Packaging Design

Marketers know that 70% of consumer purchase decisions are made at the shelf. Add to that, customers only notice 4 out of 100 items in store, while attractive packaging gets 30% more interest even in online shopping. The importance of packaging design is obvious. Whatever your product, Lime delivers distinctive packaging design that gets your products noticed, remembered, and into shopping carts.

What makes for good packaging design?

To understand what makes for great packaging design, first let’s clear up the confusion between terms like “pack design”, “label design”, and “labelling”, which are often used interchangeably.

In the context of product packaging, the “pack” refers to the container that holds or encapsulates your product, whether the pack is a box, bottle, pouch, sachet, or something else. “Labelling” refers to the printed matter on the pack (such as text, images, and logos), regardless of whether it’s directly on the pack, or on a label or tag that is attached to the pack.

When we speak of “packaging design”, we’re discussing the graphics and text that appears on the pack. The best packaging designs satisfy five important functional requirements:

Is it a condiment? A bath product? A plant seed? Who knows?!

1. Clearly communicate what the product is

Context helps consumers in understanding what a product is; for example, a wine store is unlikely to have bottles of shampoo on its shelves, so the packaging can get by without providing many of those cues. But most products are sold on online marketplaces and in supermarkets, where they share real estate with many other dissimilar items, so it’s important that the packaging doesn’t leave consumers confused or perplexed about the nature and function of the product within.

Also, your product packaging will often be spotted in places other than the store shelf, such as in your customers’ homes. If designed well, the packaging could also perform the role of providing free advertising.

2. Stand out at the point of sale

Wherever your product is being sold: an exclusive boutique, a multi-brand retailer, Amazon, or elsewhere, it’s essential that the packaging attracts and holds the attention of customers, inviting them to pick up the product and find out more.

At Lime, our professional packaging designers help you evaluate your packaging by providing a mock-up of what the design will look like on the shelf.

3. Be extendable

Most successful products are followed by variants, such as different types, flavours, and sizes. It’s smart to plan a flexible packaging design to avoid getting locked-in, This allows your brand to grow and extend a successful sub-brand to more products.

4. Convey your brand’s character and personality

Most product categories have dozens if not hundreds of similar products competing for consumer attention. Making sure that customers can clearly identify and differentiate your brand from the rest is vital to building preference and loyalty for your brand. What’s more, visually appealing design helps build brand image and preference with existing and potential customers.

5. Provide all the required marketing and statutory information

The point when a consumer is looking at your product’s packaging is the best time to persuade them to make the purchase. Packaging can persuade consumers by communicating key differentiators about your brand and your product, and by building trust by clearly conveying any statutory information necessary.

Here’s how Lime’s designers deliver great packaging that meets all six of these parameters:

Understanding the consumer mindset

Getting inside the head of potential customers is crucial to discovering packaging that will attract, impress, and persuade customers. We study the product category, competitor landscape, and user behaviour, to gain insights into what matters most to your customers.

Compelling visuals, copy, and presentation

Unlike many other forms of branding, packaging is three-dimensional, taking the shape of the box or other container holding your product. To effectively promote your product, we ensure that eye-catching visuals and persuasive copy are integrated with skilful use of typography, colour choice, and layout.

Our attention to detail takes care of the little things that make for a great unboxing experience:

• Ensuring that text on curved surfaces can be read without the user having to turn the pack back and forth.
• Choosing font styles and sizes that keep important copy legible.
• Designing with spot colours for important elements like logos, to eliminate the possibility of colour registration drift during printing.
• Implementing barcode size and clear space best practices so that scanning at the checkout counter is smooth and effortless.
• Ensuring production-proof design that prevents important elements like text or logos from getting obscured at creases or glued flaps on the final pack.