Why does a CD case look different than a DVD case?

Jewel Cases were designed with the intent of setting the CD product apart from its predecessors (LP and cassettes). The DVD case was designed to help ease the transition from VHS to DVD.

I think it probably comes down to a marketing decision during the design phase. The Philips product development teams in Germany and the Netherlands had decided that the ideal CD case would be not much thicker than the CD itself, would protect the disc from scratches and had to reinforce the image of a state-of-the art product. They wanted something that would look completely different than LP packaging.


DVD cases were created with input from VHS rental houses and retailers. The case was created so it could use the same point-of-sale displays that were currently being used for VHS. In this way, retailers could start selling DVDs immediately without additional investment in shelving and such.

As a side note, the actual designer of the jewel case is Peter Doodson, a Dutch designer. I couldn't find the actual designer of the original DVD case but I do know the original design was created by Amaray.

Subscribe to Ask Dean

If you like what you've read, enter your email address below to receive the latest Ask Dean posts delivered directly to your mail box. Or, if you prefer, you can follow ASKDEAN on Twitter or via RSS Feed.