How To Master The Packaging Design Process

Introduction to the Packaging Design Process

The packaging design process is critical for businesses, since the outer packaging of your product is often the first thing your target market sees. Whether they're walking past your product at retail stores or opening their Amazon package, more and more customers seek out attractive visual elements in product packaging. Fortunately, your design production team can make a huge impact on the final version of your retail packaging with these design packaging tips.

In this blog, you'll discover a complete guide to the packaging design process for businesses of all sizes and in all industries. Learn how to create an impactful packaging design strategy that attracts customers and elevates your brand. From graphic design tips and the package printing process to the structural integrity of your packaging, here's everything you need to know about the packaging design process.

Why Packaging Design Matters

There are several key cold chain challenges, including maintaining temperature integrity, preventing condensation and moisture damage, and ensuring compliance with industry standards. We'll cover each of these cold supply chain challenges more in-depth below.

The design of your product packaging can make or break the success of your product. As mentioned, your packaging design is often the first thing your target audience sees as they walk through their local store, and over 70% of customers agree that the packaging design (i.e., font style and other elements of the finished art) influences their purchasing decision.

Whether you're just barely starting market research for your packaging design or have been crafting outer and inner packaging for decades, there are a few key things and creative ideas to keep in mind before you sign off on the final packaging for your product.

Step-by-Step Packaging Design Process

When it comes to the packaging design process, there are quite a few things any packaging design project will need to focus on. Below, we'll discuss the step-by-step packaging process in depth so your packaging designer can make sure the final design will protect your product and "wow" your target customer.

Define Your Goals

Your packaging design should align with your business objectives. The print ready files should stick to your brand guidelines, and if things like being eco-friendly are important to your organization then you should seek out sustainable packaging options. Remember: your product packaging is an extension of your brand, so your packaging should tell your brand story.

Research Your Competitors

This is one area where your marketing team can really help you out. They have probably already analyzed your competitors to identify opportunities for differentiation with your positioning details and graphic imagery. Yes, your overall design strategy and concept development should discuss your brand story in depth, but it needs to do so in a way that will help you stand apart from the competition, regardless of your core sales channels.

Create the Dieline

Once you've finalized your packaging design ideas, it's time to create your dieline. A dieline is a template, often times in Adobe Illustrator, that allows you to be as creative as you'd like with your product packaging design while still falling within the appropriate dimensions of the final packaging. A dieline outlines the cut lines and other fold and glue lines of your packaging boxes, so there's no surprises when you receive the final packaging or test print.

Prototype and Test Your Packaging Design

Prototyping is an often overlooked part of the packaging design process. By getting real feedback from your target audience, you can further refine your project objectives and shipping features to align with what you learned during your in-depth client research. Every good packaging company or design team will encourage prototyping and testing so your product packaging incorporates real life feedback. It starts with getting the usage contact information from your customers and using that post packaging feedback to refine your product.

Understand Your Audience

If your project manager hasn't already done style research or market research to truly understand what your finished package should look like, now is the time to incorporate that into your package designing process. Tailor your packaging design to appeal to your target customers, and talk about key messaging instructions for each industry. (Ex: if you're a cosmetic company, make sure your visually appealing packaging discusses things important to your brand identity, like animal testing and product lifespan.)

Choose the Right Packaging Material

Regardless of what you're packaging, your packaging project manager can help you choose the right packaging material. This is actually one of the most important parts of the packaging design process, as the wrong material could cause your product to break or spoil, completely ruining the creative magic of your packaging design. We offer several different packaging materials, including foil barrier films and compostable options. We also offer several options for FDA-approved food packaging, so let your packaging designer know if this is a non-negotiable.

Finalize Your Packaging Design

Once you have the dieline that clearly outlines the cut lines and offset printing instructions, it's time to create mockups for your design team to review. During this design phase, you'll be making sure your packaging design aligns with branding. CarePac can support custom designs with low MOQs, so you can test new package printing ideas without having to worry about budget. Regardless of your desired price range, we can try to ensure our design concepts will fall within the range.

Approve and Produce the Product Packaging Design

Now that your graphic designer has designed packaging that aligns with your brand identity, the next step of the packaging design process is to send your design concepts to the printing press! The printing process is a relatively quick part of design packaging, but the timeline does depend on the printing technique selected. For example, using printing plates might take a little longer than digital printing. To explore the pros and cons of your different package printing options, click here.