Packaging accounts for <\/span>at least 33% of the reason<\/span><\/a> consumers pick one product over another.<\/span><\/p>\n Poorly designed or unattractive packaging can hurt even the best product. In such a competitive market, it’s all the more important for businesses to take a creative packaging approach to their products.<\/span><\/p>\n Whether you’re creating a product for store shelves or designing a promotional item, aesthetics will affect how consumers feel about your product. Packaging that fails to connect with consumers will leave them feeling overwhelmed, even if the product performs to expectations.<\/span><\/p>\n If you’re looking for a great way to stand out from the crowd, think about creative packaging for your product. Here are 8 things to consider when you’re putting together the packaging for your next product.<\/span><\/p>\n The practical aspects of your product will lay the foundation of what the limitations are for packaging. The size, shape, and weight of your product will put limits on the packaging.<\/span><\/p>\n If you haven’t had the chance to see the product before you design it, you should at least get your hands on a prototype. Your packaging will be responsible not only for containing the product but also for presenting it in its ideal state.<\/span><\/p>\n Get to know as much information about the product as you can in advance of starting the design process. Otherwise, you could end up having to scrap hours or weeks of work because of a lack of communication.<\/span><\/p>\n How people will use this product determines, in some sense, how the packaging should be designed. Form follows function, in that the two should in some way be cohesive and complement one another.<\/span><\/p>\n The design needs to be justified in both how the item will be shaped and how it will be used once it reaches its destination. The packaging should excite the viewer about the function of the product.<\/span><\/p>\n Creative packaging could go in a direction completely contradictory to the potential market or the functionality of the item. Think about how it will travel as well. If you’ve got a fragile item, you need to consider how you can protect it on its journey.<\/span><\/p>\n The history of packaging begins with efficiency.<\/span><\/p>\n At one point in time, items were packaged at their source, put into a larger box, and shipped to a store. At that store, the shipment was unloaded, the larger box was opened, and the packaging was then removed for displaying items.<\/span><\/p>\n In order to make this process more efficient and to improve branding, better creative packaging was created. It allows for more efficiency in several parts of the supply chain and improves restocking efforts.<\/span><\/p>\n That’s why you find things packaged even at clothing stores now in ways they never were before. There’s no more need to fold each item individually and display them. They’re already wrapped up and ready to be consumed.<\/span><\/p>\n Think about how you can minimize the environmental impact of unnecessary packaging by supporting and protecting the product within your package.<\/span><\/p>\n Your packaging can say everything you need to say about the brand. Subconsciously, we associate colors or certain materials with certain lifestyles.<\/span><\/p>\n If you’re creating packaging for an item focused on the environment, think about the kinds of natural materials you can use. If you’re designing something for a cleaner home, white is a great place to start.<\/span><\/p>\n1. Consider What’s Inside<\/b><\/h2>\n
2. Get to Know the Function<\/b><\/h2>\n
3. Think of the Supply Chain<\/b><\/h2>\n
4. Get the Brand Message Out There<\/b><\/h2>\n