Packaging Design

Packaging design today has gone way beyond just the simple functional benefits of protecting contents. A well-designed pack considers every moment in its life cycle, from the moment it is used to wrap a product, to the point of use and after use (recycling and re-use).

Packaging design encompasses four key areas and these are: protecting the contents, communicating messages, creating a consumer experience and contributing to minimising the cost of the end product. Packaging design includes labelling and protective covers, as well as the actual box or carton and the retail unit or point-of-sale materials.

There are in excess of 10,000 different packs to choose from in an average supermarket. A pack on a shelf has less than 3 seconds to grab a shopper’s attention. So ensuring that your pack has stand out and is effective in achieving your business objectives is crucial.

A quick and easy test for your packaging is to ask – Is it different? And is it relevant?

Packaging designers use shape, colour, illustration, name, strapline and icons to create a pack that stands out and is recognisable. Designers also arrange the hierarchy and digestibility of the information on the pack, and this is the key to creating user-friendly packaging.

Packaging designers help to get your pack to stand out from the crowd. From a sales perspective the pack needs to address and understand the mindset of the potential customer and end user. Designers work with consumers to understand the issues and to create packs that deliver a simple, smooth transition from shelf to basket.

“There’s an awful lot of evidence across an awful lot of categories that consumers will pay more for better design.” A G Lafley, Chief Executive. Proctor & Gamble