Effective packaging design is important to all brands and companies, big and small alike. Packaging should aim to protect your product, grab attention, create the desired purchasing experience, and differentiate your product from the competition. Here are some tips to consider for your next packaging design project.
#1: Grab Customer Curiosity
Smart packaging and graphic design can help get the attention of customers while also getting new potential customers interested in your product. Packaging design should be viewed as another tool to help convey your brand, mission, and provide a compelling value proposition for your product. This can be accomplished with the use of different package shapes, print embellishments, colors, coatings, fonts, and many available tools. The options for producing amazing packaging are truly endless and only limited by your imagination. Take your time at this stage of the creative process and focus on generating a wow-factor while still protecting your product as it travels through the supply chain.
#2: Cohesive Brand Message
Packaging design can play a big role in your brand’s overall message and mission statement. Make sure that your packaging presents a consistent message to your customers. For example, if your product has an emphasis on environmental sustainability, you can utilize environmentally friendly materials and production techniques in your packaging to create an environmentally friendly image.
Often, it makes the most sense to create a logo and color scheme that will appear on all your branded products, advertising, website, and packaging. Cohesive packaging design will allow your brand to be recognized more quickly. It also allows your company to use the established Goodwill of the brand to introduce new products more easily to customers as they will connect the new product with the past positive experiences they had with your product.
#3: Get to the “WHY” First
Have you ever picked up a package that looked cool, but after looking at the product for 30 seconds, you couldn’t even figure out what the product does or what purpose it serves. Your packaging should answer these questions: Why was your product created? Why should someone buy it? Why should they care?
Your packaging will be the first experience your customer has with your product. Therefore, packaging should clearly describe the product and the value proposition associated with its use or consumption. If this isn’t clearly presented to the customer, there is a good chance they will put your product back on the shelf and look for a more convincing option. This is also a great opportunity to convey any differentiating factors such as environmentally friendly packaging, green corporate practices, health benefits from the product, and/or whatever else will support the customer’s decision to purchase your product versus the competition.
#4: Make It Memorable
Creating memorable packaging is no easy task. How can you spark emotion, intrigue, and thoughtfulness to create a lasting impression? It has been well documented that feelings and emotions play a role in our memory recall and how we perceive past experiences. How do you want your customers to feel when they think about your products? Proper packaging design, in conjunction with targeted marketing efforts, can help emphasize the feelings you want associated with your brand to create a memorable experience.
#5: Remember your Target Audience
Don’t forget about your target audience! Every decision made during the design process should take the target audience into consideration. For example, if you are targeting senior citizens, your packaging should be easy to read and easy to open. It should speak to them and their needs. The right message targeted at the wrong group will not create an effective or impactful message.
Make contacting PAX Solutions one of your first steps when beginning packaging design for your next project. By contacting PAX Solutions early on in the project design phase, we can provide design insight, budgetary estimates, structural samples, and overall packaging guidance. PAX Solutions will make sure your next project gets done right and creates that WOW factor to help grow your business!