The Total Package: Pro Tips for Standout Packaging Design
No Second Chances to Make a Great First Impression
It’s often been said that there are no second chances to make a first impression. And nowhere is this more true than on the crowded shelves of today’s retailers, with recent studies indicating that consumers evaluate products and form initial impressions of brands in mere seconds.
This means that even as more and more of today’s marketing plays out in the digital space, for brands looking to sell physical products through brick-and-mortar stores, maximizing shelf impact has never been more vital – and key to this effort is standout package design.
What are some guiding principles behind successful packaging design? Let’s look at a few pro tips…
Size Up the Competition
A crowded marketplace means stiff competition, but also provides a valuable opportunity to learn from the successes and failures of other brands in your industry. How are top performers hitting the mark with their product packaging? How could under performing brands do better? Look to your competitors for inspiration, but don’t simply mimic what they’re doing – instead, find ways to differentiate your brand visually in a way that communicates a unique sense of character and value.
Consider the Psychology of Design
Shape, texture, and color can speak volumes without saying a word. How will consumers react to seeing your product on store shelves? How will they feel when holding it in their hands? Understanding the psychological impact of shape and texture, and knowing the connotative meanings embedded in color, can help you to project an evocative and attention-grabbing brand image with your product packaging.
Take Care to Avoid Over-Designing
Principles of clarity and simplicity under-gird much of modern marketing, and packaging design is no different. Just as a website, logo, or even a piece of copy writing should be made clear, concise, and “scannable” for busy consumers, so should your product package. A good package design communicates the essentials and conveys a sense of your brand’s character, without getting bogged down in cluttered and complicated design, or burdening consumers with information overload.
Make it Eco-Friendly
Consumers today are quick to cite environmental concerns as a factor in purchasing decisions, and brands are responding with a move towards more efficient and eco-conscious packaging. Demonstrate your commitment to the environment by ditching Styrofoam and single-use plastics in favor of materials that can easily recycle, or packaging that’s designed to be re-purposed by the customer. Don’t be wasteful – bigger isn’t always better, so leave out the excess layers of wrappers, bags, and packing material.
If you’re looking for elegant, modern product packaging that will turn heads and elevate your brand, Rosie’s Creative can help. We partner with a number of companies to provide a variety of packaging solutions depending on your needs – or, we can simply provide the perfect design, and let you take it from there.
Ready to get started? Contact Rosie’s Creative today. Your first consultation is always free!