably two females, both standing a distance from the patient, assisting the male doctors by handing them tools. Again, the three primary colors with green and white. Ben Casey M.D. is written on top of the box in bold. The subheading reads "The Drama of life in a Big Metropolitan Hospital".
In the last two board games, it is evident how men are given more importance and respect in the workspace. Thus, having more power. Even the visual language of these games is very strong. The use of shocking primary colors instantly establishes the "game feel".
When juxtaposing the Barbie game against the doctor games, the Barbie game seems extremely frivolous. The phrase "A fun game with real-life appeal for all girls" seems like a slap on the face, limiting girls to whatever's depicted on the box.
Dr. Kildare looks serious and professional with perfectly parted hair, a stethoscope on his neck and clad in a lab coat. Next to him is an illustration of a general hospital on the box . The colors used are red, green, yellow, white and blue. The tones of the colors are very similar to the usual board game color palette.
The Ben Casey M.D. box showcases Ben Casey himself, from the TV series inside a red triangle for emphasis. There is also an illustrated panel of doctors (in scrubs) operating on a patient with various surgical tools laid out. In this panel, there are probably two females, both standing a distance from the patient, assisting the male doctors by handing them tools. Again, the three primary colors with green and white. Ben Casey M.D. is written on top of the box in bold. The subheading reads "The Drama of life in a Big Metropolitan Hospital".
In the last two board games, it is evident how men are given more importance and respect in the workspace. Thus, having more power. Even the visual language of these games is very strong. The use of shocking primary colors instantly establishes the "game feel".
When juxtaposing the Barbie game against the doctor games, the Barbie game seems extremely frivolous. The phrase "A fun game with real-life appeal for all girls" seems like a slap on the face, limiting girls to whatever's depicted on the box.
Creator
Mattel, Ideal Toy Company and Transogram
Date
1960; 1962; 1961
Contributor
The DMGHL at Washington University in St. Louis
Format
JPEG
Language
eng
Type
Still Image
Identifier
Boxes
Coverage
Game Design and Visual Tropes
Files
Collection
Citation
Mattel, Ideal Toy Company and Transogram, “Box Design,” "No Boyfriend? Skip One Turn" Gender Representation in Board Games , accessed May 15, 2024, https://aayeshaejaz.omeka.net/items/show/9.