Our Guidebook for Creating Good Product Packaging

Packaging gives your product a home; it shelters your product from the chaos which would inevitably ensue on the grocer’s shelves if not for packaging’s organizational mandate. Product packaging itself also goes beyond just organizing. It is a vessel which acts as the exterior of your product, and by proxy, it is a mode by which to further distinguish your brand, and elevate your brand identity. Product packaging is essentially a collection of materials, fonts, graphics, and colours. But moreover, packaging speaks for your product, it does your selling for you. 

Our guidebook is designed to walk you through some formidable steps in creating product packaging. Your product will thank us later 😉 

Concept: 2 key questions to ask

• What is the product? (how big is it, is it fragile, what type of storage does it need, what are the dimensions?)
• How is your product being purchased? (is it exclusively through ecommerce, a grocery store, boutique, market, trade show?)

These two factors are key in packaging design. Aesthetics aside, they will provide you with the framework by which to begin your design process. 

Brand Identity – ensure that the following are either consistent or complimentary with the brand: 

• Colours – does the brand have a colour scheme that should be followed? 
• Fonts – are there fonts that you need to be mindful of? 
• Graphics/Imagery – does the product imagery compliment the branding graphics? 

Function and Form

• What shape is your product? 
• What function does it serve? 

These are imperative questions to ask as you keep in mind that the form of your packaging should more or less be reflective of your product and its function. Further to this, the packaging material should also compliment your product. For example, if your product is food related, you would either want to convey an image of cleanliness therefore using materials which are easily seen as ‘clean’ or ‘sanitary’ such as sturdy corrugated cardboard.

Keeping up with the Trends 

While it’s not the be-all-end-all, trend forecasting is an important factor to consider when designing your packaging. Check out our last post on what our 2020 predictions are in the world of packaging design. 

Spot the Difference

Understand the differences between designing for eCommerce and retail. And if you are designing packaging for a retail environment, think about how it will be placed on the shelves, will it be closer to the till like a point of purchase display? Or a freestanding retail display? Use this guide as a quick “jumping off point” for designing good product packaging. The process can be laborious and arduous, however, if you’ve done your research, it can be extremely rewarding to create something you can be proud of. 

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