The easy online ways of doing almost everything have taken over our lives. Shopping is one such important activity that most of us do online now. When a consumer orders a product, there are a lot of things that s/he looks at after the product is delivered. The first of course is the product itself. But, a very important aspect related to it is the product packaging. The product packaging is not just to ensure that the product is safe, but it also helps the customer develop a first impression.
The importance of packaging has increased over the past few years since the culture of “unboxing” has become widespread on social media. This is done by a lot of celebrities and influencers. If these people vouch for a product, there are many people ready to buy it. In such a case, no business wants their well designed and smart product to be packaged in a not-so-good fashion. So, businesses have started paying more attention to the type of material they use for packaging. Also, the patterns and designs on these covers should also be reflective of the type of product inside it. Therefore, it would not be wrong to say that businesses are moving from cheap options to more innovative and relevant packaging materials.
With the start of 2021, a new decade started. What are the packaging trends that one can expect?
1. Vintage packaging:
This has been happening for a while now. But, 2021 could be the year in which the whole package would be in a vintage style. The whole unboxing experience should be able to take the customer back in time. This kind of packaging is common for ethnic clothes, historically used creams, lotions, and other cosmetics. Aged alcoholic drinks could also be packaged in vintage bottles and relevant stickers.
2. Illustrations:
Small repeated designs on the covers of products are not uncommon. But, these designs would be a direct indicator of what is inside the box. For example, if there is a product for a toddler, the packaging material could contain small cartoons of all the baby products the seller has. This is not just useful to tell the customer what is in the package, but would also help the business promote its other related products.
3. Abstract art:
The covers of products could also be works of digital art and graphic designing that do not directly tell the customer what is inside. Instead, these designs could have deep meanings. More often than not, they could be geometric patterns in bright colors. To leave a lasting impression on the customers’ minds, these designs could be as simple as thick bold lines at sharp angles.
4. Name of products:
In several cases, the business wants the name of the product to remain in the heads of its consumers. For example, a soft drinks manufacturer would want the name of the drink to be remembered well. In such cases, it is not uncommon to see the name written in fancy fonts all over the packaging material, including the cans.
5. Symmetric designs:
The packaging material for many products would look good if they gave an aesthetic feel. The name of the product surrounded by symmetric designs would look and provide the customer an impression of the type of product. Such designs could be used for cosmetics. Intricate designs are good, but need not necessarily be so.
6. Story-based characters:
There are some stories that are inseparable from our lives. Packaging materials that consist of the characters from these stories would draw customers to the product. These characters can also be designed in such a way that there is a story being told. This story could be about the background of the product or the business. More necessarily, it would be the story that the seller wants the customer to remember.
7. Eco-friendly packaging material:
The trend of being good to Mother Earth has seen a boom, for the good. As a result, many businesses have started mentioning explicitly that their products and packaging materials are earth-friendly. The longevity of this trend is yet to be seen but it is highly likely that it is here to stay.
A business should therefore explore different ways by which they can ship or sell their products using reusable and green materials for packaging.
8. Customized messages:
In 2020, we have seen businesses sending out personal thank you notes along with their products to celebrities who do unpacking videos on social media. It will not be surprising to see such messages being sent out to all customers. This will not just make the customer feel important, but will also make her/him go back to the business to buy similar products. These small gestures would go a long way in building a brand image.
It is important to businesses to keep themselves aware of the packaging trends in their field. The way beer is going to be packaged is different from the way a shoe would be packed. So, in order to be able to stay relevant and up-to-date, businesses should be able to quickly adapt and change. For startup growth, it is vital to start off well.
For any business to be able to do that, graphic designers play a major role. Businesses should recognize the need for good graphic designers. Also, the need is not going to arise just once, when the business starts off. From social media marketing posts to designing packaging materials, graphic designers play a significant role. Businesses should choose the right graphic designers and the right packages. Many companies provide unlimited graphic designing packages, which come with added benefits. Companies should explore all these options and make an informed call about the type of service they would prefer for satisfying their graphic designing needs.
