Impactful packaging is an important part of any successful packaged goods. Being more important in recent times, it envelops your product to deliver the ultimate product experience to the consumers. Today, packaging design is an increasingly complicated process involving collaboration between cross-functional teams to deliver top-of-the-market work. As complicated as it seems, there are a few guiding principles that are pivotal to realms of packaging design. Here are five essential principles of a great packaging design.
The importance of insight
Insights are foundational. If one understands human beliefs, emotions and behaviors, especially in relation to individuals or groups of people, great ideas can be thought of quickly to drive both business and brand value.
Design is an undertaking that is inherently empathetic that is it is always done for someone else. Designers must make a conscious effort to understand what people are feeling or thinking and they must design for with the consumer in mind; instead of being self-interested or self-absorbed
Perception to bring forth great interpretation
The second fundamental of good designing is perception. Oxford Dictionary defines Perception as “a way of regarding, understanding, or interpreting something; a mental impression.” Perception is extremely important for the business of design since great design needs imagination and creativity, and all imagination and creativity originate with perception.
Today, consumers are bombarded with too much information and stimuli that competes for attention. The human brain naturally selects things they are familiar with or have experienced before. Hence, designers must habitually incorporate the element of perception to trigger mental extrapolation by seeing things beyond the surface level. By putting themselves in situation to experience more happenings, they will be better equipped to create a more impactful package design that can speak directly the consumer’s mind; cutting through all the other competitors’ product fighting in the same space.
Stories—a key to the human condition
Stories play a crucial role in almost all aspects of human life. Stories are used to record events and history, to teach, to entertain, to remember, to warn, to share information and so on. Each human civilization has used stories in some way or the other.
Stories are extremely essential since they act as vehicles that help in the sharing of ideas. As soon as you have an idea, a good story could help in putting flesh to the bones and deliver your ideas with a suitable context paired with an emotional punch. Human beings are attracted to stories since stories have the power to encourage people to accept a different point of view or motivate them to act
Creativity and courage go hand in hand
Courage is important at every step of a design project. It is often desperately needed to confront the brutal facts in difficult situations. You also need courage to defend the optimal approach to a design project.
Whereas other times it is about clients acting courageous by believing and investing in a new approach. Displaying courage in order to get a great design is totally worth it. It drives commerce, improves people’s experiences and lives and creates competitive advantage. A statement design necessitates exploration of new territories along with determination and the ability and willingness to overcome an obstacle.
Strong design necessitates bold exploration of new territories paired with perseverance and a willingness and ability to overcome difficulties.