13 Productive Packaging Design Trends 2020

Last Updated on June 3, 2021 by DesignerPeople

We are away with few days to enter into the world of the year 2020; we are sure many of you must have planned New Year resolutions such as weight loss, new lifestyle change and many more. But let’s not forget along with your personal life there is a professional life and business which is equivalently important. Last year many of you must have thought of adopting the branding and marketing activities for your existing business or few must have planned to establish a new company from 2020. For all such business audience, aspirants and knowledge seekers DesignerPeople have come up with an enriched article which will help you to understand in detail about packaging design trends 2021.

Packaging design is a very crucial element and around 70% of the purchasing decisions based on the basis front of shelve visibility of packaging. Customers take about 7 seconds to make a purchase decision, and in an average supermarket, there are around 40,000 different products, so imagine how essential part your product packaging is playing.

To achieve a competitive advantage in today’s competitive world where each brand is aware of updated trends and changes, it is not a cake-walk. Hence New Year 2020 is filled with a lot of surprises, innovations, and creative design factors are coming together to develop a secure brand packaging.

Every industry irrespective of any country is gearing up to predict the next significant packaging design trends to govern the upcoming year.

Below are some of the top trends in packaging design 2020 :

1.ECO-FRIENDLY AND EDIBLE PACKAGING

“NATURE IS THE INSPIRATION FOR ALL ORNAMENTATION”

Changing climatic environment negatively around us has mandated the requirement to go with sustainable packaging. Customers are emotionally attached to brands that are contributing to social welfare. Eco-friendly products were in trend this year and will be no different for the upcoming year 2020. With new government policies towards the ban on plastic have made business more aware of adopting 100% recyclable materials in packaging. Get started with sustainable materials such as seaweed packaging, cornstarch, air pillow of recycled paper, plastic and cardboard, corrugated bubble wrap. The demand for fossil and fuel-based materials will get replaced with Bioplastics.

Example: Henkel is a brand in India which uses a circular economy model where they reuse materials which are already employed and recycle over and over again. Hence this eliminates waste and reduces the negative impact on environment ecology.

Edible packaging is an exciting concept where there is 0% of wastage. The packaging such as paper or plastic will replace by the edible wrapper, which can result from a palatable option. To reduce waste, this is the best way as a customer can eat up a whole product even if discarded, it is easily decomposable.

Example: Businessmen in Bangalore have invented Spoons made from flour which are tasteless but healthy if consumed and decomposable if even discarded.

2.BRAND STORY

“LET THE BRAND DO THE TALKING”

The brand story in 2020 will be an essential aspect, and it acts as the backbone of the entire brand identity through packaging design. An excellent brand story will focus on the central message in every visual piece of business branding. Make sure of the brand positioning before building the brand story. Include values, culture, what brand stands for and emotions which will evoke customer desires.

The un-boxing experience is also an upcoming trend which is part of the brand story. The brand story will drive by data in 2020, which will include customer’s preferences, desires and beliefs. Human brain processes image 60,000 times faster than data; text hence visualizes your brand story in the mind of the audience through images as visually compelling stories will cut through the clutter.

Example: The Maggi brand of nestle have successfully built their niche in the storytelling and conveyed brand messaging through various campaigns such as “Me and Meri Maggi” focusing on everyday routine storytelling.

3.ILLUSTRATION AND DODDLE ART

Year 2020 will focus on conveying the brand story with effective utilization of illustration and doodle art. Evolution of flat illustration will appear in simplified shapes that will create colour which will stand out, and text becomes more readability making the design look crisp and clear. Once the elimination of three-dimensional effect reduces, Illustration rendered on the back of packaging design will help to drive attention on the boring content on packaging. Nutritional information, barcode, ingredients, and brand story is made attractive and eye-catchy with the help of illustration effects.

Doodle art in 2020 will focus on adding the splash of the fun element, which is a great way to inspire your work with fresh and innovative ideas. It will adopt the way of expressing through packaging designs by combining the child-like doodles with expressive illustrations.

Doodle will help you to deal with your emotions as drawing have always considered to be as a stress buster and hence evokes the creative code. The intricate hand-drawn doodle art will provide a real sense of depth, which will help to evoke emotions of product packaging character. All age audience gets connected when the brand story on packaging design is conveying through doodle art. Kids and teenagers love funny elements and get attracted to such art. Hence, upcoming years will also consider these target groups and work on making doodle and illustrations more effective and result oriented.

