You’ll want to consider some top tips for successful packaging design if you’re just now getting a new product on the market. Obviously, you already know creating something new means competing with hundreds of others that are possibly similar. Finding ways to differentiate in any industry may look impossible when there’s so many products offering the same features or promises.
This isn’t an impossibility when you apply appropriate design and more targeted approaches to your packaging design. It’s almost a creative science at this point based on the numerous variables involved.
The entire package design development process runs the gamut from figuring who your audience is to creating a perception on store shelves. Using the creative process needs more focus than ever when you consider products have to compete inches apart from one another in one aisle. Sometimes they’re crammed together in bunches, which makes it difficult for a consumer to distinguish one brand from another.
Here’s some things to think about in bringing successful packing design so you stand out from the product herd.
Top Tips for Successful Packaging Design
Understanding Who Your Buyers Are
It’s possible to convey a lot in just one small product package, though it has to relate to your targeted buyers. If you haven’t taken the time to truly understand your regular consumers, it’s time to do some serious analysis, including customer personas.
The more thorough you are on this, the more you can fine-tune the details on the packaging. This can determine exactly which colours you use, what images you’ll have, and even what the name of your product is.
Don’t be overly general either with assumptions a particular demographic will like a particular design style. Everyone is different, and your targeted buyers may have varied tastes than you think they would.
What Kind of Packaging Do You Have?
Once you create a design draft, do you really know how well it’ll print on the packaging? Is your packaging just paper, or is it perhaps a box? Sometimes it’s a combination, and you need to understand how the design fits into the overall shape.
On a box, you essentially have six sides available to convey your message. Paper packaging can become more problematic if it’s easy to crinkle or tear. By considering the type of paper material you use, you can see how durable it is so it doesn’t cause misinterpretations.
Communicating Your Key Messages
All your packaging design needs to find ways to communicate your key message as effectively as you can. Is it possible to do this through a stand-alone image, or do you need more textual explanations on the package?
As with all graphic design, it’s best to mix it up since packaging is essentially a miniature billboard. Printing a quality product image showing all angles can help a consumer make a better buying decision if they can’t fully inspect the item.
Specific catchphrases or information that people find relevant should have prominent placement as well. Many health products frequently highlight phrases like “Gluten-free”, or “No Sugar.” Make these large enough to read from at least six feet away since your product may have placement on a lower shelf or out of straight view.
Keeping Your Design Consistent
To nurture a brand, make your packaging design consistent with similar products you sell so it becomes easy to recognize on first glance. Everyone can recognize a Coke can or a bag of Doritos out of the corner of their eye. Make your layout and colours easy to assimilate so it inspires an immediate positive emotion the moment it’s seen.
Contact us here at Red Lounge Agency, we know all the Top Tips for Successful Packaging Design, so we can help you with your package design challenges this year.
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