Remember when you were a kid opening presents on your birthday? There was a sense of excitement that came with each new gift. You didn’t know what was going to be under the wrapping paper. And you probably spent some time wondering what it was until you were given leave to open the presents. You’d look at the shape and size of the box and try to figure out what it contained.
That’s the kind of excitement you want to create in the mind of your consumer with your designing packaging. You want them to feel like a kid again. Unwrapping your product should be like unwrapping a gift, even if it’s one that you’ve purchased yourself.
When designing Packaging you should always consider the experience from the customers point of view. Both from the point of purchase but also through to it’s end use.
Here are a few things to consider when designing packaging
What’s Your Product?
With certain products, it might be better to go with a sleek, minimalist package design whereas with others, you might want to invest in something opulent and eye-catching. It depends on the product itself. It may not make sense to take something meant for everyday use, like deodorant, and package it like designer perfume. On the other hand, you can’t hope to sell designer perfume unless it is packaged in a striking, unique way.
But this is not a hard-and-fast rule. As time goes on, many objects which used to be merely functional are also becoming aesthetically pleasing. For example, cell phones used to be clunky things when they were first introduced into the market. Now, they’ve become sleek status symbols. So their packaging also needs to change.
You might have a product which has always has functional package design. But this doesn’t mean that you can’t change things around and make it more elaborate. Think about your vision for the product in the future; this will help you to package it in the best possible way.
How Much Will It Cost?
With every business, it’s important to factor in the bottom line. So the cost of your package design becomes a consideration. A good package designer will keep the overall cost of your product in mind when coming up with your package design.
In general, it makes no sense to go with package design which costs more than the product itself. You need to come up with package design that’s affordable but also attention-grabbing.
Products which are packaged by hand might look great but this technique only makes sense when the product is exclusive and costly. When you have hundreds or thousands of products to package, it might make sense to go with something more reasonable priced.
Does It Fit Your Brand?
This might be the most important thing for you to consider when designing packaging. Every company has a certain company image and every product needs to develop a brand for the long run. What are the qualities that you want people to associate with you and your product? These are the ones you need to emphasize while branding.
So, for example, if you’re selling handbags made of real, soft leather, and you want people to remember you for the quality of your materials, you’ll need to develop a brand that highlights this feature. And when you develop package design for your handbags, it might make sense to go with a natural, holistic look that people will associate with real leather.
In the case of handbags, you’re essentially putting a bag into a bag but the outer bag needs to give you some idea of what’s contained inside. You can’t just go with a functional plastic bag that people will want to throw away as soon as they get home. The sign of good package design is when people don’t have the heart to throw it away. So they keep it for future use, like taking their lunch to work or storing their toiletries.
Contact us for more great tips on designing packaging.
In need of assistance designing packaging?