The joy of unboxing.
Getting a package you’ve ordered through the mail is one of life’s simple pleasures. The rush of anticipation when you heave it onto the kitchen table. That snip as you cut the tape and squeak as you unroll the bubble wrap.
That new-product smell, wafting through the air.
And then you get to see what’s inside. A shiny new item, lovingly wrapped inside a protective cardboard construction, effortlessly gliding apart as you pull a tab.
It’s enough to make you want to order again. This simple ritual can make a big difference for your customers, so it’s worth getting right. Good product packaging design is the way to make that happen.
This article will take you through the six basic steps to designing product packaging and show you how to make your designs more successful.
Product packaging design is the creation of the outer containers that will house your products. It defines their look and feel, how they protect what's inside, and how pleasurable they are to open.
If you’re running an ecommerce business, a customer’s first impression of your products is the moment when they open the packaging. It’s a major opportunity to give them a positive experience with your brand upfront.
Because your online business doesn’t have the opportunity to impress potential customers with store layouts or awesome associates, your package design is part of your brand.
In fact, according to an Ipsos poll, 66% of respondents stated that materials used to package a product often influenced the decision to purchase the product itself. This means that your product packaging design can significantly affect your bottom line.
Greatergood / SeedlipThere are a few things to consider for good packaging design, from research to testing. Here’s how it can be done in six basic steps.
Your first step is to define the specifications of your product and who will most likely want to buy it. This means answering questions like:
For Patrice Mousseau, Founder of Satya, a natural skincare brand, product packaging design starts with a conversation about her story and the things that are important to her.
When working with a product packaging designer, she discusses with them, "what this product is all about and the values behind that."
"Usually they go away and they start to have a bit of an idea. Then they’ll give you say five or six options and then you can narrow it down to maybe your top one or top two."
💡ACTION: Note down a detailed list of product and customer attributes to inform your decisions.
The next step in designing your packaging solutions is to research your competition. See what’s already being used and figure out what might work best for your own products.
💡ACTION: See how others are packaging their products and note how you could do better.
Now it’s time to figure out what sort of packaging requirements your item needs, both physically and legally. This is the important stuff you need to research before the fun design begins—getting it right can save you a lot of trouble.
Here’s where you define what kind of packaging material you’ll need to safely stow your products, taking into account the dimensions and weight of them, as well as how far they’ll travel.
Legal regulations must also be met when packaging and shipping certain products. For example, the FDA has strict laws and regulations when packaging, labeling, and storing beauty and food products. Make sure you research which regulations are in place for the products you’re selling in your location.
💡ACTION: Research the legal responsibilities you have for packaging your product type, and the material requirements for making it happen.
Once you understand all the technical aspects of your packaging needs, it’s time to start the packaging design process. This is where your product’s logistical and technical needs combine with your creativity and brand identity.
You can always sketch out your package mockups with pencil and paper. Still, you need diagrams and box measurements to be exact before sending them off to a packaging company to be manufactured.
It’s a good idea to invest in software that will help turn your design ideas into professional-grade reality, with high-quality artwork and typography ready to print.
If you’re computer-savvy, you can go straight to graphic design programs like Adobe Illustrator or Photoshop to map out packaging dielines and choose the design elements and fonts you want to use.
If you aren’t as confident and prefer dieline templates, you can always use custom packaging software with preloaded templates, like Pacdora.
During the design process, keep in mind the costs of each type of packaging you decide to use. Your costs will depend on:
💡ACTION: Be creative and bold! This is where you get to add the “wow” factor that sparks joy with your customers. Your design needs to be both functional and eye-catching. You can also work with a professional packaging designer to create your finished package.
Pre-press is when you finalize the packaging artwork and the exact colors you want your printers to use for your packaging. It’s also where you ensure your specs meet your printer’s requirements, so if your print company says it needs all files to be sent to as .psd or .jpeg files, you’ll have to provide them in those formats.
If you can, request a test print to see how the color palette looks on your packaging in real life. Sometimes, a color on a computer screen can look very different when printed on different packaging materials.
Greatergood / Minor Figures💡ACTION: Get a test version in your hands to see how your customers will experience your packaging.
Once you get your packaging materials back from the printer, it’s time to test them. Test everything: durability, functionality, and even aesthetics.
