Does packaging influence your customer’s decision to purchase your product? Whether it’s a sleek shampoo bottle, a packet for a health supplement, or a shopping bag for your clothing line, well-designed packaging is a must! Packaging is a form of branding, and learning how to make your product stand out among other items on a shelf is essential.
Packaging design is a critical component of a product’s success. It can impact the customer’s perception of the product and increase sales. It also provides protection and convenience to the user. That’s why companies must prioritize packaging design to create a memorable customer experience. Follow these ten tips for designing packaging that attracts customers.
1. Use patterns.
Use patterns to step up a simple take on the packaging. This tool packaging is simple in structure yet gets taken up a notch with the attractive striping on the background. The color scheme gives it a quality, all-American feel, and the tools speak for themselves.
Patterns can create an eye-catching background that draws the customer’s attention to the product. Similarly, this design can reinforce a brand’s identity and communicate its values. Consistent use of patterns in packaging can help establish a strong brand identity, increasing brand recognition and customer loyalty.
2. Don’t be afraid to be simple.
Sometimes simplicity is key, and that holds in this packaging. The earth-toned, recycled material gives off an earthy feel. So, the bright pops of color on the labels lend to the design nicely, bringing a bit more of a modern twist to the package.
Simple packaging typically requires fewer materials and production processes, which can reduce packaging costs. This can be extremely beneficial for small businesses or companies with limited budgets. Moreover, it can be an effective way to reinforce a brand’s identity and values. A simple, clean design can create a modern, sophisticated, or minimalist aesthetic,
3. Complement the product
Make sure your design complements the product that’s inside. This packaging looks simple and natural, just like what’s inside. You can see all the parts and pieces you get before purchasing the product. It gives the impression of transparency and pride in what you’re selling.
4. Be playful.
If you can be playful with your packaging, do it. Your packaging can be incredibly playful yet still simple. Make your illustration interact with the product but still lets it shine through. The colors relate to the product inside, like strawberries or other fruits, and the act of the character eating them indicates their quality.
5. Be Modern
Modern, sleek, and simple designs stand out. Use clean lines, simple colors, and sans-serif fonts for a modern look. This packaging took a very modern approach and made it even more stylish by making it gender-neutral. It doesn’t lean one way or the other and draws instant attention from viewers who are curious about who the product is intended for.
6. Be Bright.
If your product is brightly colored, draw inspiration from it. Use accents of bright colors in your packaging, like this candy packaging. Each candy is a different color, and each bag uses the color of the candy on its sides and in the graphics. The line feels connected, but they’re just different enough that you can get the gist when a product differs from the next, even without looking at the candy.
7. Use texture
Instead of only using texture visually, use it physically. People will be physically interacting with your package, so it appeals to their sense of touch, not just their sense of sight. For instance, packaging for insect repellent uses texture at the bottom of their bottles. Not only does it help you keep a firm grip, it adds an exciting sensation to your hands and visually relates to the dotted imagery on the top of the bottle.
8. Be creative
You can make your packaging cool and creative, but if you can make your product remarkable, you have a real winner. Take milk soap, for example. It’s just soap made with milk and could easily have been just another rectangular bar. But instead of doing what was expected, the soap was turned into an ice cream treat related directly to the milk contained inside.
9. Create packaging that serves another purpose.
Being eco-friendly is a great way to get people to love your brand. One way to be eco-friendly is to give your product’s packaging another purpose. These bottles seem like usual enough cleaning products at first glance, but when you interact with them, you realize they’re not made of flimsy plastic. They’re porcelain bottles intended to be used as vases once the product is gone.
Using sustainably-sourced packaging can be a surefire way of reducing the amount of waste in landfills and preventing pollution by limiting the need to collect raw materials.
10. Let the product speak.
If you have a quality product, let it speak for itself. Don’t feel the need to wrap it with shiny, annoying packaging if it doesn’t need it. For example, leave the front and center packaging open instead of hiding them in a box. It allows the customer to see how great they really are.
Need help with designing product packaging?
Now that you have learned the ins and outs of designing packaging for products or brands, it’s time to move on to the actual task. The good news is that getting custom packaging designs is a walk in the park with Penji. We hire only the best graphic designers in town who can translate your ideas into stunning visuals!
Penji is an on-demand graphic design service that can create impressive packaging for your product. Start a project with us by subscribing here. Penji offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, letting you try our services for the first time before choosing from our three simple pricing plans.
