19 Mar, 2023

Packaging Design because some people judge a book by its cover

If you are selling a physical product, you need a package that protects it so it can be transported anywhere. However, the package can do a lot more than that. It can provide instructions on how to use the product and who can use it, but most importantly, it can catch the eye of a new customer that sees it in passing. Unlike commercials that can only engage sight and/or sound, a package can also engage the customers’ touch and even smell. As it is the first thing someone ignorant of your product sees, it is important to make a good first impression.

A package can require many qualities depending on the product. A liquid product requires different packaging than a solid. A delicate product is different than a sturdy one. Once you have determined the dimensions and material of your packaging, you have to decide the attributes that must be displayed on it. A package will display your brand logo, images related to your product and a lot of textual information such as ingredients, instructions or other required industry markings, and your contact information. Making all this data look good together is the basis of packaging design. Here’s how you can attract more customers with packaging design:

This seems like obvious advice. Make sure your package is memorable. Once a customer has seen your package, they should be able to identify it from far away every time they see it again. Make sure your package doesn’t stand out too much from its peers either. For example, if a customer sees a bottle of colourful liquid and they can only see the image of a fruit from afar, they might think it’s fruit juice when it’s actually fruit scented floor cleaner. Strike the right balance between creativity and information. So...

A customer should be able to tell the package’s contents and the product’s function at first or at least second glance. If your product is exactly what the customer is looking for but the customer can’t understand that from the packaging without reading it, the fancy packaging is just a waste of money that lost you customers instead of increasing them. Remember that the packaging isn’t supposed to just catch a customer’s eye, but also make them actually consider purchasing a brand they are unfamiliar with.

A package that is reusable/recyclable and can serve as more than a container will help with customer retention. As more customers are becoming aware about sustainability, they might not purchase a product if the packaging harms the environment. The most common example is drinks that are packaged in recyclable cans and packs. A package that can serve some function after is emptied and doesn’t need to be thrown away is also useful such as a box that can be used to store other household items. This will not only be considered functional but its permanent presence will keep reminding the customer of the brand.