So, you have come up with the perfect product, started to market it, and found some customers to buy your product. What’s next? Coming up with the perfect packaging to put your product in and get it into our customers’ hands is almost as important as the product itself. This is because the packaging is more than just protection as you ship, it is an experience for the customer, and marketing for your business and can be used as a tool that tells them everything they need to know about your company, and your product, before they ever try it out.
Creating the perfect packaging is about understanding the transaction that is taking place on every level. You must first consider the product itself; how big is it? What is its shape? Is it fragile and require extra protection? All these things will help you to understand the logistical needs of your packaging design. Next you must understand who is buying your product. Understand your customer base and their demographics, you wouldn’t want to market a men’s soap in a pink wrapper, nor would you print tags in a tiny fault meant for senior citizens. Knowing how to anticipate what will attract your customer will be key in your success. Finally, think about how your product is being sold. If you are selling through local boutiques or markets than you want a packaging that will be visually appealing and catch the eye. If you are selling online than you want to make sure you are using the right size cardboard boxes, too big and your product may get damaged in transport.
When designing labels think about the brand that you are trying to build for your product. If you have a brand logo it should be on the label, have a vector file ready when you send your design out for printing. Make sure you have all of the information about your brand’s designs available as well, such as color values and font formatting to make it easy as possible for your printing company. Along with that make sure that you have planned out all of the content that needs to be on your label. This includes any writing, images, barcodes, ingredients, and more and be sure to know and include anything that is required by law in your design.
You should shop around at how other companies are packaging their products to get some ideas about how yours should look. Then, you can take the ideas you get and try and estimate your one time and per item costs which will allow you to figure out your budget. While you don’t want to break the bank, the cheapest option is not always the best customer experience.
A successful packaging is about understanding everything that will go into the customer experience. If you are shipping your product in cardboard boxes will there be a design on the boxes? What will fill the empty space? Is your product wrapped in plastic? These are all things to consider as you are coming up with your design.
Your packaging should tell a story, your customers should be able to get information at a glance in a way that is visually appealing. After you come up with some ideas and find a company to create and print them for you be sure to evaluate and make sure that your design represents your product in the best possible way.
Antoine Sides 