Pack one of your products using your new package concept and materials and toss it around to simulate the delivery process. Be brutal—transit can be pretty physically demanding on items.
This means you can spot any potential issues during the test phase and make appropriate adjustments.
If you find that your merchandise is getting damaged, go back to the drawing board and adjust your materials so you avoid future bad reviews.
After you’ve tested the durability of your packaging, it’s time to test how easy it is to get it open. If your customers need a sledgehammer and a blowtorch to open one of your packages, they’re not going to buy much from you again. In fact, try to get a friend or family member to simulate an unboxing video to see what parts of the packaging they like or have difficulty with.
Lastly, get opinions on your packaging design from others. You can ask friends and family, or even use polls on social media.
Instead of just asking people whether they like it or not, ask specific questions like, “Based on the design, what kind of product do you think is in this box?” and “If you saw this in your mailbox, would it make you smile?” The more information you can get, the better.
💡ACTION: Get as much intel as you can on your packaging’s performance before committing to a final design.
By following these simple tips, you can create eye-catching and functional packaging. Keep these tips in mind when designing your next product, and you’ll be sure to create packaging that your customers will love.
Read More: 6 Amazing Unboxing Experiences and Ideas to Try
You’ve got a great product and a brand ready to get out there. The packaging you decide to use will be the physical representation of your online business. It’s important to consider both the logistical as well as the aesthetic components of your packaging design.
Though it can seem like a daunting task, just follow the basic steps outlined above and you’ll craft something great. If you’re working in-house, you can always ask for external help from design agencies or freelancers. Just be ready to make adjustments to your packaging as you find better options and suppliers, and as your products evolve.
Packaging design is a functional way to hold, transport, and store your products. Ideally, it should also appeal to your customers and speak to your brand.
After all the work you’ve done to get your product just right, you have one final step: making sure the packaging is perfect. The package design will serve as the silent spokesperson for your product as it sits on a shelf or hangs in a display, so it has to look great and function just right.
Make sure the appearance of your packaging sends the right message.
Think about who you’re selling to and what they’re going to find appealing and attractive. Packaging is a visual representation of what’s inside, so use graphics that are appropriate. Baby products, for example, would have an entirely different look than high-tech electronics.
The phrasing on your packaging should tell potential customers what the product is and why they’d want to buy it. That said, keep it simple. Don’t overwhelm the package with too much text or too busy a design. You literally have seconds to catch someone’s attention. Don’t waste them!
You want the package to be eye-catching but not garish or gaudy. The colors should complement and enhance the product, not fight or contrast with it. Choose a typeface that is distinctive but still readable, one that works with the product’s logo. Consider thinking ahead and planning graphics that can work with several different items in a product line.
What’s represented on the outside of the package should match what’s inside, or you’ll lose customers. You want the graphics to be appealing, of course, but you have to be able to deliver the goods and match your buyers’ expectations when they open the package.
While the primary purpose of your packaging may be to stand out on store shelves, it also has to photograph well if you’re selling online. Your package design may be reproduced in a newspaper or magazine ad. You may use elements of the design on signage and promotional apparel, and your packaging needs to look good on computer screens and mobile devices. Design with multiple uses in mind.
The best-looking design in the world won’t help much if the package itself doesn’t do the job.
Make it practical in terms of shape, size, functionality, and materials. Make sure it’s durable, easy to open, and easy to carry. If the product is heavy, consider handles or another way a consumer can pick it up more easily. If it’s a high-end item, consumers will expect the packaging to reflect that.
Make it easy to open. Think about how the item will be used before starting on the package design. If your product pours, give the package a spout. If the item isn’t single-use, then make sure the package is easy to reseal. The upside-down Heinz ketchup bottle is a textbook example of well-designed product packaging.
Many consumers are turned off by the castoffs that result from over-packaging. Bigger is not always better, so skip the extra layers of bags, boxes, and plastic. Design a package that protects the product without excessive waste.
Safety is paramount, especially for food products. The Food and Drug Administration has strict regulations for packaging to enhance safety and prevent tampering. The product needs to be packaged to travel well and stay fresh. Your packaging also needs to keep your product intact during shipping to stores and consumers.
A retailer might need to be able to stack your item on a shelf or in their storeroom or warehouse, so oddly-shaped packages can be tricky. Think about how the product will be displayed, and design accordingly.