4.INNOVATION PACKAGING SHAPE

“INNOVATION DISTINGUISHES BETWEEN A LEADER AND A FOLLOWER”

Did you know, “70% of consumers find colours, graphics and shape the most attractive aspects of packaging”

Packaging shape is also essential as of packaging design because if the model is making the product attractive, then feasibility is determined by product shape design. 2020 will be a year where the focus will be on improving the product shape structurally by applying innovative strategies. Product shape design will include the whole development process of the product from the initial stage to manufacturing.

A blend of research and creative is the way to solve their most complex product design challenges. Business, technology and innovation will walk in together to achieve the combination of looking eye-catchy as well as practically durable.

5.HOLOGRAPHIC MATERIAL

There is no limit for technology improvement; it is a continuous process, and a lot of improvements will be seen in programming, software versions, systems and hardware. The innovation, which is growing at a rapid pace, is hologram technology.

People love holograms, and they are fascinated by it hence having massive potential in upcoming days. By 2020 the market for honest, display of hologram will be worth $5.5 billion.source

Holography is a technique that allows three-dimensional images or effects. In packaging trends 2020, holographic effects will use unique embossed materials combined, in some cases, with special inks and printing techniques which will help the product to look unique. The holographic patterns are embossed onto the aluminium surface, which will diffract the light, resulting in different colours and a three-dimensional appearance. It will be usually seen in the industry of premium beauty product packaging.

6.SMART PACKAGING

As the name suggests, “smart” itself defines the technology-oriented packaging design, which will provide the consumer with more convenience in terms of security and technology. Packaging in the food industry is embedded with NFC chips, QR codes, smart labels which can be easily scanned and understood through smart-phone to get more accurate information about the product.

Smart packaging will become more interactive and act as a medium to create conversations. The usage of intelligent packaging helps in the prevention of food spoilage, enhancement of product attributes such as taste, aroma, flavour.

The smart packaging industry is expected to reach $39.7 Billion by 2020 from industry such as food and beverages, healthcare, automotive, personal care and many more.Source

The report covers the overall smart packaging market based on different types of technologies, industry verticals, and geographies.

 

Also Read: 10 Effective Branding Trends 2020

 

7.MINIMALISTIC VS MAXIMALISM

2019 was the year of the minimalistic approach towards packaging designs but no more the same. In the upcoming year, the sectors such luxury will gain more weight for intense shades, fuller models, focusing on beautiful graphics which will focus more on the quality of the product. When people purchase premium products, they also analyze every detail before final purchase; hence, maximalist designs will generate more demands.

Alcohol label packaging will also require detailed designs and no more simplistic designs for these categories. There will be still products that need subtle and soft designs such as electronics, cosmetics and many depending upon the nature of products few will focus on detailed luxury while few remain same with the concept of less is more.

8.TYPOGRAPHY

“YOUR CHOICE OF TYPEFACE IS AS IMPORTANT AS WHAT YOU DO WITH IT”

To build brands with innovative typography is the best way to experiment and play with elements. Typography evokes brand personality, and this trend is expected to flourish in the year 2020. Addition of floral, geometric shapes will add in typography to gain attention, maxi typography which was in trend in 2019, will combine and result in artistic typography.

2020 maxi typeface will split the words into multiple lines as per new rule more the thicker it is better. Massive lettering and fonts will be in trend in the world of graphic design, not only packaging design but the logo, websites, poster and other marketing collaterals will also engage the huge font trend.

Along with typography, the upcoming year will be drawing shapes with it which will be twirl, simple curves and circles. Forms can be two dimensional, or three-dimensional even semi-transparency typeface will be an upcoming trend.

9.EARTHY TONES-CLOSE TO NATURE

The year 2020 will give us a sense of vintage, everything new will get fade, and urban retro designs will be encouraged. People are getting closer to nature and are expecting packaging designs to get associated with pastel and soft colours. Bright, loud and vibrant shades will also exist, but preference brand will give more for subtle and earthy tones which can be majorly for the organic sector in food, beauty sector.

