A Must-Have Product Packaging Design Guide for Every Brand

What comes to your mind when talking about the right packaging? In most cases, it is its design! Now you might be thinking about the criteria of the right packaging design. 

Let’s take an example of a luxury perfume brand. 

How do you differentiate between men's and women's perfumes without checking product descriptions?

You can easily recognize this by seeing the color, shape, style, font, and imagery on the perfume packaging bottles or boxes. 

So, a good product packaging design comprises color psychology, design theme, typography, and imagery that align with brand personality and customers’ preferences. 

Read this product packaging design guide to strengthen your visual brand identity!

Conceptual Understanding of Design in Packaging

Design and packaging go hand in hand in the product-based business to create a strong visual brand identity. A product packaging design comprises the shape, style, color, typography, imagery, and brand elements of packaging. All these components give your packaging a unique appearance and categorical identity. 

Designing product packaging has become paramount for businesses to stand out from their competitors and differentiate products. Also, a good packaging design allows you to pack, ship, and display your products with easy traceability.

Apart from protection and convenience, packaging design brings you much more. For instance, you can market your products on retail shelves and boost your brand by choosing the right approach in packaging design. So, choosing custom packaging for products is important. Make the following three considerations when customizing your product packaging:

1. Determine Your Brand Personality
2. Choose Captivating Typography
3. Explore Different Design Themes

Design Elements for Branded Packaging

Now that you have your brand personality, proceed with finalizing guidelines about your packaging designs. Here are three ways to develop your visual hierarchy to craft packaging designs that are consistent with your brand identity:

• Typography

Typography, sometimes called the typeface, is the art of incorporating text into your product packaging. If used appropriately, it can evoke your customers' emotions and persuade them to buy your product. Pay special attention to the typography of your brand logo to decently display your identity on your product packaging that catches the eye of your prospects.

• Imagery

Visuals matter a lot! They are the perfect depiction of your brand’s essence. Ensure you decide what type of graphics, patterns, and textures you choose to print on your packaging to showcase your branding consistency. Imagery should not go beyond your brand archetype if you want to fascinate the right audience with your products.

• Color Scheme

The importance of color schemes is undeniable while making your brand guidelines. Go for a color palette that evokes the emotions of your target audience and persuades your buyers. You can go for vibrant, subtle, or dark color themes depending upon your brand personality, yet stay consistent with your color schemes.

Role of Packaging Material in Its Design

One of the important factors for the right product packaging design is the material. Keep your brand visual identity the same for a cohesive brand image while slightly changing the design element on each product packaging bags, boxes, tins, or jars. Generally, materials with higher thickness support printing and customization better than the thinner materials.Likewise, the more flexible materials, the more odd shapes you can make of them. You can consider the following different packaging materials for the right product packaging design:

• Paper Packaging Boxes 

Customers now prefer buying, especially food items, in sustainable packaging. This is why you cannot understate the value of paper packaging, which includes cardstock, cardboard, kraft paper packaging, and even glossy mailer boxes for an elegant touch. All these materials have different thicknesses. However, they all support printing and customizability to help you create a unique visual identity. Kraft paper can be used in its natural brown color to achieve a minimalistic and vintage look

• Polyethylene Packaging Bags

When it comes to the right packaging design, the materials’ flexibility also matters. Polyethylene is a flexible, printable, and customizable packaging material. This is why polyethylene or mylar bags can be designed in custom shapes with custom styles in exotic prints. They look more appealing when designed on a whimsical or playful theme, especially snack mylar bags. Mostly, mylar bags are used to ensure long-term food and other perishable items storage due to their excellent barrier properties. 

• Tin Packaging Containers

Tin packaging has a natural reflective shiny surface that can be customized with different printed designs and finishes. Most cookie tins are made on a vintage theme, which contains the imagery of history or antique things. However, they are also used as a gift on special occasions. So you can customize seasonal themes like Christmas to make customers feel special. Likewise, Tin packaging for every product is designed according to the product needs, brand personality, and customers’ psychology. 

• Rigid Box Packaging

Luxury brands need to use high-end packaging for their luxury products designed on themes that leave a lasting impression on customers. Here, you also need to be careful about the color you choose for custom rigid boxes. For example, if you are creating luxury apparel boxes for women, the color of the boxes should be light shades of pink, pastels, and earthy tones with floral designs. Likewise, the clothing boxes for men should be in classic gold, charcoal, black, and navy blue color with bold designs. Most luxury boxes are designed on the minimalist theme for a sophisticated appeal. 

