Product packaging design

Packaging Design-Why a Product Can’t Survive Without It

Author: DesignerPeople Blog December 19, 2022

Last Updated on January 12, 2023 by DesignerPeople

Did you know your potential customers take only around 5-7 seconds to finalise their purchasing decision at the retail shelf?

And on an average supermarket trip, your consumers are exposed to over 50,000+ products competing for their attention!

How can you ensure a successful conversion in such a case?

Well, 66% of consumers claimed that they had tried a new product just by being inspired by its packaging!

Furthermore, according to various sources, the packaging design drives more conversions than other marketing strategies.

Besides attracting customers, high-quality packaging also saves your products from transit damage which is quite common. This is extremely important as 45% of consumers share negative views about a brand on social media. If your packaging quality cannot sustain the transit damage, don’t be surprised by an online backlash that will turn out to be lasting damage to your brand image.

Your product packaging design has multiple roles to fulfil. A good quality packaging design is necessary to succeed in the Indian market.

In this article, let’s dive deeper into how you can amp up your product popularity in the Indian market by creating a timeless packaging design for your brand.

What is Packaging Design?

Packaging design is the amalgamation of form, structure, imagery, typography, and colours. These design elements make your product suitable and attractive for the target market.

Amidst thousands of products, high-quality packaging design brings distinction and differentiation to your product which is a significant necessity to survive in any competitive market. Top-notch packaging design creates a desire among consumers to purchase your product! The prime objective for a good quality packaging design is to distinctively communicate the brand’s personality and function, resulting in a successful sale.

Is it true? The packaging design itself tells what’s Inside

Yes. The packaging design conveys what’s inside of it. There are various ways to turn that into a massive advantage for your business!

For example, if your products have highly potent ingredients, you can easily highlight them in the packaging design to attract consumers.

On the other hand, if your product has ingredients at low quantities that aren’t very favourable such as sugar, in certain packaged meals, you can use design elements that focus on the better part of the product and entice buyers into buying them instead!

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How does packaging design make a significant impact on business product sales?

We can go all day long if we start discussing the benefits of packaging design for business product sales. As we all know, retail shelves are filled with numerous consumer choices.

However, shopkeepers always prefer to keep products with eye-catching packaging in the front row as it will effectively catch the consumers’ attention. This way, your product gets a competitive edge over the other choices.

Next, when you invest in high-quality packaging design, you will list all your product’s information and whereabouts. Whenever a potential customer checks out your product on the retail shelf, they will have complete clarity on the quality of the product they will buy.

This makes your brand reliable and trustworthy, resulting in easier customer retention.
When you focus on displaying your brand personality with your design elements, there are endless ways to improve brand recognition and recall in the target market and increase product sales.

What are the questions you should have in your mind before going for packaging design?

When choosing a potential packaging design, you must have adequate clarity to create a suitable packaging design plan for your Indian business. Consider asking yourself the following questions to get a headstart on the process.

  • Which product is it?

When designing a product packaging, you must know everything about your product, such as its materials or ingredients, its benefits, its size, shape, whether it is fragile, etc.

This will help you determine any logistical aspects you must consider when designing your product packaging.

For example, if your product is fragile, you may need a packaging design with odd dimensions. Similarly, if you want to customise every packaging design, you may need to think of out-of-the-box ideas!

  • Who is purchasing the item?

Is your product meant to be unisex or only for men or women? Is it suitable for children or breastfeeding women? Is it built especially for the environment or animal-friendly consumers?

A successful product packaging design must be appealing to the ideal consumers. Hence, it is crucial to know in and out about your target consumers before you start the process.

  • How are consumers purchasing the goods?

Whether your product will be sold online, in a supermarket or in a small boutique, you need to consider the packaging design options accordingly. This will help you create packaging designs that fit the overall aesthetic of the environment while being attractive to the eyes of the consumers.

Steps to have a perfect product packaging design

Once you have the answers, it’s time to finally get into designing your product packaging! This is not an overnight process. It takes days or even months to finalise a specific product packaging design for a brand. We have simplified the entire process into a few steps for your understanding. Let’s check them out.

  • Project Summary

One of the fundamental requirements of your product packaging is the brief of the process. You can’t afford to get it wrong here, which may affect the final quality.

Start with gathering all the information and insights you have deciphered in the steps above. You can also include additional information here, such as any existing packaging designs in the market, attributes that are a must-have in the design and more. This makes the entire process streamlined and organised for the next steps!

  • Select appropriate packaging

There are various types of packaging available for a product. Choosing the suitable packaging depends on several factors, such as the product, competition, budget etc. depending on your product, you can analyse the packaging dimensions and material that is suitable for the product.

Similarly, check whether your competitors have a single type of packaging in common. You can go creative with your packaging choice and differentiate your product from the rest.

Lastly, your budget also plays a significant role in the type of packaging you will invest in. You need to focus on sustainable growth. Hence, invest in packaging that will be affordable and profitable for your business in the long run.

