Last Updated on September 13, 2023 by Steve Harsh
Think about the last time you bought a product. What did you notice first? Probably the packaging, right? Effective packaging design can make or break a sale, and it’s more important than ever to get it right.
But what is it about packaging, specifically, that makes it important?
This blog post will examine why packaging design is important and how it can affect your business. Then we’ll offer tips for creating packaging designs that promote success.
Let’s get started!
Packaging design is crucial for the success of your products. Lackluster packaging can stop prospective customers on their tracks – in a bad way – and lead them to skip making a purchase. A good design, though? That can make a prospect stop in their tracks in a good way and follow through with the purchase.
Let’s explore a few reasons why packaging is so essential for the overall success of your product.
Benefits Of Right Packaging Design | |
| Packaging Redesign And Cost Effectiveness | Companies Can Save Costs On Logistics and Transportation And Improve Supply Chains If They Use The Right Packaging Designs |
| Need For Innovation In Packaging | Right Designs Can Save Your Product From Creating Waste, Sustainability Issues And Improve Durability. It Can Also Help Improve User Experience to Improve Brand Image. |
| First Impressions | If Your Product Has A Great Design, Your Product is More Likely to Be Perceived Positively. |
| Design And Sales | Study Proves That 62% to 90% People Perceive The Product With The Packaging Color. Wrong Packaging Can Cause A Potential Threat Of 55% Drop in Sales. |
| Packaging Protects | Better Portion Size And Resealing Properties of Packaging Can Save Food Products From Wastage And Flavor Loss. |
| Better User Experience | Give The Right Psychological Message To Prompt Buyers Into Taking it Off The Shelf. For Instance, Scented Candles Should Have Sensuous Appeal Colors And Design To Convey The Romantic Emotion Attached To The Product |
| Gives Important Information | Laws in Many Countries Do Not Permit You to Use Images Of Ingredients Not Used in The Product. So, You Can Offer The Right Information By Creating The Right Designs And Comply With The Law Too. |
| Help You Stand Out | Your Designs Should Have All The Elements to Stand Out From The Competition. That Matters So Much in Defining Right Designs. |
| Brand Message Is Important | Try To Deliver Your Design With Your Brand Voice Which Ensures Your Product Conveys Your Brand’s Message. |
| Can Promote Sustainability | Sustainable Designs Can Help You With Better Cost Effectiveness, Meeting The Legal Requirements, And Better Brand Image. |
| Great For Customer Appeal | Your Design is at The Forefront When It Comes to Conveying its Importance For A Certain Demographic. So, If Your Product is For Kids, You Should Appeal To Them To Get Better Sales. |
A study was done, and researchers found out about product design and cost-effectiveness and that a good design can save a huge amount of money. Three different companies analyzed in this study showed that company no. 3 in the study could eliminate the need for 117 shippers with the right product packaging design.
45 Euros per vehicle reduced the cost. At the same time, they could carry more bottles with the same cost spent on transportation and logistics. Moreover, the design improved the product weight by 0.74 %.
The study shows how supply chains can benefit from the right packaging design that can help improve the overall transportation cost and efficiency.
Innovation in product packaging design has numerous benefits that can totally change the way a brand is perceived. For instance
The packaging is the first thing potential customers will see. As such, it’s important to make a good first impression. After all, the right packaging design will grab attention and make people want to learn more about your product.
On the other hand, if your packaging is uninspired or difficult to understand, people are likely to move on to something else. So, it’s important to put some thought into the design of your packaging and ensure that it conveys the right message about your product.
It is proven that 62% to 90% of people would perceive a product based on its packaging color. You may know that if you use green colors in the design, you may give a sense of the natural product. So, a great indicator of how you can show your potential customers what your product is about without them having to read something.
At the same time, studies show a huge decline in sales if the product packaging is not up to the mark. A study even gave stats of a 55% decline due to this factor. Using a beautiful design for your product can even change your target audience, taking you from middle-class to higher upper-class consumers.
Updating your product packaging design is another famous strategy that all top brands rely heavily upon. The fact behind this strategy is that people love to see new designs that make products more up-to-date and innovative.
In addition to making a good first impression, packaging also needs to protect your product. After all, if your product arrives damaged, it won’t do much good for your bottom line.