• Glass Jar Packaging 

Glass is a transparent material that is used to show the premium quality of any product. It can be designed on a minimalistic floral theme with hand painting directly on the glass. The glass jars can also be labeled with cardstock or kraft paper labels. So, you can style these jars in your desired theme with the colors, and typography that resonate with your brand. 

5 Elements to Consider for a Good Packaging Design

The best product packaging design is one that not only protects and packs your product appropriately but also impresses your prospects and helps convert them to your customers. You also need to overcome packaging design challenges to make protective and persuasive product packaging. Consider these five important elements of a good packaging:

• Material Choice

The significance of material is undeniable when it comes to making safe and catchy custom packaging for products. Packaging material also helps decide the right design for your packaging. How? Flexibility and durability of the material are the core factors that enclose the choice of packaging shapes and sizes in a boundary wall.

For instance, if you choose kraft paper, you won’t be able to make heavy and robust shipping boxes for bulky products. And you can’t make easy-to-carry tote bags with hard materials like rigid stock or tin either. Ensure you choose the material wisely that can be perfectly altered in your desired packaging design.

• Packaging Styles

Once you have selected the material, you can move to choosing the right style for your product packaging. A style of product packaging includes its physical appearance, shape, and functional features. Style is a vital component of a packaging design that decides how your product packaging will look and function.

Numerous style options are available to choose from. They vary depending upon the industries in which they can be used and the type of products you want to pack in them. Here are some popular packaging styles for your products that have earned significant popularity in the market:

• Pillow Boxes
• Tuck-End Boxes
• Spouted Pouches
• Gable-Style Boxes
• Sleeve-Slider Boxes
• Countertop Display Boxes
• Regular Slotted Containers (RSC)
• Hinged Lid Boxes With Magnetic Closure

• Custom Printing

Printing is an essential element in making your product packaging informative and enticing as well. To stand out with graphics and illustrations, you need to opt for a reliable printing technique. You can choose from endless options in this regard. Digital, screen, rotogravure, and offset printing are some popular options for you to choose from.

Focus on the quality and attention to detail if you want to print appealing graphics on your custom packaging. Also, choose those graphics and patterns to print on your packaging that depict your brand personality.

• Catchy & Functional Add-ons

Custom packaging is not all about boxes and bags. There are some functional features that you should add to your packaging to complete its design. These features are the add-ons that not only enhance the elegance but also the practicality of your packaging.

Famous add-ons mostly include handles, custom inserts, nozzles, caps, etc. They offer ultimate convenience in packaging, carrying, and using products. You can also add custom die-cut windows to your packaging boxes to provide a glimpse of your product to your customers. Visualizing the product, customers can get inclined towards buying your items.

• Personalized Finishing

Choose the right finish if you want to add a touch of elegance to your box packaging. You can pick from endless lamination and coating options that can enhance your packaging’s glory. The most popular ones include gloss or matte lamination.

Both these lamination types not only give your product packaging an enticing look but also protect it from environmental hazards.

You can also go for holographic, gold, or silver foil stamping if you want your packaging to look luxurious. Their reflective metalized surfaces give your packaging a captivating appearance.

Packaging Design Inspirations Based on Products

Now that you know how to design your distinctive product packaging, let’s explore some creative packaging design ideas. Here is a list of product packaging design ideas for you to consider based on different industries:

Cosmetic Packaging Designs

Cosmetic products need special packaging that protects and keeps products pristine for long. You can choose a suitable packaging design according to the cosmetic or beauty product you want to pack in it. For instance, you can choose sleeve boxes for hair extensions, tube packaging for nail polishes, and plastic bottles for lotions.

Some other common box styles used in the cosmetic industry include:

• Cream Jars
• Lip Balm Display Boxes
• Tuck-End Lipstick Boxes
• Holographic Cosmetic Boxes
• Designs for Confectionary Packaging

Confectionary products require distinctive packaging that not only keeps the items fresh but also persuades customers to buy. If you want to design persuasive packaging for your confectionery products, you can look into some styles that have earned significant popularity in the market.

