You have just created a great product that deserves fantastic packaging. Many times the way a product is packaged will make or break its success. Wonderful products, if poorly packaged, can bomb. One packaging blunder you don’t want to make is to put your great product inside a clumsy, bulky package. So how do you streamline your packaging?
Product Shape
One possibility is to have the package follow the shape of the product. You certainly wouldn’t try to package a long curling iron in a round hatbox. But neither do you want to put it into a package that is oversized or an awkward shape. Following the contours of the product, within reason, while still allowing space for any necessary literature inside, and any protective packing that might be necessary, is one way to achieve a sleek package. For items that have an unusual shape, or several pieces that stick out here and there—a wooden hand massage ball with several satellite balls radiating out from it, for instance—a nice, smooth, square or rectangle box is most practical. Items that are poly-bagged or shrink-wrapped often follow the shape of the product, at least loosely. Design such packaging so that it neatly fits the product inside without excess, which tends to be a nuisance.
Self-packaged
A few products lend themselves to being a product and package all in one. Consider a child’s wooden puzzle with a nesting box for the pieces to be placed in as the puzzle is assembled, which also doubles as the storage box. Shrink-wrap and a self-adhesive label is all that is needed to complete the retail-ready package.
Smooth and Sleek
For the most part, you want packaging that is smooth, sleek, and easy to handle. Try to avoid awkwardly shaped packaging, packaging with sharp edges or points, or anything that can easily hurt the hands that pick it up. If the package is to be made of wood, be sure that the wood is sanded perfectly smooth and has no splinters or rough, unfinished edges that can hurt. Some of the hard, clear, clamshell-type packaging utilizes staples to fasten the two pieces together. Done improperly, the staples can poke or scratch someone who is picking it up.
Packaging for Larger Items
For large items that are to be packaged, consumers will be very happy if you integrate some type of handle into the package design. Many large, boxed items are difficult to pick up and carry or place in a shopping cart, even if they aren’t especially heavy. If the item is heavy, handles of some type are even more necessary. They can be of the type where a flap can be pushed in, leaving a hole large enough to slip a hand into and lift. Depending on the type of packaging, short rope handles on either side may also be appropriate. Handles add streamlining not just to the packaging itself, but also to the handling of your packaged product at the shipping and consumer levels.
