No doubt in saying that almost everyone tends to judge the book by its cover in the first instance. And, this applies to product packaging as well. When you go to a store like Big Bazaar for shopping, you would have noticed that you all are swayed by the good packaging, its colors, images, typography, and obviously its touch. Isn’t it?
So, the point to be noticed here is that a good product packaging design can help you grab the attention you want from your target customers. On the contrary, a bad packaging design can kill your brand!
So, it doesn’t matter what you think in terms of design and how you want to design your product. What matters is what your customers think and how they feel things. Hence, the design should be such that resonates with their mind!
Table of content:
- What is product packaging design?
- Product Packaging Elements
- Packaging design process
- How color affects and reinforces buying behavior
- How To Write Copy For Your Product Packaging
- Inspiring examples of product packaging design
What is product packaging design?
A packaging design is all about the exterior of the product and acts as an advertisement for your brand. This informs the customers what’s inside and how should you use it. The packaging design includes the container that suits the product, the graphics, the text on the package, colors, logo, and the label.
Consider the points mentioned below before you start designing the packaging for a product:
- What is the product?
Understanding and defining your product will help you figure out what kind of packaging material is required and how can you prevent it from damage. - Who’s buying the product?
If your product is for health-conscious persons, designing should have some taste of healthiness. If your product is for married couples, it should highlight some sort of romantic feel. And, so on… So, first decide, who is your ideal customer. - Where are they going to buy your product?
Are they purchasing it in a supermarket? A small boutique? Online?
Take a look at this video of Don Norman, an American Researcher, who is elaborating on the three ways that good design makes you happy.
Video courtesy: TEDTalks
You may also like to read: Advertisement Design Tips
Product Packaging Elements
Now, let’s understand what are the various elements of product packaging design.
- Colors: Colors should be according to your brand’s message and feel you want your customers to have. For example, red will be an ideal choice to show love and passion.
- Fonts: Select the font style and define its usage guidelines to write the message.
- Logo: Your product will be recognized by the brand logo. It’s one of the important elements that differentiate your product.
- Written copy: Prepare a writing copy that goes on your package. Make sure it is engaging enough to entice your customers.
- Imagery: If you want to visually appeal to your customers, be ready with some engaging images.
- Required Information: You may require to add the barcode, association marks, batch no., and other information to your package based on your industry norms.
Packaging Design Process
Now, you know a lot about product packaging design. It’s time to learn how to do it. Just follow the steps below and you’ll be ready to rock!
Step 1: Understand packaging layers
The first step would be to understand product packaging layers. Basically, these are of two types.
Outer Packaging
Outer packaging protects your product from the outside elements. It can be a container in which your product is shipped or it can be a shopping bag in which the product is placed in the store, or anything else.
Inner Packaging
The inner packaging holds the product and separates it from the outer packaging. This, generally, requires protecting the soft and delicate products. The bottle with a label, Bubble wrap, machine-crumpled Kraft paper, etc. is good examples of inner packaging.
Depending on the type of your product and your business requirement, you may need anyone or both of them.
Step 2: Select the required packaging
Depending on the nature and type of your product, you need to select the right packaging. You have many choices available in the market. For example, you can design a box packaging, a bag packaging, a can with a label on it, a bottle, a packet design, a cup design, etc.
Step 3: Create your information architecture
Remember the 2 questions that we discussed earlier— who is buying your product and from where? This information will help you create your information architecture.
There are a lot of things about your product that can captivate your audience’s interest. It can be the eye-catchy images, its tagline, simple yet attractive typography, logo, or anything else. Think about what should be the centerpiece of your packaging design.
Step 4: Evaluation
Once you have come up with your design ideas, it’s a good idea to evaluate them on the basis of certain factors. Consider the following points to evaluate your design ideas:
- Are you sure your design makes it clear in the one go what your product is all about?
- Does your packaging represent the correct information?
- Evaluate its shelf impact. When your product is lined up next to each other in the store, how much information will be visible? Will important information be visible in front? Will your customers notice it? Is it enticing enough to beat the competition?
- Is your product packaging design versatile enough to accommodate your new product variations?
- Can your packaging be reusable?
Step 5: Get the files ready
Once you have evaluated everything and found it as per your requirements, it’s time to get everything ready.
You probably need the following files from your designer:
- Packaging dielines in vector format: This can be a .ai, .pdf, or .eps file.
- Color codes: Pantone or CMYK color codes
How color affects and reinforces buying behavior
Colors are an essential part of emotional product packaging that helps you visualize your story clearly. Did you ever notice that everyone has their own favorite color? And, you have your own favorite one too. Haven’t you? Actually, the colors play into our psychology. Choosing the right color can encourage your customers to buy your product. Else, they’ll move forward.
Dark vs Light: Prefer dark colors to display power, luxury, mystery, and elegance. Light colors will be better for a soft, simple, clean, and relaxing touch.
Saturation: Saturation is needed for setting up the mood. Infuse a vibrant or fun feeling by using bright colors. This will make your mood exciting. Use pastels if you would like to set up a calm, soothing, and comforting tone.
You can mix the categories to create an extra impact and grab the attention of your target customers.
How to Write Copy For Your Product Packaging
No doubt that the images on the packaging catch the customers’ attention but the copy is still needed to make it clear about your product and brand.
Here is how you can write a product packaging copy effectively:
- Keep it short and easy to understand: Because no one has enough time to read into detail.
- Write what customers can relate to Think about what your customer wants from your product. And, then write in such a way that convinces them to buy.
- Tell a story in a clever way: Tell your customers about your story in such a way that sets their mood right when they read your copy.
- Headline: It should be short but engaging.
- Proofread: Once you have done with your writing, proofread it to ensure everything is flawless.
Inspiring examples of product packaging design
We have picked some inspiring examples for you. Let’s take a look at:
1. Ceylon: Manufactures Coconut-based Products
Ceylon is a Sri Lankan brand that manufactures coconut-based products. They believe in enriching life with purity. We have introduced a fresh package design style with a blend of aesthetics that not only disseminates the product information quickly but also creates an emotional connection with the audience.
2. Help Remedies Paper Pack
Image source: Packaging of the world
Take a look at these Help medicines. The package has been designed by Derrick Lin. Its design makes it visually clear what each one is for.
3. Roman – Sparkling Water
Image source: Packaging of the world
The package has been designed by Amir Mohamed. This brand stands out with its unique identity and colors.
Ready to design your product package?
So, this is how you can continue with product packaging. What’s your design idea? Share with us in the comments below.
Moreover, if you’re looking for a product packaging design, we can help you. Contact our expert designers and we’ll assist you right from design creation to its final implementation.
