Packaging Design
Although there is no one correct formula to having great product packaging, there are few trends that are sure to catch people’s eyes upon looking at its packaging design. By considering these three keys to cutting-edge packaging design on your products, your customers will not only view your company as modern, design proficient, and forward-thinking, but also lean towards purchasing your product over a competitor’s.
An excellent packaging design Idea
Sustainable Packaging
Sustainable or “green” packaging has come a long way since the days when a product’s ability to be recycled or made from recycled materials was the end-all, be-all of sustainable packaging. Now, consumers are looking for packaging that matches their ethical beliefs in a variety of ways. You can integrate this into your packaging by adapting to one or more of the following trends:
- Biodegradable and renewable materials: Many cities are initiating composting programs that encourage residents to compost in their backyards. Compostable plastic, usually made from renewable sources such as corn, is growing in popularity.
- Non-toxic materials: Consumers want to know that your packaging doesn’t use harmful chemicals or dyes.
- Energy reduction: This can mean switching to a production process that requires less energy, or choosing a supplier that uses renewable energy sources such as solar panels.
- Less packaging: This eliminates waste, transportation costs, and the amount of energy used during production.
- Water efficiency: Reducing the amount of wastewater in production, such as through reuse, is an important part of today’s green packaging.
The popularity of sustainable packaging means that advertising your use of sustainable techniques can attract environmental-conscious consumers that once avoided your product due to their beliefs.
Of course, sustainability must work in tandem with functionality and affordability. Sun Chips had to pull its biodegradable bags from the market in 2010 because the noisy bags led to consumer complaints and lost sales. Customers want to buy environmentally friendly products, but not at the expense of quality, cost, and convenience.
Custom Packaging
The key to getting the best custom packaging is strong communication among three parties: supplier, designer, and customer. In today’s world, suppliers and designers collaborate so that the designer communicates clearly what the customer needs, and the supplier communicates information about the newest packaging technologies to benefit the customer.
Well designed, sustainable, custom packaging can have the greatest impact on both your company’s image and your customer’s interest in the product. Developing a packaging design that stands out from competitors emphasizes the uniqueness of your brand.
Simplicity
Today, companies are turning to simple, streamlined packaging designs so that customers see all the information they need to know at a single glance. Excess text and images are a thing of the past. The following features are the key to simple design:
Colors
Stick to one or two colors that cover most of the package.
Font
Use a clean, clear font.
Text
Use text sparingly, leaving enough white space to attract the consumer’s eye.
Pictures
Stick to just one clean, distinctive logo, drawing, or photo – or opt for no images, instead letting the packaging speak for itself.
These 3 keys to cutting-edge packaging design work in tandem. Sustainable packaging produced with innovative, environmentally friendly techniques lets the marketplace know your company is up-to-date and in sync with environmental concerns. Custom design of your sustainable packaging alerts the marketplace to your company’s uniqueness as well as the function of the product. And simplicity in your packaging design uses fewer dyes and less material, thus reinforcing your company’s support of environmentally friendly and sustainable products.