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  • Learn About the Product

Now that you have warmed up revisit your product description. Since the core of your packaging design is your product description and its benefits, you must know the entire category, the competition and other elements already working well in the industry. A great way to start is to head to the store and check out the shelves. This is where you can get many inspirations for your upcoming design!

  • Recognise your clients

The next step is to analyse your target audiences and build your buyer persona. For starters, how old are your target audience, and what do they do? What are they interested in? How do they reuse/dispose of various packaging? How much can they pay for a particular product?

This will give you a complete brief about how you can effectively entice a particular audience segment and convince them to purchase your product every time!

  • Develop an information architecture

Revisit the questions answered before. Use that information in creating an information architecture for your package design.

When creating a packaging design for your brand, you are instilling a perception in your consumer’s minds about your product. Hence, think about what they must remember about your product or brand. It should be the centrepiece of your packaging design.

Next, add the other elements in the design that will close the deal. This will help you prioritise the design elements strategically that lead the customers to the final purchase!

  • The Channel Selected to Market the Product

The packaging design for your product also depends on the channel you will sell it. As we said, analyse whether it will be sold online, in the supermarket, in a luxury store, etc.

The channel of selling your products determines the product’s lifecycle or how long it takes to reach the customer. This will help you create designs specific to a particular channel which is the best way to ensure that your product reaches your customers in the best condition!

  • Study the Competition

Even if you are not supposed to copy your competitor’s designs, checking their product and packaging is always advisable to understand what works in the industry and what doesn’t.

List the elements you want to include in your packaging design and brainstorm unique ideas using them as a reference. This will make your product look like a completely new addition to the industry that is way better than your competitors!

  • Gather Feedback

Before you finalise the design for your product packaging, consider asking for feedback from the key stakeholders, teammates, new customers, friends or even family.

Whenever they see your packaging design, ask them the following questions:

  1. What is the first thing they notice about the product in the packaging design?
  2. What makes them buy the product from your brand?
  3. How is your product better than the others just from the packaging design?
  4. What is the key message they get when looking at the design?

This will help you determine if the packaging design conveys the correct information and creates the right perception among the target consumers.

What Motivates the Demand for Packaging Design?

The packaging designing industry has grown faster than ever in the past couple of years. There are so many ways your packaging design influences your target market. It builds the right impression and perception of your brand in the market. If you still need convincing, here is a quick listicle explaining the increasing hype and demand for packaging designs among every brand.

  • Strong packaging helps your brand stand out

As we said, thousands of brands compete in the same industry. If you are going global, it may even count up to millions.

To stand out in your target market, you must create a design pleasing to thousands of new sets of eyes. This means your product packaging is equally as crucial as the quality of your product.

Apart from attracting a new set of audiences, it also contributes to a unique customer experience.

Imagine your customers’ smiles when they open a high-quality product packaging from your brand. They may even share this unique experience with their social media handles and rave about your brand! The unboxing experience also plays an incredible role in making your product stand out among your competitors.

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  • Appetizingness

Your packaging design encourages customers to purchase your product through various tactics. For example, you can demonstrate any environmental, social or economic contributions of your brand in the packaging that will encourage your potential customers to check out your website and make a purchase. If your product doesn’t look appetising or exciting from the packaging design, there is no chance they will purchase from your brand.

  • Packaging as a technique for advertising

A beautifully designed product packaging will speak for itself. Irrespective of the marketing strategies you implement, your packaging design can influence the buying decision of your potential customers in split seconds and convert them!

A good product packaging design will create a long-lasting brand image in the Indian market that will help you stand out in the league even in the forthcoming years.

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  • It develops a consistent brand narrative

Your product packaging design serves as an introduction to your brand. For new customers, it is the first thing they see about your brand.

Your packaging design reflects your brand narrative. For example, if you have a luxury brand, your packaging design will have attributes similar to the target market. Similarly, your packaging design will reflect the same if you sell affordable products.

When kept consistent across every channel, the perception your packaging design builds will evoke the same emotion about your brand every time a customer checks out your brand or its stationary in every channel.

  • A simple method of drawing attention

As we said, the packaging design is the first thing your consumers will see when they find your products in the supermarket. It tells your customers everything about your brand and why they should choose your brand. With the right choice of colours, patterns and other design elements, your product packaging will make your product distinctive. Such eye-catching packaging designs will help your brand stay in customers’ minds longer while giving a competitive edge over the others.

Have a look at some of the packaging designs for inspiration.

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Conclusion

Irrespective of the industry and the year, high-quality packaging design is a necessary investment for every brand. A good packaging design is a combination of creativity and functionality. Your packaging design must spark the excitement within your consumers that convert into a successful package. It must also imprint a long-lasting impression within their minds that will contribute to long-term sales for your business.

You can either follow the steps mentioned above to create your unique packaging design or hire an experienced designer. The best packaging designer will ensure that your packaging design reflects your brand’s most authentic essence and personality that makes the maximum conversions for your business!

Author: Megha Malik

megha-profile-blog

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.

One response to “Packaging Design-Why a Product Can’t Survive Without It”

  1. Very detailed article conveying the most important business factor for branding. Package desing plays a major role in conveying the brand value and it has to be focussed more.

    Reply

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