Packaging design is an essential part of any product’s success. Not only does it offer protection for your product, but it’s what grabs your customer’s attention. And if you get it wrong, it could spell disaster.
So how do you get it right?
Well, there are many factors you need to consider throughout the design process. The most common are packaging costs, materials used, and product safety.
Let’s take a closer look at the most critical factors to consider when designing your packaging or looking for packaging designers for hire.
What Is Product Package Design?
Product packaging design encompasses both the exterior and interior appearance of packaging. The design will factor in the material used, along with how it will be created, and whether it uses forms or molds to create the internal packing. For the external part of the package, the visual design will include graphics, colors, fonts, brand messaging, and product information.
Packaging should be practical, but there’s more to it than that. It should tell a story to your customers.
As part of the design strategy, it’s best to create a package in which consumers are able to understand more than just what the enclosed product is; they’ll also know how to use it, who should use it, and perhaps most importantly, if it is worth buying or not.
Getting Started With Your Packaging Design
So, you want to begin designing the packaging for your product. First, you must be able to answer these three questions:
- What makes your product unique?
- Who’s buying your product?
- How or where are people buying your product?
Having clear answers to these three questions will enable you to create a better package design.
You need to be able to answer these questions with conviction. If you can’t, you should work closely with a package designer who can help guide you through the process with the help of their experience. We have a number of packaging designers for hire here on Guru, who can offer exactly the services you need.
What Are the Four Factors to Consider for Package Design?
Without a doubt, a package’s primary function is to protect the product inside. It also plays a vital role in making an excellent first impression. Most consumers judge products by their appearance, so you’d be wise to use attention-grabbing designs.
A good package design adds value to the product by making it more appealing; whereas a poor package design might detract from the perceived value of a product and ultimately discourage its sale.
Start With the Appearance
It would be best if you made a great first impression by nailing the physical appearance of your packaging. Everything from the images, fonts, and colors, as well as any graphics you’ll include need to be on point.
This stage is where package designers will be heavily involved in the process.
Your packaging needs to convey the essence of the product itself. It must give consumers a positive impression of what the product is. It must radiate its worth and show what the customer gains from purchasing your product.
Your packaging should serve to strengthen your brand identity and convey positive messages about your product to the consumer.
Decide on the Materials to Be Used
Ask yourself, how will your packaging be constructed? Will it be made from foil, plastic, cardboard, or a combination of materials?
If you’re creating a custom package, then it may be possible to use and combine multiple materials to perfectly fit your needs. However custom packaging may limit the available amount of automated packing services, so you may end up needing to pack your product by hand, if the custom packaging is too unique or complex to automate.
Packaging Cost
The design, materials, printing, and assembly are all included in the package design and manufacturing process, and are all factors that need to be considered when looking at the costs and available budget.
A packaging design budget should be in line with your ROI goals for the product, as well as your total cost.
There is little margin for error for fast-moving consumer goods regarding packaging design costs, so we recommend consulting a packaging design professional throughout the process.
Sustainability
Consumers are becoming increasingly concerned about sustainable packaging, which is impacting packaging strategies at every level.
In addition to recyclable materials, many brands are turning to multiple-use packaging or even secondary packaging.
The use of sustainable packaging materials alone isn’t enough; these days you will need a design that also looks sustainable to your consumers, and clearly states so on the package itself.
Conclusion
First impressions have a significant impact on what your customers will think of your product. When designing custom packaging, keep these four factors in mind and consult with an expert if needed.
Your packages also need to be durable during transit to avoid any loss of product. You can work with the supply chain company in conjunction with designers to get this right. Be sure to check out the expert freelance packaging designers available here on Guru.com.
