One very important part of brand identity is packaging design. Good packaging design can encourage trust among customers, making it easier to set a premium for your products. This is why it is important to consider putting effort and research into your packaging design.
When designing a new package or refreshing an old one, there are five cardinal rules to consider. Keep reading for a closer look at what these are.
- The Package Design Should Reflect Your Brand
You don’t want to use your packaging to over-promise and under-deliver your products. Instead, your packaging should reflect your brand and its values. Keep in mind that certain colors may convey specific concepts to customers. For instance, purple may evoke a sense of elegance and classic design, while neutral colors may suggest a more modern aesthetic.
You don’t want your customers to feel tricked or disappointed when they get your product home. Make sure the emotions your design evokes match what you want for your brand. Your customer-facing side, or ‘Front of Pack’, should be used to express what the brand represents. Do this with both verbal and visual cues. Describing what the product offers and what is unique about it with images and words is recommended.
- Consistent Packaging Design
Regardless of how many sizes, variants, and different formats your product is sold in, the packaging should have a consistent, uniform feel to it. Consistency inspires trust in your brand. Your customers will start to recognize your brand when you develop a consistent image. Put forth the resources and time to consider how to keep your brand and image consistent. This work will pay off in the long run.
- Clear and Precise Packaging Design
Your packaging design is the first stage of advertising your brand. When people look at the box your product comes in, they will think about its attributes and what problems it can solve for them. Your packaging can be used to communicate a lot about your brand if you use the package design smartly.
One important thing you can include is the reason your brand should be chosen among its competitors on the shelf. Give your potential clients a good idea of what your product does and then trust it to do exactly that.
- Unique and Ownable Packaging Design
When your packaging is unique, it will stand out to customers instantly on the shelf. Use a unique palette, shape, or other format to help set your packaging apart from others. Notice how Tide is easily recognized with its specific shade of orange, and Cadbury is recognized by its unique purple hue. These aspects are instantly noticeable, as are the packaging for Coke and Pringles. This is the power of differentiation.
- Functional Packaging Design
Your design should also be functional. This can be done by keeping your footprint minimal, so it’s important to keep your package small. Make sure you take the shelf life of your products and packaging materials seriously. If you can, make the packaging recyclable. You should also adhere to all legal standards and regulations relevant to product packaging.
Finally, make sure to enlist the help of a professional design team to make sure your packaging design does everything and more than it needs to.
