How to design packaging?
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Packaging design process from a creative studio. 4 steps, 12 subcategories.
Biodegradable food tray, post-consumer recycled
sleeve cover, ink free finishing, toxic-free
foils. Studio photography.
Brutalist, geometric design, combined with
natural pressed papers, created a high-end
in hand feel for the brands health
conscious customers.
1.
Brand and visual packaging design must look good.
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This is a prerequisite for an effective product. We review graphic and package design trends in your product category and analyze what your competitors are doing re:
1.1 Branding
Create a brand family by organizing an existing product ecosystem under a cohesive and attractive, new brand language.
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Or brand a standout product, allowing new variations and packaging designs to be seamlessly added as brand scope grows.
1.2 Structural Design
Custom designed packaging improves branding and visibility signalling quality, experience, and authority to customers compared to similar brands.
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Custom structural packaging design can reduce production, storage, and shipping costs resulting in increased profit margin.
1.3 Visual Design
Give packaging a striking look by taking advantage of graphic design trends in the product category to create a look that is informationally clear, interesting, and new to customers.
1.4 Production
Custom packaging production improves quality of branding and signals product category through physical detailing.
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Custom production also improves profit margin via tailored manufacturing setup and smart consumable use.
Varying grades of corrugated materials
optimize structural integrity of these packages.
Effect stacks manufactured at scales, leading to
substantial budget impact.
Minimal design plays with the properties
of the product, stretching the brandmark around.
Brilliant, saturated spot colours glow against
the black backdrop. Highly impactful on shelf.
Art of Packaging is over a decade of product design experience launching and scaling consumer packaged good (CPG) brands.
We produce branding, structural, and visual packaging design, along with in-depth consultation guiding clients though brand and packaging development.
Custom manufacturing and production setup complete most of the projects we take on.
We connect clients with manufacturing specialists across North America, Asia, and Europe.
Cheese labels in dozens of shapes.
Adhesives that actually adhere, don’t
get moist or fall apart. Print colors that do
not get washed out. Product life extending,
breathing cheese paper.
Studio photography, oil painting feel.
Elegant typography. Flying heron mark.
High end feel next to dairy cheese at the deli.
2.
Market expects sustainable packaging. It makes a major impact on consumer perception of brand and product quality.
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As part of the design process we provide options in every product category for businesses to select from:
2.1 Papers
A myriad of environmentally conscious paper and cardstock is available for packaging design.
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From sustainably sourced raw products that replenish land they grow on, benefit local population, and reduce water use. To fully post-consumer recycled options and everything in between.
2.2 Structurals
Smart structural changes to packaging design have a big impact on environment. More units per same amount of material results in lower costs, and less material use. Selecting correct materials for amount of protection required for product further amplifies this effect.
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Such changes to structural forms also optimise storage and shipping costs resulting in increased product profit margin.
2.3 Plastics
Traditional plastic materials are substantially more recyclable and toxin free today.
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At the same time new manufacturing technologies are scaling up plant-based biodegradable and compostable options in every packaging category.
2.4 Consumables
Inks, adhesives, various coatings, and finishing techniques that style, help product use, ensure structural integrity and allow for direct-to-food contact cover everyday packaging.
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We can help you make these environmentally friendly, or design to reduce and potentially eliminate their use.
Do delivery boxes need to be boring?
Bleached paper. Impactful type. Stricking logo.
No impact on price.
Extensive product visibility.
You can “design in depth” by sourcing and bringing together raw materials, custom structural design, and finishing to create packaging that is environmentally friendly with little impact.
Alternatively you can “design with less” and have minimal packaging that is either continuously reused, incorporated to be part of the product, have an additional, complimentary use.
Artwork and structural design was developed
in tandem resulting in a cohesive family with every
bend, corner, and tuck considered. Bespoke structural
cube was created, prototyped for leaks,
foodsafe paper sourced, and custom
production setup.
Whimsical, fun look, that did not say typical ice-cream.
Looking at the on-shelf options, a system of illustrations
was drawn and matched with a dynamic logo,
telling a story on every side of the cube.
3.
Manufacturing is a highly underutilised stage of packaging design process across multiple product categories.
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We optimise production through structural design, material selection, and bespoke finishing. Improving branding, product protection, visibility, and manufacturing cost effectiveness.
3.1 Dielines
Custom die manufacturing creates uniquely branded labels, packaging boxes, and extensive range of marketing materials.
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Cost to impact ratio is great even for small projects, and results one-of-kind packaging designs even without the stacking impact that visual design brings.
3.2 Glass
Addition of branded or visual design elements to your bottle packaging design turns your products into objects of packaging art.
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Glassware can be custom produced at very reasonable quantities for most businesses.
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At smaller quantities, an extensive portfolio of stock bottles is available to ensure packaging is unique.
3.3 Flexible
Flexible packaging design uses plastic. Vacuum packed, bagged, bottled, protective, temperature controlled, varying thickness.
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Applicable to virtually anything from food to luxury goods, it can be styled and printed without limit.
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Available in a myriad of options, including eco-friendly, flexible packaging is highly cost-effective.
3.4 Finishing
The most underutilised option in packaging design manufacturing. Ranges from custom print finishes, spot gloss, embossing, debossing, spot inks, metallic options, etc.
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Often available at little to no additional cost on every job, it is underused because clients rarely ask, and manufacturers typically don’t suggest.
Vibrant art, multiple product line family under one system.
Look like nothing on the shelf next to it.
Every project we develop we ensure packaging manufacturing is fully utilised.
We consult on production and improve costs by working directly with manufacturers to create custom structural forms which reduce material use, stacking the effects on budget, and environmental impact.
We creatively approach bottle, plastic, and flexible packaging, utilising structural design to create custom form for branding and visual impact.
And we extract every finishing effect available to our clients through manufacturing. This results in polished work, with hand-made details that capture customer attention and result in better on-shelf performance.
Nespresso pod packaging. Spot Pantones.
Custom protective inserts. Premium coffee.
4.
Ask professionals for feedback.
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We provides consultation and proposal development for branding, packaging, and packaging manufacturing. Initial advice is complimentary, and is sufficient to get most clients started on their projects via:
4.1 Advice
We provide complimentary feedback and advice for all incoming packaging design, branding and production projects.
4.2 Consultation
For packaging design projects in initial development stage we offer in-depth strategy and production consultation which results in actionably creative direction options that you can execute on your own, with your team, or commission with Art of Packaging.
4.3 Proposal
For packaging design projects ready for creative stage we help clients review and assess project scope, scale and intent prior to start. This helps focus and improves results.
4.4 Optimization
We can answer specific questions regarding everything discussed here. Studio advice improves process, project structure, delivery time, cost and quality of results.
