The Role of Prototyping in Perfecting
 Your Packaging Design

Sink Print Prototyping:

For both digital and rotogravure printed projects, we can provide a print skin. these can be thought of as high fidelity prototypes of the bags printing. These are not useful for sizing, but only for confirming color outcomes on film.

• Rotogravure printed or Digital printed prototype

• Print or color check only, not for sizing or material
• Creates delay, but no cost unless make change

 Paper Prototyping

At least in the packaging world a paper prototype is part of the design process that used by some customer to visualize the final product. A Paper Prototype is a very low fidelity prototype that is best designers to refine design thinking and processing how the design will look on a 3d surface. Paper prototypes are functionally useless beyond refining your thinking about a pouch design.

Unprinted Sizing Samples (low fidelity prototypes)

This is exactly what it sounds like: an unprinted bag that's perfect for people who are only worried about the size of the bag (not its design concepts or uncovering usability issues during usability testing.) These bags are unfinished and unprinted, and are built to the specific sizing you provide and with the material you want to use on on the final product.

We consider these machine made sizing prototypes to be a mid-ground between low fidelity prototypes such as paper prototypes or hand made prototype bags, and the high fidelity options of a digitally printed prototype or a skin print prototype. The real advantage of the unprinted sizing sample is you can try to fit your product into the prototype so you know it'll fit into the final version of the bag or pouch. You can also test other physical attributes of the bag. Finally it can also help with your design thinking process, as it's a 3D object you can sometimes better visualize where you want the art placed as opposed to using paper prototyping, or other low fidelity methods.

Meeting preparedness

Gives you the opportunity to show actual samples to prospective retailers and distributors. Instead of showing up to a meeting with just an idea for a preliminary model, you can actually show up to the meeting with a finished product that shows off your bags interactive elements. This really is a great example of the difference between a low fidelity prototype, such as a paper prototype and high fidelity prototypes that we can make here at CarePac.

The old saying "Fake it until you make it" comes into play here, but in all honestly retailers, distributors and partners can better visualize your product and it's place in their store when you provide a fully finished and printed bag prototype. Spending a few hundred dollars for high fidelity prototyping from CarePac could land you a six figure distribution deal, and we think you'll agree it's worth it on so many levels.

Skin print prototyping method (another high fidelity prototypes)

Think of this as a high fidelity prototype: it allows you to confirm the colors of your project on actual printed material. Using hi fi prototypes is great if you plan a long run and want to confirm how the colors perform on the actual material of the bag. For example, if your UX designer or UX design team prefers using a specific CMYK color on a specific material but the prototype and focused feedback shows that the color bleeds into the material, you may want to consider a different material or color.

This is also important because sometimes colors look different on different screens than they do in real life. You'll want to see what real users will see - not what your design team sees on a screen.

3D printing

This is one of those digital tools that's a good choice for complex designs since it allows for the rapid production of detailed models. One thing to keep in mind, though, is that the 3D printed version of your pouch may not be of the same material as your final product, as the types of materials that can be used with 3D printers is still limited.

Mock-ups

Primarily used for visual presentations, this is a type of low fidelity prototyping that is less functional but visually accurate. You won't be able to hold the finished product in your hand, but it can be a good way to test ideas related to marketing or branding during internal meetings. Mock-ups are often leveraged earlier on in the design thinking process.

Digital simulations

Useful for initial design evaluations, digital prototypes can help teams validate ideas without a physical model. These high fidelity prototype tools involve creating a visual representation of the packaging, that often includes logo placement and the intended user interface.

Physical prototypes

Physical prototypes are, simply put, the best type of prototyping. It allows teams to validate ideas, handle the finished product in real life, pursue user testing, and see each step of the design thinking process come to life. These prototyping tools create existing objects that can be passed around a room, and is a much better option than some of the low fidelity prototyping on this list. CarePac digital prototypes are physical prototypes.