For brick-and-mortar businesses, packaging design is crucial, since it’s what will shape a prospective customer’s initial interaction with your product. People who will see and learn about your product for the first time will form their first impression based on how your packaging looks and your packaging design is as essential as the product itself.
An effective design makes your product stand out from your competition and it piques the interest of your customers.
And this is where your brand identity works its magic. It must be powerful enough to connect with your customers and hinge on their attention. Developing a brand identity that’s unique to you is vital in communicating your brand story and capturing the loyalty of your consumers.
Five reasons why packaging design is beneficial to the success of your product:
- Customer attraction – An impressive packaging lures in a potential customer to pick your product off the shelf and take it home. You want your packaging to hook people in and be curious about your brand.
- Branding – An appropriate colour palette, logo, and design trademark executed in your packaging makes your brand identity tangible. Your packaging has to prominently display your company colours, fonts, and trademarks to create a bold brand statement. Consistent use of branding standards and guidelines allows you to be recognizable to your audience.
- Utility – Well-thought-out packaging has its own function and purpose. A functional packaging protects your product and makes it easy to ship, collect, and store. Also, if your packaging showcases a useful function to your customer, then it becomes equally valuable as your product.
- Information – Your packaging is your tool to better communicate relevant information about your product and company. You need to design your packaging in a manner that carries all the information your customers need to know before purchasing your product. Your packaging should bear these details:
- Who designed the product
- Who the product is for
- The use of the product, including its limitations (if applicable)
- Knowledge needed to use the product
- Where the product was made
- Manufacturer information
- Expiration date
- Why your customers need your product (how can it improve your customer’s life? Why is it worth spending on?)
Now that you understand the essence of eco-friendly packaging and design, it’s time to create one for your winning product. Below are the steps involved in designing eco-friendly packaging.
1. Gather content materials.
Ensure you have all the content you need available in preparation for starting your design. The materials you may need are the following:
- Copy – Text you need for your package. This includes your brand name and compelling product description that attract your customers to buy.
- Images – Decide on the kind of imagery you want your product to have.
- Necessary marks – These may include nutrition information, industry marks, and barcode. These will depend on the standards imposed by your industry bodies.
- Brand requirements – Elements like your brand colours, fonts, and logo are all important to create a packaging appearance that’s consistent with your brand identity and aesthetics.
2. Decide on the layers of packaging.
Product packaging has three layers namely inner, outer, and product packaging. You may need one or all three of these depending on the type of your product.
- Inner packaging keeps your product safe and fitted snugly. This can be tissue paper or packing peanuts. It can also be a sealed bag that aims to preserve the freshness of your product.
- Your outer packaging is what your customer is going to see first. It protects your products from external elements. This can be the box in which the product is shipped or the shopping bag used to contain the item at your store.
- Product packaging is what your customers will remember your product by. It’s the pouch containing the coffee beans, the wrapper of a chocolate bar, or the tag on an article of clothing.
3. Choose your packaging type.
Determining the type of packaging that suits your product best can be a tough decision to make. Here are some factors you need to consider during the selection process:
- Product – Packaging always revolves around the product at hand. If you’re selling anything liquid, it can set a limit for your options.
- Competition – Pick a packaging material that sets you apart from other brands in your industry. But always think of what will be most convenient to use for your consumers. After all, your packaging can affect people’s experience with your brand. Make sure it’s reusable or recyclable.
- Budget – Your packaging idea should be realistic with your budget. Consult with a packaging manufacturer to find recyclable options that fall within your budget and product requirements.
4. Identify the focal point of your design.
Create an information architecture where you will zero in on the one thing or message that you want your customers to remember about your product. You may have stellar reviews from your target customers, a remarkable tagline that captures your company values, or a fab graphic illustration that shows how to use your product. But when a buyer sees your packaging they’re only going to recall one thing. What is that most prominent element? That should be the dominant theme of your packaging design. Then make that dominant theme the high point that consumers notice as they pick your product (or visit your website).
5. Evaluate your design.
After formulating your packaging design, the next step you want to do is to assess its value and effectiveness. Below are some questions to consider upon evaluation:
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- Does it clearly present what your product is? Your package should readily reveal what your product is and the customer it’s trying to attract. An effective package should convey a clear message and is unlike anything else. Take note that consumers are only willing to pay for a product of which value they understand.
- Does your package honestly represent your product? If you plan to show photos of your product on your packaging, make sure the photos represent the actual product itself. If you show a picture of cookies filled with lots of chocolate chips on top but there’s actually only one chocolate chip on each of your cookies, you risk creating a false promise to your customers.
- How will the package look like on the shelves? Shelf appearance is crucial for products that are distributed and sold in stores. Some of the things you need to think about include:
- The exposure of the packaging when your products are lined up on the shelf. Ensure that the essential product details are front and centre.
- The presentation of the products when they are stacked on top and next to each other.
- How your product will look when put next to competitor brands. Consider how you can make yours stand out and get the most attention.
- How versatile is your design? This is important for brands that are planning to offer new variations of their product in the future. You may only have a coffee product existing at present, but you might want to roll out a range of tea variants in the next few years. Can your design be modified or upgraded to accommodate product variations?
Now that you’ve learned the essence of great packaging and how you can create one for your product, it’s time to contact an expert designer to bring your ideas to life.
Professional graphic designers have put in years of work and study to help businesses create a package design that’s as effective as it is impressive.
Invest in excellent packaging that can build a strong impression and apprehend your customers’ attention.
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