The right packaging will help ensure your product arrives safe and sound, no matter how far it travels. This is especially important for fragile items or products sensitive to temperature changes.
Good packaging will also help protect your product from tampering or other forms of damage during transit. This is important not only for your product’s safety but also for your brand’s reputation.
The costs spent on less effective packaging heavily impact the food packaging industry. Using more innovative designs can completely change sustainability and improve the cost-effectiveness of the food industry. At the same time, better portion sizing and the ability to reseal can reduce food wastage.
When you create new resealable product designs, you allow your food products more protection. At the same time, designing packaging products in accordance with user behavior can help save food products from waste.
Another reason why packaging design is so important is that it can enhance the user experience. The right packaging can make using your product easy and help you understanding how it works. This, in turn, can lead to better customer satisfaction and more repeat customers.
On the other hand, if your packaging is difficult to open or doesn’t include clear instructions, people are likely to get frustrated and may even give up on using your product altogether. So, it’s important to design your packaging with the user experience in mind.
A brand user experience has several touches that point out which packaging is a major part. The packaging design should be aligned with other touch points that impact the product’s user experience. So, if your packaging design is in accordance with your brand voice, you are on the right track.
Packaging can play a huge role in delivering the right impact on the user’s psychological state when purchasing and using the product. For instance, a design for a scented candle must deliver a romantic feel that can help boost sales with better psychological targeting of the potential customer.
Being empathic can help you find what the customer will be most concerned and interested to see in packaging on the point of awareness of the purchase and retention. For instance, if a company has a brand image of promoting sustainability in designs, it can not go for plastic packaging that is not sustainable.
Such packaging would completely destroy the company image for the user forever, especially if the consumers are concerned about eco-friendliness.
Packaging can also be used to convey important information about your product. For example, if you’re selling a food product, your packaging should list the ingredients and nutrition facts. If you’re selling a beauty product, your packaging should list any warnings or precautions.
This information is important not only for legal reasons but also for the safety of your customers. So, it’s essential to ensure that your packaging includes all the relevant information people need before using your product.
WHO made recommendations to print product ingredients on the packaging. It is one of the reasons companies believe in offering this information on the packaging boxes and bottles.
Several laws worldwide impact the information you can print on your product packaging. For instance, you can not print fruits on the packaging if the product does not contain them as ingredients. At the same time, if you want to print high calcium on a product, you can only if its consumption covers at least 15% of your daily needs.
So, you can not comply with laws if you do not make the right packaging, and designs are an integral part of it.
In today’s marketplace, there is a lot of competition. So, finding ways to make your product stand out is important. So, to capture your audience by being different, you should definitely work on the packaging styles. This would help you improve your brand image and help your product look special on shelves.
One way to do this is with packaging that is eye-catching and unique. If your packaging design is creative and memorable, it will help your product stand out on store shelves and online listings.
Additionally, well-designed packaging can give your product a luxurious feel, even if it’s not expensive. This can help to attract customers who are looking for quality products.
Your packaging should also communicate your brand message. After all, your packaging is one of the most visible elements of your brand.
So, ensure that your packaging design conveys the right message about your company and what you stand for. If you want to be seen as a high-end luxury brand, your packaging should reflect that and be made from high-quality materials like metalized boxes or with fine details like embossing, raised ink, or foil.
On the other hand, if you’re selling eco-friendly products, your packaging should also convey that message. Use images and text to communicate what your brand is about and why people should buy from you.
Speaking of eco-friendly products, with the increasing focus on sustainability, it’s important to ensure eco-friendly packaging. There are several ways to do this, such as using recycled materials or biodegradable packaging.
Not only is sustainable packaging better for the environment, but it can also help to improve your brand image. More and more consumers seek brands conscious of their impact on the planet. So, by using sustainable packaging, you can show that you care about the environment and attract more environmentally-conscious customers.
Good packaging will appeal to the people most likely to buy your product.
That’s why it’s important to consider your target market and demographics before starting the design process. Think about the age, gender, and location of your target market. What are their needs and wants? What kind of packaging would appeal to them? Answering these questions will help you to create packaging that resonates with your target audience.
For example, if you’re selling a product for young adults, your packaging should be modern and trendy. On the other hand, if you’re selling a product for seniors, your packaging should be easy to read and use.
