9 Best Creative Packaging Design Trends 2021

Last Updated on September 25, 2023 by DesignerPeople

I am the sure year 2020 has brought in massive changes in everybody’s lifestyle and their approach towards business as well as personal emotions. Companies changed their positioning, brand messaging, and their core values to cope up with pandemic and stay relevant to their customers.

One thing which still remains essential is the packaging design of products as they always act as a powerful marketing tool. From prioritizing the empathic experience to appeal consumer’s sense of social responsibility, your labels system can play a crucial role in how well your product moves once it’s on the shelves.

A brand is no longer just a product; it encompasses every facet of the customer journey. Brand conscientiousness is necessary to retain brand equity including; shapes, typography, textures, colour-blends, and more.

As time moves ahead, we have to leave back a lot of things behind the lane and look forward to new things to do. Same happens with 2020 and now for packaging design trends 2022 ; customers prefer recent changes as per the latest trends.

To stay relevant, you need to be smart enough to understand their likings and adopt as per new standard so that you don’t miss the league.

To share some valuable information on the latest update and trends of 2021, a professional packaging design agency DesignerPeople will discuss below some significant changes in this field.

Also Read: Packaging Design Trends 2023

What is Packaging Design Trends 2021?

In 2021, packaging trends will be all about thinking with concern and empathy by showcasing colour, brand message, materials, design, and approachable printing options. Environmental awareness in packaging will opt more with less waste and fewer packaging materials

1.Natural and Neutral colours

Minimalistic designs and shades have been in trend from a long time and it is no different in 2021. People are opting towards more realistic and honest brands; hence they want colours which will look natural and not out of the box with loud nature.

You will see more of earthy shades and light shades which will not overpower your message or product images. A lot of suppliers will emphasize warm earth tones, and softer colours and nature of the product will likely influence the specific selection of shades.

2.Flat illustrations

The most famous illustration styles seen on the packaging is the flat graphic style. In this style, shapes are often simplified, and blocks of colour stand out. It is simplified forms that make blobs of colour stand out in crowd and text being more readable.

Such a design is crisp and cleans gained by stripping away three-dimensional effects, and it has enough flexibility to evolve independently and makes freely.

Designers can use it and fuse them partially into almost any composition they like. The evolution of flat illustration in 2021 will bring us a step closer to a perfect harmony of functionality and aesthetics.

3.Packaging Texture

The packaging design should not only address the visibility factor but also should take care of touch and feel the emotion of packaging design. It more tactile experience can set your product apart. If you’re hoping to target a higher-end market, for example, consider embossed labels.

These embossed labels are viewed as being “premium.” Customers who touched products with these labels and liked the experience believed the products were worth more! Textures create the erg to connect the product more and help in buying decision by giving that supreme craft experience.

4.Bold patterns

When we say lighter shades and minimalistic designs are a significant trend in 2021 but make sure you don’t want them to look boring or dull. Make them engaging, which will develop the excitement when a customer encounters the designs.

If your product belongs to the retail zone, then you can play with eye-catchy shades, intricate details, abstract or ornate patterns of systems. Here you need to ensure that you are making every pattern fit inside aesthetic delivered packaging. That is because you should still think about focusing on cohesive branding.

Also Read: Complete FSSAI Guidelines for Food Business 2020

5.Tech-Integration

Adding an interactive element and innovation processes to the purchasing process, brands are turning to digital, mobile apps and technology to encourage consumer engagement. Brands are seeking to connect with a generation consumed by technology, but also create a more memorable consumer-brand experience.

Transforming packaging custom boxes, candy wrappers and fast-food packaging into augmented experiences, AI, and digital games are all upcoming trends in packaging. Fibre-based materials, robotic, intelligent or smart packaging’s along with 3D printing are a new way of latest updates.

