When we buy a product, our consciousness always takes note of its overall packaging. The colours, fonts, features, patterns and every detail that we notice on the primary and secondary packaging of a brand describes the work of a product packaging graphic designer. It involves following a set of practices to convey the ideas, motto, emotions of a brand. Of all the types of graphic designs, this discipline holds a unique responsibility. Packaging becomes a part of a brand’s identity and resonates with the audience. Let us delve deep into this discussion to comprehend everything about product packaging designs.
What Does Packaging Design Mean?
Packaging design is one of the eight major disciplines of graphic design. It is about creating appealing exteriors of products and their primary and secondary packages. This designing process is more technical and involves paying attention to minor details. Designers have to customise every brand’s package uniquely. Prototyping the alignment and compatibility of packaging designs with product materials is also a part of the process. Designs must have the brand logo exposed subtly with proper typography, colour combination, and balanced informational noise.
Objectives of Packaging Design
Product packaging designs solely focus on the brand. One of the many aspects of an efficient designing team is realising the functionality of the designs. A successful collaboration between the key stakeholders of a brand and designers ensures that packaging meets all prevailing expectations. Yes, these designs follow some objectives that define their purpose and functionality. Let’s have a look at few primary objectives of packaging design:
- Conveying Brand’s Goal: What does a brand want from packaging designs? The purpose of every brand can be different from the other, and adapting to this variation is the job of a designing team. Some brands are looking for exceptional designs to stand out in the market, while some are celebrating their success by creating appealing goods. Follow these needs to understand the ideal motto of designing.
- Maintaining The Budget Constraint: No brand owner wishes to spend a lot on the packaging, lest on its designing process. Understanding that aspect allows making variations to the designs without having to put second thoughts. It helps in estimating the quality of packaging the client will use for the purpose.
- Production Utility of Designs: Manufacturable designs require different configuration and colour settings than digital designs. CMYK canvas is a must for printable designs. Also, how will the colours and design patterns react with the quality of material used in packaging remains the biggest concern. The objective of designers is to understand the production utility of their designs.
- Adhering To Packaging Standards: Lastly, designers should know and follow the packaging standards in the market. It is vital to know if the designs are compatible with the regional standards. Some locations may restrict brands from using certain materials in the product packages. Finding a designing team that complies with these objectives successfully is a challenging task for brands.
Terminal Rules of Product Packaging Design
Designing product packages requires a strong discipline and flow of work. Designers have to maintain certain standards to meet the expectations of the clients. You should not ask your designers to make extravagant designs that do not go with the process. Here are some common rules that all designers and brands should know about product packaging graphic design.
- Know Your Audience: Taking the customer profile into account before landing on a designing idea is a crucial part. Brands pay a considerable amount of money in packaging so that customers can get eye-pleasing products. For instance, if the designs are for some skincare products for the babies, there has to be a form of softness in the packaging.
- Design Functionality With Packaging Form: A product packaging can be on a box, tin can, jute bag or anything that brands prefer the most. Also, the cells can be round, cylindrical, square, rectangular, triangular, or any other unusual shape. All these aspects matter as the designs must be functional with these shapes and types of packages. It helps add more details to the products.
- Simplicity Trades Well: Simplicity always sells in packaging designs. It is a challenge for designers to represent a minimal design beautifully with elegance and utmost attraction. Designing is never about using too many patterns, colours and vector images in the process. If you take note of the packaging of successful brands, you will notice how well they promote simplicity.
- Reflect The Brand: Product packaging designs should not be everything about the brand but must reflect its ideology and stature. Creating a trademark with these designs in the market helps create an impression on the customers. In some places, people just identify the products with their packaging. Therefore, it is imperative to pay attention to this part as well.
- Prototype The Progress: Unlike poster or hoarding designs, packaging designs require a discipline that aligns its outlook with the shape and size of the products. Prototyping helps analyse the printed look of a design and also allows us to judge whether it is complementing the texture of the materials or not. Hence, it is best to test the physical appearance of a design on the packages.
- Keep Competitors’ Design In Sight: Lastly, it is the job of designers to take their client’s market competition into account while designing the packages. It should neither resemble the competitors’ products nor look too bizarre for the genre of the products.
Adorn Your Packaging With Ace Designers
Packaging design has become an essential part of brand promotion and making an identification. You can also take your business to new heights by giving your products a new and fresh makeover. Offer an excellent outlook to your customers. All you need is the expertise of our packaging designing team at VOWELS. We have successfully delivered some of the best packaging covers to our clients, and you could be the next. Be a part of our extended family and get all kinds of graphic designing services. Contact us today to get a quote!