Now that we’ve looked at some of the reasons why packaging design is so important, let’s explore a few tips for creating effective packaging.
Whether you wish to create packaging from scratch, work with a design company on your vision, or outsource the entire endeavor, these tips will help.
Tips For Creating The Best Packaging Designs | |
| Keep It Simple | The Human Brain Can Better Process Simpler Designs. |
| Be Bold | Try To Add Boldness To Your Design Where They Apply To The Product And Its Image. |
| Use High-Quality Images | Better Images Can Create Better Representation And Imagery For Your Products. Your Brand Will Be Perceived Better When You Use High-Resolution Images. |
| High-Quality Materials | Use High-Quality Materials To Ensure Your Customers Consider You A High-Quality Brand. |
| Consider The Environment | Using Green Solutions Can Help You Improve Your Environment And People Care About That. |
| User Experience | Try to Create The Best User Experience With Your Packaging Designs. |
| Be Consistent | Try to Use Your Logo, Taglines And Design Color Themes With Consistency To Create Recognition With Your Branding Channels. |
| Get Feedback | Keep Analyzing Your Design Performance With Surveys And Other Methods Which Can Improve It. |
When it comes to packaging design, less is often more. So, don’t try to cram too much information onto your packaging. Instead, focus on one key message and ensure it’s easy to understand.
When we talk about keeping it simple, there are many ways to execute that. For instance, you can keep your design minimalistic to improve your design simplicity. If we analyze the effects of such designs, we find that many factors work behind its success.
One of the factors is the beauty that is perceived to be stemming from organized elements used in packaging designs. Minimalistic designs give an impression of harmony in design that improves the customer’s perception of the product and the brand.
At the same time, the human brain can easily understand these minimalistic and other simple designs, which improves human product recognition time. So, if someone sees a dairy product with a simple design, the brain may take action to learn more about it. The fact behind this action will be that the brain can easily understand it is something the person needs to buy or at least pay attention to.
The images you use on your packaging can play a big role in whether or not people buy your product. So, make sure to use high-quality images that accurately represent your product.
The picture you use in your packaging will create consumer imagery, improving sales. At the same time, if your picture is not vivid and high resolution, your brand image may get distorted. If your packaging has a better sensory presentation, you can also create a better feel for your product.
For instance, if you use a great sensory presentation of a cake box, you can capture more minds and money with a great presentation. At the same time, the overall image of the brand makes a huge impact on the overall response a consumer gives.
Don’t be afraid to be bold with your packaging design. Use bright colors and eye-catching patterns to make your product stand out.
The materials you use for your packaging should be high quality and durable. After all, you want your packaging to protect your product and stand up to wear and tear.
If you’re selling eco-friendly products, ensure your packaging reflects that. Use recycled materials and avoid excessive packaging.
When designing your packaging, think about how people will interact with it. Ensure it’s easy to open and all the information is easy to find.
Your packaging should be consistent with your brand’s overall look and feel. Use the same colors, fonts, and logo on your packaging as other marketing materials.
Your consistency can help improve brand recognition when you are consistent in branding. You should remember to follow the same colors, logo, and taglines to make sure people recognize you from every marketing channel. At the same time, your consumers will attach certain feelings that your brand voice carries when you are consistent.
This same consistency works for packaging, which you can not overlook or forget. Moreover, people trust brands with a consistent voice as they can associate certain expectations with them. A pro tip will associate your unique selling proposition or the unique thing about your brand in the tagline.
When you use that tagline, your customers will know where to go when they need specifically what you provide most effectively. And the most effective thing will be the unique selling proposition you can offer your consumers and customers.
Before finalizing your packaging design, get feedback from friends, family, and potential customers. See what they think of your design and make changes based on their feedback.
Creating effective packaging is essential for any business. By following these tips, you can create stylish and functional packaging.
So, is packaging design really that important? The clear answer here is an unequivocal “yes!”
It might be the most important part of your product launch or rebranding effort. Hopefully, our rundown of why packaging design is important has convinced you.
But you don’t have to take our word for it – try some of the above tips yourself and see how your sales numbers start climbing.
And when you’re ready to create some amazing packaging designs for your products, talk to us at PackagingHub. We’d love to help you take your business to the next level with beautiful, eye-catching packaging that stands out on store shelves.