6.Creative Storytelling

It is a beautiful way of connecting customer emotionally through storytelling, customers now want something which is beyond the product, and they want some unique story which will stay with them connected throughout the journey. Emotions are triggered more compared to any statistic or information and influence them in purchasing decision.

Company mission, how it started, process or any realistic background which is inspiring can be adopted as a brand story, and one can stay consistent throughout all platforms, which will increase the brand recall value.

The year 2021 will bring in characters which will play the role beyond mascots as living their own fleshed-out stories. Now brand’s website instead if to reading their story or inferring their brand story through the ads they run, you’ll have the main character delivered right to your door, telling you a story straight from your buyer’s package.

7.Transparent Window Packaging

“38% of consumers are willing to purchase a newly launched product with clear product information”. Source

After pandemic, people are more conscious about their health; hence they show a keen interest in purchasing that offer them by revealing what you have got inside for them. It ensures the authenticity of your business as well as the realistic texture of food. In the era of authenticity and paying attention to this fact can assist you in gaining some significant benefits.

At the same time, there are false advertisements or misleading packaging which customers are tired off, so people tend to think twice while purchasing something. Now assist your customers in getting rid of this doubt by providing them with revealing packaging.

8.Vintage Packaging 

Vintage is all about authenticity and traditional looking fonts. Still, now will see more and more illustrations along with manuscript lettering or retro colour patterns convey the feeling of age and pedigree.

Vintage packaging design will solely add a different look and feel for your product. If you are checking out for a design for a product that is going to replicate the older works, then vintage should be your ultimate choice.

It is not always to come up with new trendy packaging design, but it is also essential to stay grounded and keep up to your roots which reflect on your overall packaging honesty. A brand story can also creatively craft through the theme of vintage, which can then act as brand USP to communicate about its traits with its customers.

Retro Packaging connects people with their sense of nostalgia and also implies longevity. When a well-known brand brings back old designs or one that looks vintage, it reminds people that the brand has been around a long time building trust.

It has proven to express a level of quality to consumers with “old school” visual dynamics simply stated; the vintage design suggests an air of quality regardless of its actual presence in the product.

9.Abstract Inspired 

The abstract design comes from the vibrant art of the Aboriginal people, making for an artistic approach to the overall Packaging. It is a technique where designers put in everything extreme to make the Packaging stand out through bold fonts, neon shades with intense minimalistic appeals overall.

Loud designs portrayed through elegance structure in its overall body of theme. Design is inspired by painting, fine art and abstract art challenges our brains to create our interpretation. It stimulates the higher part areas of the brain responsible for imagination and creativity. It will ensure to teach us to look at art and, in a sense, at the world with a new approach.

It allows and gives you the freedom to explore the artwork and assign your meaning to the piece. Abstract art may therefore encourage our brain to respond in a less restrictive and stereotypical manner, exploring new associations, activating alternative paths for emotions, and forming new possibly creative links in our mind.

Abstract art may therefore encourage our brain to respond in a less restrictive and stereotypical manner, exploring new associations, activating alternative paths for emotions, and forming new possibly creative links in our mind.

CONCLUSION:

Now that you know some of the latest label/packaging design trends to look for in the upcoming year 2021. Don’t be late if you are a new company planning to venture new start-up or your planning to rebrand your packaging get started now.

Increasing competition and changing customers preferences can be tackled both by staying updated and in the race. Connect us today, and let’s talk about what DesignerPeople can do for you with our innovative solutions and excellent skillset to make your products truly shine.

 

Author: Megha Malik

As a passionate entrepreneur and creative brand consultant with experience of 14 years in digital, branding and packaging industry, it is my honest effort to put my experiences and knowledge of industry towards readers. A chartered accountant by degree but a marketing personality in blood has motivated her to take in designing industry as a career. With her fun-loving personality and sharp branding skills, she is a great motivational speaker on her YouTube channel, an active member in various business channels offline as well as online. Do connect me personally via my LinkedIn and I love to share my expertise with you.