Your packaging is as important as the product itself.
Coming up with a good package for your product is no small feat. It has to be both durable, attractive, and occasionally environmentally conscious, as well. You could have the best product of its kind, but if your packaging isn't up to snuff, your competitors are going to get a leg up on you.
First impressions matter in retail, so today, we're going to give you 9 product packaging ideas that you can use as inspiration for your own. The more you can stand out from the crowd, the better your product is going to sell.
1. Keep It Simple
First and foremost, your product packaging should value simplicity over flashiness. It's great to catch the consumer's eye, yes, but a lot of companies get wrapped up in the fun of graphic design and lose track of what actually works.
Let your competitors be the "flashy" companies. Most consumers gravitate towards minimalist designs anyway and once they try your superior product, they'll never let gaudiness dictate their buying habits again.
2. Don't Show All Your Cards
The element of mystery is something that entices consumers more than anything. Your audience should have an idea of what they're getting, but you don't need to tell them the whole story on your packaging.
You're trying to grab people's attention, often at first glance. Put the work into amazing graphic design, let the buyer know what your product is, and keep the other stuff in the fine print. A lot of companies nowadays are even keeping most of the info online and putting a QC code on the back of the bottle.
3. Branding Is Crucial
Before you can make great packaging, you have to build your brand identity. This comes with identifying your niche audience, finding out what they like, and developing a visual and philosophical concept that appeals to them.
When you've got your branding down, you can figure out new and interesting ways to display it on your packages. Brand positioning and color coordination are important pieces of the packaging puzzle.
It takes a lot of commitment, but if you've branded well online and off, then your products will be immediately recognizable on the shelf and they'll sell themselves.
4. Functionality Beats All
None of the looks or branding really matter if someone buys your product, takes it home, and the functionality of the package just isn't there. You have to have empathy for your customers, so make sure that the packaging is easy to open, easy to re-seal (if necessary), and easy to fit in storage.
This goes back to keeping the package simple. You can throw all the bells, whistles, and kitchen sink at it during the brainstorming and testing phase. If something doesn't work perfectly, don't include it in the final product.
5. Follow Trends
Now that we live in a world dictated by social media trends, you have to keep your ear to the ground and figure out ways to appeal to a younger audience. That goes for your packaging, as well as your products themselves.
As far as design trends go, you can glean a lot from looking at things in popular culture. Scan your Instagram to see what trendy company and personal brands look like, then put your own creative spin on it. There's nothing wrong with taking inspiration from the things around you.
6. Longevity
When people are reusing your package, it should be able to stand the test of time. Don't skimp out on materials because your customers are going to notice. No, they're not always paying for the quality of the package, but it sure is nice to know that their favorite company also cares about their packaging.
7. Earth-Friendly
Piggybacking off of that point, it never hurts to try to make your packages environment-friendly.
Often, the highest quality materials are also sustainable, but it takes a lot of research and development to get hold of the right stuff to make your packages. You have to be dedicated to the cause in order to pull it off.
Doing your best to keep plastics out of the packaging will go a long way. You can use cornstarch packaging, mushroom packaging, organic fabrics, biodegradable packaging, or even recycled plastics. Some combination of these sorts of materials will expose you to a whole new audience of environmentally conscious consumers.
8. Think About How It's Sold
When you're coming up with the physical construction of the package, carefully consider how it's being sold. If you're selling it out of your online shop, then you might want to think about how easy or hard it'll be to ship in the packaging. If it's being sold in a store, try and picture how it'll look when displayed on the shelf.
It might seem overly meticulous to try and picture how something will look on a shelf, but these considerations are what truly separates good packaging from great packaging.
9. Typography
Your typography should be visually stimulating, but still easy to read. Remember, going with a minimalist design is what's "in" right now, so your font should follow suit. Keep it clean and match the color with the rest of the design.
In terms of size, that's up to you. You can let the focus fall on your branding and design, or you can let it fall on the typography. As long as the consumer can see what your product is called and what it does, then you've done a good job.
Inspiration For Your Product Packaging Ideas
Coming up with really great product packaging ideas isn't easy, so hopefully, these tips will provide you with some inspiration. Your package has to entice your customers, but it also has to be durable and functional. At the end of the day, you have to follow your gut and choose a design that makes sense for your product and your customers.
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