Customers will generate “sense of belongingness” for brands which have a common goal towards the welfare of ecology, and they will look out for brands with shades which encourages earthy tones and are closer to nature.

10.DIECUT SHAPE WINDOW

Consumers today are very cleaver due to digitalization they are aware of every product and its values. They go through visually the actual product, which is visible through window packaging, and this enhances their trust and faith in the brand. Die-cut shape window in 2020 will be in the boom because brands will start using this as a cost-effective promotional tool.

Competitive advantage will be gain through this kind of packaging as the close a customer can get to experience a product the better connection they can build for their brand hence increasing the chances of final purchase. In upcoming year brands will focus on experimenting layering designs and transparency

Example: Beverages, cosmetics, glass bottle designs

11.CONCEPT PHOTO-SHOOT

“BECAUSE EVERY PICTURE TELLS A STORY”

Every great work begins with actual background work which is done by working on the concept. No more normal photo-shoots, 2020 will be a year of conceptualized photography. In which photographer works primarily on strategic concept or message which a brand is communicating with its audience. Here artist will make the photograph of thought and idea, and then actual shoot takes place.

Artist will now try to understand the story behind using natural light, palette colour, composition communication everything which is included into frame should have its importance and meaning.

Understanding the audience and focus will also shift on understanding and connection with the subject. The most wonderful part of conceptual photography is to discover when you experience it with another person. Let your model contribute towards art, and bring their unique and life experience which will add to another delicious layer of artwork.

12.PERSONALIZED PACKAGING

“PERSONALISATION IS NOT A TREND, IT IS MARKETING TSUNAMI”

A research study conducted by Technavio suggests that the global personalized gifts market is set to rise to $38 billion by 2021.

The consumer sees personalization as a means of keeping memories, celebrations and events alive and reinforcing the bond with loved ones. As it’s said, there is no one perfect size which fits all that’s the core philosophy behind this trend. Brands will adopt personalization in such a way that it will act as the best way to promote the brand name and gain competitive advantage.

Personalized packaging brand recall is more, and 2020 will include the brand’s story in customized packaging. Smart marketers know how people relate to stories as much as they do to brand names. When a company represents its packaging with a story on it will connect to consumers on an individual level, the product becomes irresistible.

Example: Coca-Cola printing people’s name on their soft-drink cans

Frito-Lay printing real-time faces on their potato chip packaging

13.UNBOXING EXPERIENCE

The upcoming year will not restrict un-boxing experience up to e-commerce. Even offline brands will focus on this as it’s the best way to surprise and create a memorable experience with consumers.

The online retailers have a fewer point of contact to provide pleasure compared to physical retailers; hence, they will focus more on providing incredible, memorable un-boxing experience and get profit also.

The year 2020 will break the myth of associating the experience with only luxurious and premium products, in fact, sometimes a simple note is enough to thank or to bring a smile on the face of consumers. The un-boxing experience will be a boom because all companies are providing the same product with the same quality, quantity what will differentiate your brand over others includes “un-boxing experience”.

Examples: Brand can include a discount coupon, and in passing, you favour the recurring purchase and loyalty to the user. You can even offer an additional discount to the user who uploads their unboxing.

CONCLUSION:

So are now ready to take over the most significant changes which will happen in the year 2020 in the packaging design. Few trends are new, while few are combined with older concepts and have become more relevant and compelling. A New Year is full of new designs, a mesmerizing combination of shades, a blast from retro style, line art, doodling and many more amazing trends which will evolve with time. Patterns respond as per changing customer’s lifestyle and tastes, but the standard urge will remain constant to get attractive and beautiful designs.

Good design is good business hence consult professional packaging design agency that will help you to get aligned with upcoming trends for product packaging, which in turn will provide eye-catchy and trendy designs.

Author: Priyanka Thakkar

Passionate, adventurous and my never-ending learning approach lead me towards the world of content writing after working years in core marketing profile. My experience of working in world-famous MNC motivated me to understand the niche requirement of strategic words to communicate correctly about brand message towards people. My zeal in an informal way of writing articles allows anyone to enrich their knowledge in the world of branding, packaging and digital marketing. Being an MBA in Marketing and HR, my excellence lies in framing marketing strategies as well as relationship building. Do connect me personally my LinkedIn & I love to share my expertise with you.