When your product goes to market, you want it to live up to every expectation you have. Whether it’s the aesthetic appeal of your dreams, the feel that delights senses or perhaps how it weighs in the hand, your packaging is a market of quality. When you pick up a packet of chips, a product packaging that is slightly thicker and heavier than a thin and weaker material, is going to give you more confidence that the former product is of a higher quality. The feeling of a premium product comes in the packaging. Why do you think so many tech companies put so much effort into the unboxing i.e. packaging experience? Here’s what your product should look and feel like in the modern day.
The look
The look is more complex and thus, harder to get right. The look will encompass a few things that are objective and subjective. Let’s show you two of these lists.
Objective looks
- Every product should look bright and vibrant. We don’t want to enter into an arms race of colors on the packaging, but a darker product usually gets literally out-shined by a brighter product next to it.
- Make sure the text is completely clear. This is why so many brands put a highlight color behind the text or perhaps give it an outline.
- Make sure that the aesthetics are linear, so that everyone can see your logo clearly, then your slogan and what type of product it is, i.e. Lays, ‘enjoy every bite’ and ‘cheese and chive flavor’.
Subjective
- You can get creative here. Using a inkjet digital press, you can print any kind of color scheme, theme, graphics, design and background you want and onto almost any material you want.
- Material choice matters. You want to remain eco-friendly but also have tough packaging which won’t rip or puncture easily.
- Accents such as shining material, 3D text or graphics are all something that you can add, but prepare for more cost.
The feel
When we think of the feel of a product, we think of maybe different textures, the weight of the packaging and it’s toughness. As mentioned, when your packaging is tough and yet still pliable, it feels more premium. A tablet box that you can’t easily open, needing a knife or scissors to cut open, will feel more premium than something which crumples and creases.
So invest in eco-friendly materials which feel high-quality but don’t threaten the product inside. Compostable packaging has made leaps and bounds in quality and cost. It feels like plastic but it’s actually recycled paper, cardboard and other eco-friendly materials such as bamboo. The product may be wrapped in bubble wrap and this lends itself to having a less weighty and costly outer packaging material. Remember that the packaging shouldn’t be too light but not too heavy which seems wasteful.
Packaging is a focal point for many customers now. They don’t want their products to be packaged in material that is wasteful but also, that doesn’t lend itself to aesthetic appeal.
