Packaging can play a huge role in the success of a product. Consumers might not realize that things like colors, typography and brand messaging influence their decisions, but all these aspects of design can make your product stand out from the competition. When designing packaging for your product, there are a few general rules you can follow to ensure your packaging will be attractive and effective.
Stand Out
Your packaging and design solutions should make your product stand out from others on the shelf. This doesn’t mean it needs the brightest colors or biggest type. It means you need your design to convey the value your brand brings. You might even find you stand out from your competition by having a simple design or including important information on the packaging. Look at what your competitors are doing and find a way to offer something new.
Make Brand Messaging Clear
When designing your product packaging, you want to make sure the purpose of your brand is front and center. People are looking for reasons to choose you over a similar product, and your mission can often be the thing that tips their minds in your favor. You can achieve this through descriptive graphics, concise text or the style of your design. Don’t be afraid to get creative!
Connect Emotionally
People make decisions based on their emotions, so your packaging should evoke some type of emotional response. Think of the butter packages that include pictures of dairy cows in fields, giving people that “aww” moment before they toss it in their grocery basket. Think of how your product could influence someone’s emotions and try to find a way to connect with that.
Images can foster powerful emotional reactions, but so can overall design. Maybe you want someone to feel like they’re buying a high-class item so you keep the style of your packaging simple and sleek. Or maybe you want them to feel like it’s fun and exciting, so you use lots of colors and silly fonts. There are plenty of ways to connect emotionally with your customers through your package design.
Packaging success can rely heaving on your designs. Take time to carefully consider every element you add to your packaging and discern how it will help encourage your customers to pick up your product. Well-thought-out packaging that stands out, makes brand messaging clear, and connects to your customers’ emotions is sure to be effective.
