Guide to Designing the Perfect Product Packaging

Product packaging design is a powerful way of generating sales, and because about 73% of purchasing decisions are made at the point of sale, designing custom packaging for your product is essential to make it stand out. 

When designing packaging, you must consider everything, from the materials you choose to the color palette and printing requirements. With the guide to creating the perfect product packaging, you can elevate your brand, increase sales and have customers returning to repeat the experience. 

Why Is Product Packaging Design Important?

Aside from the fundamentals — protecting the product inside — product packaging design can change how people think about your product. While the size and shape of your package may be similar to your competitors, the design can elevate your product. The right design could be the difference between people buying from you or someone else. In fact, 67% of consumers say packaging influences their decision to purchase. 

Investing in custom product packaging can create a memorable unboxing experience for your customers, advertise your brand, reduce costs, minimize waste and much more. 

Questions to Ask Before You Start Designing Your Packaging

As designing custom packaging is an important part of your sales strategy, it’s best to have a clear idea of what you want and how you would like your design to resonate with potential buyers. Ask yourself the following questions to clarify where you’d like to go with your design:

  • What is your product? Think about what your product consists of. Is it delicate? How big is it? Your packaging must protect your product, so you must consider the best design to achieve this. Then think about your product’s essential features. Your packaging design should highlight these, so customers can see how your product will benefit them if they buy one. 
  • Who is your target audience? Your packaging should appeal to your ideal customer. Consider what this person would want in a product. Are they affluent and looking for a luxurious feel? Are they older adults who may appreciate larger text? Would they appreciate sustainable packaging
  • Who are your competitors? Knowing what your competitors are doing can help you find inspiration, identify where you need to improve and reveal any gaps in the market. Consider making your design unique so it draws the eye without alienating your ideal customer. 
  • Where will people buy your product? Your packaging needs will differ if customers purchase online, in a supermarket or small boutique store. 
  • What is your budget? Consider how to use your budget to get the most from your packaging. It’s worth discussing your goals with your designer or manufacturer. 
  • How will your packaging tie in with your existing brand? If your product needs to tie in with other products on offer, you must consider how to use the design to create the link in your customers’ minds. Your products’ packaging should complement each other yet still remain unique. 

Tips and Tricks for Designing Product Packaging

Designing the perfect product packaging involves combining many elements into the ideal finished product. The following tips and tricks will help you design packaging that reflects your brand and appeals to your customers:

Get to Know Your Target Audience

When you design your packaging, keep two things in mind — your brand and your customers. Your packaging is a visual representation of what customers find inside, and it must be appealing enough that they want to open it. The better you know your ideal customer, the more effectively you can appeal to them. How can you make your audience feel your product is their best choice?

Study Your Competitors

The more you know about your competitors, the more you can make your products stand out. Consider how you can uniquely showcase your product’s strengths. For example, if your competitors’ packaging is black and white, you could consider adding some color to draw customer attention.

Choose the Right Materials

The moment you pick up a box, you feel the quality of the materials. You want your packaging to feel sturdy and reflect the quality of your products. You can use color, shape and texture to elevate the customer experience and create a positive first impression. 

Curate the Content

Custom-designed packaging allows you to communicate with your customer. Depending on your product, you may also be required to have certain content on your packaging. Some of the packaging content to consider includes the following:

  • Written copy: What you write on your package can give customers important details about your product. 
  • Graphics and images: Consider whether you want graphics or photos on your packaging and where to put them to represent your brand best and draw your customer’s eye. 
  • Legal requirements: Depending on your product or industry requirements, you may need to place specific marks on your packaging, such as barcodes, warnings or nutritional information. 

Think About the Aesthetic

Every packaging element should work seamlessly to represent your product, elevate your brand and speak to customers. Experiment with different fonts, palettes, and shapes to find the option that best reflects your ideal customer’s needs and your brand values. 

Effective packaging design is all about the details. Can you add a special message on your packaging that connects you and your target audience? Think about how you can add a personal touch. It may be a thank you note or some inside printing with more details on using your product. 

Consider the Environmental Impact

Custom eco-friendly product packaging

Consumers are aware of their environmental impact, and many prefer to purchase products with sustainable packaging. If it aligns with your brand, explore how you can use sustainable packaging in your design. Reducing waste and promoting recyclable cardboard boxes, for example, is a powerful way to connect with your customers. 

Have a Clear and Honest Message

As your packaging competes with other products, it should send a message to consumers quickly. Ideally, people should remember your message — busy packaging can disguise your core message. Try and focus on your product’s most beneficial selling points and keep your message short and to the point. 

Your packaging should always represent the product inside, and your customers should get what they expect when they open it. Misleading copy or images may entice someone to buy a product once, but they won’t buy from your brand again if they feel misled. 

Create an Experience

Buying something new is exciting, and unboxing is one of the best parts of the experience. Your packaging should be user-friendly and add to the excitement of making a new purchase. Consider how you can make the unboxing experience enjoyable for your customers. Some scented paper may make a difference. Depending on your product, you could create ways to turn taking something out of a box into a pleasant experience customers want to repeat. 

Invest in the Professionals

Packaging is an essential part of your marketing strategy. With so much competition, one misstep in the design could cost you valuable sales. Consult a professional who can walk you through the process, help you with the design and suggest the most appropriate packaging for your product and target audience. 

Product Packaging Made Easy With Bolt Boxes

Designing your packaging is much easier when you know what you’re working with. The Bolt Boxes easy box configurator tool can give you pricing and design ideas in five steps. Choose your box type, size, strength and color, and we’ll give you immediate pricing to help you decide. 

Design Custom Product Packaging With Bolt Boxes

Design custom product packaging with Bolt Boxes

Designing the perfect custom product packaging requires attention to detail, so you can balance the many variables and end up with a finished product that excites your customers. Bolt Boxes can help you create the perfect package, protect your products, promote your brand and enhance the unboxing experience. 

Our industry-leading lead times, attention to detail, emphasis on in-house quality control, and decades of experience make us the perfect partner to meet your packaging needs. Feel free to contact us to learn how we can help you elevate your custom product packaging today!