Importance of Good Packaging Design and How to Design Sustainable Packaging
Businesses across industries have realized that efficient packaging solutions are the way forward. It reduces the time taken to make products available to customers and reduces packaging costs. But quicker delivery of products will not help companies yield the desired profit. For that, businesses must concentrate on an optimized product packaging design process.
A good packaging design helps companies stand out from the crowd. Moreover, it also allows businesses tap into their target audience’s expectations and design a product that meets their needs.
What is a Product Packaging Design?
A product packaging design amalgamates form, color, typography, and regulatory information with design elements. The primary aim of a packaging design is to make a product suitable for marketing. It also ensures that the products are transportable and identifiable.
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What are the Key Elements of Good Packaging Design?
Packaging design is a vital part of a company’s branding strategy. It ensures that a company’s products get noticed among competitors’ products. Here are some critical elements of a good packaging design.
1. The Experience
There’s something about a good packaging design that takes the customer on an exciting journey, from holding it for the first time to opening the product. The experience of good product design is unmatched and superior. To provide an excellent customer experience, companies must ensure that the products remain intact and without a tear until they reach the user.
A few design elements that can enhance the customer experience are the brand name’s color, the logo’s position, the packaging material, and the graphics on the package.
2. Attention to Color, Shape, and Texture
It’s essential to pay close attention to color, shape, and texture. These elements help consumers relate to the brand quickly and increase the product’s recall value. Colors have a psychological impact on the customer’s mind. On the other hand, shape, and texture play an important role in attracting customers to buy a product. The form adds to the overall aesthetic appeal of the product, and the surface conveys a sense of quality and luxury.
3. Clear Brand Messaging
Package design is one of the most powerful marketing mediums and remains highly underestimated by companies. The brand name, logo, and tagline help communicate a company’s product story to the audience. A clear brand message can help companies distinguish their products from competitors and increase brand recognition. Therefore, companies must have clear brand messaging on their packages.
Besides the abovementioned elements, other packaging design elements separate good and destructive packages. They are attractive graphics and typography, sustainable and eco-friendly packaging, and product differentiation from competitors.
What is the Impact of Good Packaging Design on Businesses?
Packaging design is a crucial element of the marketing mix and should be on the priority list of all businesses. Here’s the impact of good packaging design on two main aspects of business—sustainability, and branding.
Ecological Impact
A good packaging design has a positive effect on the environment. It makes sure that the companies choose recyclable materials for product packaging. Moreover, it ensures reduced waste, efficient use of resources, and reusability.
Branding Impact
Good packaging design has a significant impact on a brand’s success. The packaging design influences a customer’s brand perception and purchasing decisions. Good packaging can also differentiate a brand from competitors and create a lasting impression on the consumer, leading to increased brand loyalty.
How to Design Sustainable and Eco-Friendly Packaging Solutions
Today’s customers are opting for sustainable and eco-friendly packaging solutions. The advent of the internet and social media has made today’s users capable of producing more eco-friendly choices. Therefore, companies must adopt a sustainable packaging solution to stay relevant in today’s world. Here’s how to design packaging sustainably.
- Choose eco-friendly materials that have a minimal impact on the environment. Avoid materials that are non-recyclable or take a long time to decompose.
- Reduce packaging size to minimize material usage, which reduces the company’s carbon footprint.
- Simplify packaging design and add fewer components to reduce the overall material usage and waste generated from the production process.
- Incorporate recyclability into packaging. That is, ensuring that the product packaging can be recycled or reused after use.
- Collaborate with suppliers that provide sustainable and eco-friendly materials.
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What are the Best Examples of Product Package Design in 2023?
It’s 2023, and product package designs have seen a lot of changes. Here are some of the best examples of packaging design in 2023.
Illustrating Ingredients in a Fun and Interactive Way
The trend of illustrating ingredients in a bright and fun style has gained momentum in 2023. Many Indian brands like Epigamia and Paper Boat use this style to describe their products. This packaging trend aims to use youthful visuals and flashy colors to attract customers to buy the product. Moreover, mentioning the product’s main ingredient on the package helps customers make a quicker decision.
For instance, Epigamia Yogurt uses flashy and different colors to differentiate different flavors of Greek yogurt. They also illustrate and mention the product’s main ingredient on their packaging. Moreover, they use this strategy across all product lines.
Mascot Variations
In product design, a mascot is a character or a symbol that signifies a brand or a company. All product packaging has a mascot, which helps customers recognize a product easily. These days, companies are using mascot variation as a new way to attract more customers. They are changing the color and appearance of the mascot depending on the product.
For instance, Paper Boat, an Indian FMCG company, changes the color of its mascot depending on the ingredients of its products. That is, for mango-flavored drinks, the mascot will be yellow. Mascot variation enables companies to bring a playful change to their product packaging while maintaining their brand purpose and identity.
Design Elements That Tie up With Culture
Localized package design has become the highlight of 2023 in packaging. More brands are moving towards traditional design to highlight product benefits and differentiate their brands.
For instance, Roots Zero Waste, a Mumbai-based initiative, uses an eco-friendly product design that aligns with its brand identity of creating a brand dedicated to the roots.
Enhance Your Product Design and Management Knowledge With Emeritus
If you are planning to make a successful career in product management, it’s imperative to have a strong foundation in product management. Enroll in Emeritus’ product management courses to learn product management basics and enhance one’s capability to build products fit for the market and address customer needs.
These courses have a hands-on learning approach delivered via real-life case studies, group assignments, and capstone projects. These courses are designed for fresh graduates and working professionals who want to scale their careers to new heights.
