While packaging design is crucial for marketing and selling a product, its importance goes beyond aesthetics. Consumers are attracted to products that are visually appealing and convenient and which reflect the company's creativity and personality.
However, the packaging must also serve other functions, such as enclosing and protecting the products during distribution, storage, sale, and use.
We have gathered expert advice to provide you with the latest artwork design in 2023, whether you are interested in creating cutting-edge packaging for your products or merely seeking a glimpse of the newest visual trends.
The following are the top tips to bear in mind when designing packaging for a new product:
Gather the Appropriate Materials
The quality of packaging can be determined by a simple visual inspection of the box.
Is the packaging sturdy, indicating that you value this aspect, or is it flimsy and unremarkable?
Color, textures, and shapes all contribute to the overall customer experience with the product, making the first impression a crucial factor.
Choose the Right Colors
Think of your product packaging as a blank canvas waiting to be infused with color. Catching the attention of customers is important, as they are unlikely to take a second look if your product fails to stand out.
Get creative by considering the emotions you wish to evoke in your customers through your product.
Do you want it to convey a sense of playfulness?
Or should it make them feel cared for, like a health-related product?
Compile a list of emotions you want to convey and explore ways to incorporate them into your packaging.
Matching colors with emotions is a simple yet effective process. For instance, serene blues can instill calmness; vibrant yellows can evoke joy, and passionate reds can elicit excitement. Remember that colors can also be utilized to communicate your brand identity.
Font Selection
Font selection is a crucial aspect of packaging design. It's generally recommended to limit yourself to two fonts to avoid overwhelming your audience. Fonts can be tricky, as a brand's logo may rely heavily on a specific font, such as GMC.
However, when highlighting your product's unique selling points on the packaging, you may want to consider a different font. To do this effectively, identify your Unique Selling Proposition and choose an appropriate font weight and letter spacing to convey them clearly.
Customize Packaging Exterior
The unboxing experience can be just as important as the product itself. It's a moment of anticipation and excitement, and custom printing can take it to the next level.
Imagine receiving your favorite product, like a stunning piece of jewelry or a high-tech gadget, in a plain brown bag without any personalized touches.
Disappointing, right?
By adding custom seals, stamps, and logos, you can create an unboxing experience that's truly memorable and sets your brand apart from the competition.
You don't have to spend much to get custom packaging. If on a tight budget, you may assemble a white box and a custom sleeve to create a branded box.
While luxurious features like gold foil may provide an impressive look, it's possible to achieve a great-looking box with less.
Don't Over-do Your Design
Designing packaging can be tempting to overdo in an effort to make it stand out. However, some companies can over-complicate the design and miss the opportunity to build or reinforce their brand.
While some products may still sell well, it is important not to overlook the significance of brand consistency.
Avoid over-embellishing packaging designs and instead focus on simple, clear concepts that resonate with your target audience. The most effective designs are often those that are well-thought-out and straightforward, connecting with customers on a deeper level.
What are the Top Printing Methods of 2023?
Lithography Printing
Lithography is a widely-used printing process for various marketing materials such as business cards, sell sheets, and packaging. It is particularly popular for printing on folding cartons and labels, which are also known as litho labels.
Lithography printing can give the packaging a high-quality retail look. This technique is used for printing on corrugated cardboard and is called Litho Laminate printing.
Flexographic Printing
Flexographic printing is ideal for printing on uneven surfaces and is used for high-volume jobs due to its quick-drying, semi-liquid inks.
Flexography is popular because it can print on a wide range of media, including plastic, cellophane, and metallic film. Additionally, it has high press speeds and is suitable for long runs.
Rotogravure Printing
Rotogravure printing is commonly used for large production runs of packaging, such as millions of units for stand-up pouches and folding cartons. It's a popular choice for high-volume printing.
Silkscreen Printing
Silkscreen printing creates sharp, clear text and images on various materials like fabric, corrugated packaging, and plastics. This technique can be used for prototypes, tags, promotional materials, corrugated boxes, and folding cartons. It's a good option for businesses that use pre-made or stock packaging.
What Are the Most Common Packaging Materials Used Today?
After discussing the best packaging designs and processes, let us consider some of the common materials that would be beneficial for your business. The following list mainly emphasizes eco-friendly packaging choices and provides guidance on choosing the appropriate materials for your products.
Paper
Paper is a widely used packaging option for a variety of products. It can be used for wrapping meat at your local butcher, as well as for creating paper bags, product labels, and tissue paper, among other types of paper-based packaging.
Cardboard
Fiberboard and cardboard are typically used as secondary packaging materials, most commonly for shipping products to retailers and customers. They can also be used as primary packaging materials for kitchen appliances, vacuum cleaners, pots, and TVs.
Glass
Despite the rise in popularity of plastic packaging, glass remains a popular choice for packaging a wide range of products, such as food products like spaghetti sauces and personal care items like perfume and cologne.
Recently, there has been a push for companies to adopt more environmentally friendly practices, and glass is gaining momentum due to its recyclability and ability to be reused indefinitely.
Paperboard
Paperboard is a thicker and sturdier packaging option than paper, commonly used as the main package for products like cereal, TV dinners, and crackers. It can also be made in different thicknesses, making it suitable for milk containers, juice boxes, etc.
Rigid Plastic Packaging
Rigid packaging is manufactured using polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic. Examples of rigid packaging include plastic bottles, commonly used for beverages, personal care products, and household items.
Fulfill your Packaging Needs at ForestPackage
"Everything you do creates the brand experience. Ergo, design is your brand."
Renowned designer and author Robert Brunner asserts that every action you take contributes to the overall brand experience. Your brand is essentially your design. Therefore, maintaining brand consistency in your marketing is just as crucial as designing product packaging that aligns with your brand's identity and values.
To maintain consistency with your brand's identity and values, it's important to design packaging concepts that reflect your brand, including elements like logo, typography, and color. Even if your product doesn't match your brand's aesthetic, it should still align with its values.
If you need help creating custom packaging materials for your primary and secondary packaging needs, Forest Packaging offers structural design and artwork design ideas. We have the necessary equipment and materials to bring your packaging ideas to life.
While packaging design is crucial for marketing and selling a product, its importance goes beyond aesthetics. Consumers are attracted to products that are visually appealing and convenient and which reflect the company's creativity and personality.
