Your product packaging design is one of the most important factors in your overall brand image. It’s the first thing your potential customers see, and it can play a major role in their decision to buy your products. High-quality product packaging design not only keeps your products safe and secure, but it draws shoppers’ eyes and communicates the value of your brand.
Product packaging design involves every element of your product’s exterior. Style of packaging, type of material, colors, images, and typography are all a part of your product packaging design. Well-crafted product packaging is creative, eye-catching, and functional.
There are several steps involved in the package design process. A clear plan of action from the very beginning is key for your design project to run smoothly. Here is everything you need to know about product packaging design:
Getting Started With Product Packaging Design
Careful planning in the early stages will help the rest of the product packaging design process go smoothly. As you start brainstorming for your product packaging design, identify your brand image and your target audience. You should have a clear idea of what your potential customers are looking for and what kind of product packaging design will draw their eye.
You should also create an information hierarchy for your product packaging design. Choose the most important piece of information that you want customers to see, and use this as the centerpiece. This could be your brand logo, the name of the product, or an image of what’s inside. Then, choose two or three other pieces of information to display clearly but secondarily to the centerpiece in the product packaging design.
As your product packaging design comes to life, remember to envision it as a 3D item. Your mock-ups may be on paper or on a computer screen, but the real product packaging will look much different when it’s constructed. You could even print out a draft of your product packaging design and tape it together to get a rough idea of how it will look in three dimensions.
Before working out the details of the product packaging design, find and connect with a reputable printer. You should have an idea of what the printing job will cost so you can set a budget for materials. Your printer should provide dieline templates for the box or label, too, which you or your designer can use to guide the product packaging design process.
The Three Layers of Product Packaging
There are three layers of product packaging, and each gives you an opportunity to represent your brand and share your story. The outermost layer of packaging protects the item from the elements, especially during transportation. This typically is the box the item ships in if you sell your products online.
The inner packaging surrounds the item inside the box and keeps it packed safely. This could be tissue paper, packing peanuts, bubble wrap, or anything else that stops the item from jostling around during transportation.
The last layer of the product packaging is the box, wrapper, bottle, or other container that houses the item itself. If you sell your item in brick-and-mortar stores, this is the packaging that your customers will see on the shelves.
You should have a product packaging design strategy for all three of these layers. Some businesses only put care into the design for the innermost layer of packaging, but the outer box will give the first impression. Every layer of your product packaging design should be cohesive to provide a great unboxing experience for your customers.
Colors
Color is one of the first and most important decisions you’ll make for your product packaging design. It’s also one of the first things your customers will see when they look at the product. Most colors are associated with a particular emotion, so you should choose the colors in your product packaging design carefully to fine-tune the customer experience.
Here are some examples of the feelings different colors can evoke when used in product packaging design:
• Red: energy, excitement, passion
• Orange: adventure, creativity, warmth
• Green: health, growth, generosity
• Blue: stability, peace, calm
• Black: power, mystery, authority
Your brand colors should be the foundation of the color scheme for your product packaging. This will strengthen brand recognition and help your customers easily identify your products among others on the shelves.
You should also make an intentional choice between bright and pastel colors in your product packaging design. Bright colors are vibrant, exciting, and eye-catching while pastels are calming and comforting. Think about your desired brand image and how you want your customers to feel when using your products. Your product packaging design should reflect this.
Typography
Like color, the typography in your product packaging design will have a big impact on the way shoppers respond to your products. You probably already have a logo that shows your brand name, but you’ll also have to choose typography for all of the smaller text in the product packaging design.
Simplicity is always key for typography. Use text that’s clear and easy to read, and avoid using too many different types of fonts in your product packaging design. Two or three fonts can help to break your labels up into segments, but any more than that will make your product packaging look cluttered and messy.
Consider your brand image to choose an appropriate font. If you want your product packaging design to look serious and professional, a font like Georgia or Times New Roman should work well. If you want a clean or minimalist product packaging design, try a sans-serif font like Arial.
Written Copy
Once a consumer is drawn in by the visuals on your product packaging, they’ll read the written copy. If your products are on the shelves, this is your chance to convince a curious shopper that they want or need the item. If a customer has already purchased the product, the written copy on the packaging should reassure them about their choice.
As always, use your brand image to guide your style. You could use a casual, humorous tone if it’s appropriate, or you could use more straightforward, serious copy if you need to establish trust in your customers.
There’s a finite amount of space on your product packaging, so be concise with your written content. Use short sentences and bullet points to convey the information succinctly. Remember that most customers won’t read every single word on the packaging, especially if it’s completely covered in text.
Material
Your choice of material greatly affects the quality of your product packaging. The ideal material depends on what’s inside the container. Something easily breakable will need heavy-duty packaging. The box the product comes in can be a good opportunity to be creative and represent your brand, but functionality is the top priority.
Look to your competition to assess what kind of material is best for each layer of packaging. If every other business in your niche uses a certain material or style of packaging, it’s probably a sign that you should follow suit. While doing something different will make you stand out, there’s also likely a reason for the norm.
Product packaging design is an intricate but exciting process. This is an excellent opportunity to showcase your business and attract new customers. Throughout the project, remember to be clear and consistent in your messaging and design so that all of your products become immediately recognizable to your shoppers. Take your time with every package design decision, and don’t be afraid to create multiple drafts until you find the perfect design.