Bonbon box-style for chocolates, window boxes for cakes, and gable boxes for pastries are some trendy packaging styles for you to consider.

• Soap Packaging Ideas

Soap packaging design depends upon the type and appearance of soap you are selling. Whether you sell handmade soap or medicated ones, you should customize exclusive packaging for them. The most popular designs for soap products include sleeve packaging for soaps, square boxes, custom boxes with dividers for bath bombs, etc.

• Food Packaging Designs

Endless packaging designs are available in the market for food products. You should choose the one that suits your specific products the most. You can go for Chinese takeout boxes, hexagonal boxes for burgers and donuts, triangular boxes for sliced pizzas, etc.

Adding your brand elements to food packaging is important to make your customers recall your brand. Also, it enhances the perceived value of your food products, persuading customers to buy.

• Display Packaging Ideas

Displaying products on the countertops and retail shelves is paramount for businesses. But how do you ensure that your products stand out on the shelves? If you want your products to stand out from your competitors and leave a lasting impression on your buyers, you should choose the right design for your display packaging boxes.

You can go for unlimited options but the popular ones include gable boxes with die-cut windows and open front countertop boxes. Both these display boxes can showcase your products uniquely in the retail shops leaving a good impression on your customers and helping you build a strong brand.

Significance of Color Psychology in Packaging Design

Want to create a visual brand identity while impressing customers with exquisite product packaging designs? This is how a good product packaging design works!

• Examples Based on Colour Psychology

Every color has its meaning and brands choose certain colors to show their brand values, mission, and message to their customers. Some examples are as follows:

• Red Color Psychology: Excitement, Passion, Strength

Netflix, KFC , Nescafe, and Coca-Cola are a few examples of brands that have adopted a red color psychology to showcase their visual brand identity. 

• Orange Color Psychology: Friendly, Cheerful

Nickelodeon and Fanta are examples of businesses that have chosen the orange color based on its psychology to convey their mission to their target audience. 

• Yellow Color Psychology: Happiness, Confidence

McDonald’s, Shell, and DHL are a few examples of yellow color psychology. These brands have adopted this color to show what they offer. 

• Green Color Psychology: Natural, Freshness, Wealth

Starbucks and Subway are the best examples of the use of green color psychology to create a unique visual brand identity. 

• Blue Color Psychology: Calming, Trustworthiness

IMF, The World Bank, and Facebook are examples of how brands use blue color to convey a sense of trustworthiness to their customers. 

Different Design Themes for Product Packaging 

You can explore a plethora of packaging design themes for good packaging. However, some popular design themes are as follows:

• Minimalistic

A minimalistic design theme features neutral colors, simple patterns, ample white space, and minimalistic finishes. Embossing, debossing, and minimalist foil stamping look more appealing to achieve a minimalistic look. 

• Playful

The playful theme features interactive elements, bright colors, cartoon characters, quirky typography, and hand-drawn or digital artwork. Peel-off stickers,pop-out characters, or wordplay improve customers’ engagement. 

• Bold 

The bold design features vibrant colors, bold typography, and geometric patterns. Large and eye-catching typography is used to highlight branding elements. 

• Vintage

Vintage themes feature retro designs, rustic colors, nostalgia, and historical trust. Warm colors like earthy brown, distressed or Serif fonts, and retro illustrations are used to add a vintage feel.

• Seasonal

Seasonal packaging design features characters, typography, and color schemes that align with the occasion. For example, Christmas-themed packaging boxes and bags. 

Influence of Packaging Design on Customers' Behavior

A survey report says that 72% of Americans make purchasing decisions influenced by product packaging design. This is how design influences customers’ purchasing decisions. If you are thinking how? Certain colors attract customers unconsciously. Secondly, the style of packaging design also triggers customers' five senses. If customers find the same product packed in two different packaging boxes, they will prefer buying the one that has more aesthetic appeal and functionality.

Final Thoughts!

Understanding the importance of packaging design helps your products stand out from the competition whether you run a food, cosmetic, clothing, jewelry, or electronics business. Packaging material, your brand personality, and color psychology play an important role in designing on-point product packaging. Moreover, you must know the impact of different design themes on the packaging and how they influence customers’ purchasing decisions. So, this blog is a must-read for you before you customize your product packaging. 

Feel free to contact us if you have any questions. We would be happy to assist you!