Packaging has come a long way from the brown paper wrappings of the past. The visual effect of a product is a customer’s first introduction to the product and, after all, first impressions are everything.

People are visual creatures by nature. What differentiates a bad company from a good company is the fact that the latter knows how to attract customers’ attention with the help of packaging design. While an interesting and eye-catching logo does play a big part in marketing a product, nothing comes as close as the effects a visually appealing and striking design has on prospective customers.

Why is it so Important

Customers are superficial creatures. More than anything, we are drawn to attractive looking products. Something that is well designed with interesting packaging is bound to attract more potential customers than a product that is poorly designed and looks bland. This is the importance of packaging design. Packaging might seem like an after-thought of the design project, but, in fact, acts as a key part of your marketing strategy. It is also crucial in associating a brand to a certain thing – be it a colour or a font. Creating unique, visually, interesting packaging essentially means the customer is more likely to be drawn to it and remember the product and your company later on when looking for a similar product.

Packaging Design: Where it begins

A good design should always reflect the product and the creativity and personality of the company. There is more, however, to packaging design than simply ensuring a package looks appealing. There is a whole science behind it – from the shape of the package to the materials used without forgetting, of course, its functionality. For example, of the many things to take into consideration when creating a package, one of the most important things to remember is certainly the protection it offers to the product. There is no point in making a package look visually interesting if it is unable to do what it was intended to do in the first place.

How to make the perfect Packaging Design

Don’t make it too convoluted. Many research studies have been done on the importance of packaging design, and if there is something they all have found, it is that simplicity sells. What people want, more than anything, is to get the information in a quick and simple way. Though it starts by attracting their attention through the means of elegant and eye-catching packaging, clearly labeling what the product is about is of the utmost importance. Companies want people to buy their products – they do not want people to walk away and buy a competing product merely because the information can be accessed more quickly on their package.

What customers want

Other than simplicity, customers also want honesty and authenticity. In other words, they want to know for a fact that the product that is labeled on the packaging is clearly the product that can be found inside. For that to happen, companies should always ensure the package makes them look trustworthy. This can be achieved by making sure the package is made of the highest quality materials available. Good packaging should also reflect the personality of the company. If a company is green and modern, then the packaging should be recyclable and innovative.

There is no denying the fact that a logo plays a vital part when it comes to marketing, but the power a visually appealing package has on customers cannot be compared to it. Customers want to associate a product with something positive, and the packaging design is often the first thing that comes to their mind.

Example of great Packaging Design

Festina Watches: Many products make grand claims as to their performance; few demonstrate it quite so brilliantly. Before you even remove the packaging, the products waterproof feature is proved on point of sale by having the watch in a bag of water, telling you exactly what you need to know without relying on fancy words, fonts or colours. Ingenious simplicity at its finest.

Starbucks Seasonal Cup Designs: We’ve all seen them plastered on social media. Whether it be Instagram, Facebook, Twitter or Tumblr, people love to show off what they’re drinking but especially the attractive packaging they’re drinking from. To accompany their seasonal drinks, the company designed seasonal cups to match, resulting in a coffee-induced stampede of people shouting about their pretty cups on social media #pumpkinspicedlatte

Abercrombie and Fitch Carrier Bags: Instantly recognisable and cool. Controversially known for their scantily clad, beautiful young employees, the company used this idea and projected it straight onto their packaging. The mid-to-high range fashion label made a packaging triumph by focusing on their youth-orientated brand and customer base making their bags as much a desirable fashion accessory as the product inside the bag.