Packaging design is the process of creation of a packaging for a product. It is the creation of a structure that serves to contain, protect, transport, dispense, store, identify, and distinguish a product in the marketplace. Like any other industry, packaging design is an industry of its own. It is not only important in serving its purpose with regard to the product, but a well-designed product helps in attracting the attention of a customer and creates desire in them to purchase it. There are many things that need to be kept in mind when it comes to designing products; it is not just the aesthetics that is important.

Designing of packaging

Simplicity 

A customer spends an average of four seconds when they are browsing through products in a store. An efficient packaging design helps articulate with clarity what the product is and what the brand name is. Packaging designs that fail to communicate the essential details within the first few seconds because of complicated graphic design or other design elements do not benefit themselves. Clarity and simplicity make it easier for a customer to understand the product so that the chances of them purchasing the product is higher. (Ativan)

Honesty

While buying a product, the customers deserve to know what they are buying. It is not the case where they would be able to open the contents and see the product. This is where the honesty of packaging design comes into play. The packaging design needs to communicate to the customers the exact product without editing them completely to show something else or any other ‘false’ representation. Such cases usually lead to lower customer feedback and a decrease in sales.

Simplicity of packaging design

Authenticity

Being true to brand identity helps in delivering a product packaging that shows the personality and uniqueness of the brand. Being authentic helps in making a product stand out from the rest of the products. Staying true to the brand’s identity helps make a product different.

Shelf Impact

A product in a retail store is hardly seen by itself, it is viewed in relation to other products and how it looks on a shelf. This is called shelf impact. A very distinctive-looking product may blend in when kept on a shelf with other products or it might work otherwise. When creating packaging design the shelf impact needs to be kept in mind.

Practicality

Practicality is an overlooked aspect of packaging design. Customers ultimately prefer products that are functional and utilitarian in their main purpose. Practicality of packaging design helps in ease of using that particular product, which makes the reliability to that product more.

Efficient packaging design is functional and practical

Packaging design plays an important role in more than just the aesthetics of the product but also in how they perform to serve the function of the product, as well as in conveying the brand language. The above discussed points just define the scope of packaging design broadly, however there are many categories of classification that can be made. JD Institute’s product design course teaches students the importance of product design and the various parameters that are needed for creating innovative packaging design.