What Is Packaging Design and Why It Is So Important Today
Discover the fundamental principles of packaging design
Packaging was initially created as a utilitarian item–its sole function was to conserve a product as best as possible. However, soon the appearance of packaging also became crucial: packaging needed to attract buyers and drive sales. Today, these continue to be the two main ideas that all packaging designers work around.
How did packaging come about?
Packaging began to be developed at the same time that advances in technology and transport were being made, meaning food could be stored for longer and travel further. As more and more new products arrived, so did new types of packaging, printer technologies, and marketing techniques that set out to make products grab people’s attention.
When it comes to graphic design, something similar happened. The art and culture trends can be seen reflected in packaging from different time periods.
Memorable packaging
Here are some examples of iconic packaging that show off the trends of the time.
The Tiffany Box
In 1887, Charles Lewis Tiffany, founder of the jewelry brand Tiffany & Co, chose the turquoise blue that would become emblematic of the Tiffany Box. The box has since become almost as iconic as the engagement ring inside. In 1998, the color “Tiffany Blue” was registered as a brand and listed in the Pantone color system.
Jack Daniel’s bottle and label
Jack Daniel’s square bottle–which Mr. Jack started using in 1895–and iconic label made the brand stand out from its competitors. According to Jack Daniel’s, this packaging was designed to transmit the brand values of justice and integrity. The label is an example of a very effective typeface design–over multiple decades, it has barely changed.
The Campbell’s soup can
Towards the end of the 19th century, an employee of Campbell’s attended a university football game. He was so inspired by the red and white uniform of one of the teams that he suggested changing the packaging of the brand’s canned soup, which at the time was blue and orange. This packaging would live on forever in popular culture thanks to the work of Andy Warhol.
Toblerone chocolate
In 1908, Theodor Tobler invented the Toblerone chocolate bar with his cousin Emil Baumann, who was operation manager at the company. The Matterhorn in the Swiss Alps, which features on the packaging, is said to have inspired Tobler to make the chocolate triangular-shape. Do you see the bear that’s hiding on the mountain?
Perfume Shocking
The bottle of Elsa Schiaparelli’s Shocking perfume was designed in 1937. It was based on the body shape of the actress Mae West and was one of the first perfumes to use provocative advertising, which today has become industry standard.
Chupa Chups
The Chupa Chups lollipop logo was designed by Salvador Dalí in 1969.
A team effort
To achieve a design that works, you need a team made up of different creatives and experts. They include:
–a graphic designer who is in charge of the brand’s logo and identity
–a product designer (they can be engineers or industrial designers)
–printers and packaging manufacturers
–packaging designer
–marketing and communication team
–campaign team (who incorporate the packaging design into the rest of a product’s sales campaign)
–display team who are in charge of showing the product in points of sale and online
–product photographers
Well-designed packaging should meet the following requirements
–The design should fit the production budget
–The product needs to stand out in points of sale and grab a customer’s attention
–The brand and its values should be channeled through the packaging
–The packaging should be user-friendly and adapted to the customers’ needs, such as how easy it is to carry
–Now customers want their packaging to be sustainable and environmentally-friendly
–In recent years, the act of opening a product is part of the shopping experience, such as the unboxing videos you see on YouTube–this is a social media trend that consists of people filming themselves opening a product. As a result, packaging designers take extra special care with all of the details, including the cushioning material they use for protecting orders in the post.
–They also create bespoke packaging for the press, as well as collectors.
–Brands also collaborate with artists for special and limited edition products.
Why is packaging design so important?
Marketing studios have demonstrated that the packaging design is a huge factor in whether a customer chooses one product over another. One study found that up to 73% of customers buying food products choose what to buy depending on whether they like the packaging.
0 comments