10 Top Tips For Packaging Design

Contributed post.

You’ve put in countless hours of work to make your product offering just right. There’s one step left before you’re ready to sell.

You need to make sure that the packaging is perfect. The package design will serve as the silent spokesperson for your product when it hangs in a display or sits on a shelf. Your packaging needs to look great and function correctly.

Here are ten vital tips to make sure the appearance of your packaging always sends the right message.

Design The Package For Your Brand And Your Customer

Think carefully about who you are selling to and what this customer will find appealing and attractive in packaging. Whether you’re designing shipping boxes, or using custom hang tag printing for price labels, remember that the packaging you choose is a visual representation of what’s inside.

Use graphics that make sense for the product. Packaging for high-tech electronic products, for example, should have a very different look from baby products.

Sell And Tell With The Right Wording

The phrasing on your packaging should tell your potential customers what the product actually is and why they should want to buy it. But it’s vital to keep it simple.

Don’t overload the packaging with too much text or a design that is too busy. Too much “design” on the package will make it harder to quickly make an impression. You only have seconds to grab someone’s attention as they pass your product on the shelf, so make the most of them.

Choose Your Colors And Fonts Carefully

You want the packaging of your products to be eye-catching, but not garish or gaudy. The colors ought to enhance and complement the product, and shouldn’t contrast or fight against it.

Choose a typeface that is distinctive so it stands out, but that is clearly readable, so people can quickly tell what it says without having to look too carefully. The typeface should also work with your logo. Think ahead and carefully plan out graphics that can work across different items in a product line.

Be Honest

What’s represented on the outside of the packaging should match what is on the inside. If it doesn’t, you will lose customers (not to mention putting your company in potential legal / regulatory jeopardy).

You want the graphics to be appealing to catch the attention of potential buyers, but you have to be able to deliver the goods and meet your buyer’s expectations when they actually open up the package.

Make Sure Your Design Works Everywhere

The main purpose of your packaging design might be to stand out on store shelves, but it has to do more than that. Your packaging also needs to photograph well if you’ll be selling your products online. Your package design might be reproduced in a magazine or newspaper ad.

You might decide to use elements of the design on signage and promotional apparel. Your packaging also needs to look good on computer screens and mobile devices. Design your packaging will all these uses in mind, and evaluate how it will look in different scenarios.

Fit The Package To The Product

Your packaging needs to be functional as well as attractive. Make sure that your packaging is practical in terms of its shape, size, functionality, and materials. Make sure it is durable—especially if you’re going to be shipping it—as well as easy to open and easy to carry.

If your product is heavy, add handles to your packaging or some other way for your consumer to pick it up and carry it more easily. If they can’t lift it off the shelf, they’re not going to buy it.

If your product is more high-end, the consumer will expect the packaging to be high-quality to reflect the product and the price they’ve paid. Keep in mind many people look for sustainable packaging, too. If yours is, make it obvious. Check out Ozpack and Zenpack as sources for high-quality packaging.

Make The Package User-Friendly

Again, make sure your package is easy to open. Think about how the item will be used before you start designing the packaging for it. For example, if you have a product that will be poured, give the package a spout, to make pouring easier and less messy.

If the item isn’t single-use, then make sure that the package is easy to securely reseal. Packaging that is annoying to use will put people off, making them less likely to buy from you again.

Consider The Environment And Be Eco-Friendly

Consumers are increasingly upset by the amount of waste that results from excess packaging. With packaging, more is not always better, especially if you use materials that are single-use or can’t be recycled.

To the extent possible, cut out any extra layers of bags, boxes, and plastic. Design a package that protects the product without excessive waste. You want to keep the product safe, but avoid using lots of extra packing materials that have to be thrown away.

Use recycled and recycled materials where you can, and label the box clearly, so people know if they can recycle the box when they’ve opened it.

Preserve And Protect

Packaging safety is essential, especially for food products. There are strict regulations in most countries for packaging for food to make sure the food is safe and cannot be tampered with. Check the regulations wherever you sell your products, to make sure you comply.

The product needs to be packaged to travel well and keep the contents fresh on the way. The packaging must also keep your product intact while it’s being shipped to stores and consumers.

Make It Stackable And Stockable

A retailer might want to stack your products on a shelf or in their warehouse or storeroom. Oddly shaped packaging can make this challenging. Consider how the product will be stored and displayed, and design with this in mind.

If you want your business to seem more professional, having good, high-quality packaging is essential. Investing in custom boxes is a great way to present your products and ensure your packaging is everything you want it to be. It’s also a fantastic way to add that personal touch for your customers, making them more likely to remember you.

Keep these 10 tips in mind when designing your packaging, and it will serve your company and your customers well.