Food packaging design impacts significantly on the decisions that consumers make, which is why your packaging must be attractive to customers and on-brand. To make life a bit easier, we have collected some of the top-rated tips on how to achieve effective and on-point food packaging design.
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#1 Your Food Packaging Design Should Be Used To Promote Your Brand
The rule of thumb when it comes to packaging is to make sure the design matches up to your brand. Think about how you would like consumers to see when they look at your brand as well as what values are driving your business. Is your brand Edgy? Outgoing? Natural? Relaxed? Regardless of what your particular brand is, it must be reflected in the packaging that you use. This will also help you to engage and connect with your potential customers.
Apple’s packaging is known for its simplicity and beautiful design, which is very clear when looking at the way the product design comes across. Each product has packaging that is simple, minimal, and sleek. Apple is not known for any excessive images or graphics when it comes to its packaging, since this would be detracting from the message of this brand. The superior quality packaging is a precise representation when it comes to the products that this company sells.
#2 Choose The Best Packaging Materials For Food Items
The appearance of the packaging is vital, and the materials that it is made from. The food industry uses a variety of packaging materials including plastic, cardboard, glass, and aluminum, which offers you a variety of choices. However, it can be a challenge to find the correct materials to match your products. View details of the range of packaging solutions to choose from.
Think about the materials that provide protection, sustain maximum freshness, and offer environmental benefits, such as kraft board, bioplastic, and bagasse. When taking into account the increasing concerns over using plastic in packaging, eco-friendly alternatives, especially when it comes to food packaging is now more popular than ever. Biodegradable packaging design can make a real difference when it comes to making sales.
#3 Stay True To Your Products
To obtain repeat business, your products need to be reliable and authentic. Customers need to find a reason to trust your products and your brand. If there are images of food used on your packaging, ensure that it accurately represents the product inside. A misrepresented product can leave consumers feeling disappointed or confused, so try not to intentionally mislead customers.
At the same time, avoid trying to manipulate the packaging design so that the product appears bigger or provides a better value compared to what it actually is. You may secure initial purchases, but you can be sure that these customers will not be giving repeat business.
There are a few packaging designs that are incredibly misleading. If you want to avoid your products going viral (for all the wrong reasons). Rather be honest about your products so that you can start establishing brand loyalty and earn the trust of your customers.
#4 Clear, Straight-Forward, And Clean Package Design
No-nonsense, direct communication will cut through all the noise. Food packaging shouldn’t be any different. Consumers make impulsive, rapid decisions on whether they will buy a food product or not. So ensure that the product designs you are using contain all the necessary information pertaining to your product such as how it needs to be prepared, what the product includes, and what should be done with the packaging after it is used. This helps customers make informed decisions when it comes to buying your item.
#5 Comply With Food Packaging Regulations
Most important of all, any packaging that you use must comply with any and all food regulations. In October 2021, Natasha’s Law was introduced that stated that any PPDS (pre-packed for direct sale) food has to display this information:
- The food name
- A list of full ingredients, with an emphasis on allergenic ingredients (for example italics, a different color, or in bold)
Regulation updates on packaging like these are made to protect consumers with intolerances or allergies. They have been proven to be effective for the last two decades, even though deaths that occur from an allergic reaction have declined, admissions into hospitals for “food-induced” anaphylaxis have increased in the same time frame. This is why it is so important that the packaging that you use exactly describes the food product and what it contains.
#6 Consider Shelf Impact
The term “shelf impact” is used for describing how the product is going to look on store shelves. It is obvious that your products will be placed next to many tempting alternatives and countless competitors, so you should carefully look at why you need to give your customers reasons to choose your products over others.
When you design packaging for your products, “shelf impact” needs to be a top priority. This means clearly communicating compelling reasons why your items are the best choice for customers. Whether it’s refreshingly simple or an eye-catching color, take enough time to research what is going to make the packaging an appealing option for passing customers.
#7 Give Your Customers A Sneak Peak
Humans are very tactile creatures. We enjoy smelling and tasting our food. We also enjoy getting a look at something (when possible) before buying it. You may want to consider transparent packaging that will give customers more of an idea when it comes to your products, and give them reasons to get excited or interested in what they are buying.
#8 Remember Function And Form
It is very easy to get distracted by all the details of the design packaging for your food items. While packaging that is aesthetically- pleasing is going to score points when it comes to customers, the packaging should still be practical. Your products should still maintain a good condition during transportation. This is made possible by using different materials depending on the type of product and different shapes that can help the products to remain intact.
For example, Pringles use cylindrical cans that were developed specifically to keep the “stackable” in the right place and to maintain freshness. However, this packaging has faced a bit of scrutiny when it comes to its recyclability due to the fact that it contains 3 different packaging materials to achieve these purposes.
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