On average, Americans spend around $550 on food per month. But, how can you get a slice of this pie for yourself? The answer often comes down to attracting the eye and enticing people to spend. When it comes to food packaging design, before people even taste your products, they need to pick them up from the shelf. In this article, we’ll take a look at how to create a great food packaging design. Let’s get started:
1. What is Your Brand Identity?
Working out exactly what your brand values are is much easier in theory than in practice. However, it’s an essential step to ensure that your customers will pick up your products.
Start by working out answers to the following questions:
What is your product?
Who is your target customer?
What does your target customer like?
How can you create an emotional response from your customer?
What is your company’s (and customer’s) philosophy?
How are you different from your competition?
What is your budget for your new packaging?
From these questions, you should have a few answers which guide your packaging design.
2. Reflect Your Values in Your Packaging
Everything from the colors and words to the materials you use to create food packaging design can be based on the answers you’ve given above. Here’s how:
Colors can Speak Volumes about Your Product
You may be surprised by how color can subtly affect a consumer.
Take green, for example. This color is associated with eco-conscious companies, good health, the environment, and even the Vegan Society symbol. Use such colors to your advantage.
Materials Will Lure in a Customer
Running with the same example as above, by now you should know a little about your customer.
As vegan customers are concerned with the welfare of animals, many also want to care for the planet too. Therefore, to attract their attention your packaging could be eco-friendly, biodegradable, recycled and not bleached.
Get Your Wording Right
Everything on your product should be clearly labeled. For example, a large VEGAN symbol should be clearly labeled. Along with facts such as an absence of palm oil or honey.
3. Is your Packaging Clear and Easy to Read?
Once you’ve worked out what your brand identity involves, figure out how to display this very clearly on your packaging.
As well as having enticing words written on your packaging, you should also make sure it is clear and easy to read.
Although there will be many aspects to include, you need just a few to grab your customer’s attention. Don’t overcrowd your packaging. The label should be very easy to read, even when high up on a shelf.
If your colors and bright and bold, or your packaging is muted and understated, the writing should be unobstructed.
Having allergens clearly displayed is extremely important too. Check the FDA guidelines for more information on food labeling requirements.
4. Is Your Packaging Appealing but also Functional?
If you’ve got your colors and packaging style down, you should also be considering the functionality. Who wants a chip packet which is hard to open?
Your food packaging should comply with food safety standards in your country and region. It should also protect products inside and arrive at stores in a pristine condition.
Once you’ve met these requirements, consider how best your package should be opened. For example, a small flap or from the top?
5. Is Spending Money on Better Materials and Labor Worth it?
Some of the most common materials used in packaging design include plastic, paperboard, glass, and aluminum.
Find a good custom packaging company that will allow you to freely design your packaging whilst helping the environment. Select from various types of paper materials that are easy to dispose of.
However, if you believe that your customers would spend a little extra to buy packaging which is eco-friendly, then you may want to opt for a greener choice.
With the war against plastic still raging, this is certainly a topic to be considered. Check out the Greener Package website for more sustainable packaging ideas.
6. Create a Prototype, Test it Out, Start Again
Your final food packaging design should attract the attention of your target customer, quickly pique their interest and deliver a message about your brand.
When you think your design does this, run a few trials to find out whether other people agree. Remember, you should only run unbiased tests. Your mother should definitely not be part of a trial group.
If you’re not convincing anyone and find yourself having to ask leading questions during trials, you need to go back to the drawing board.
This can be extremely frustrating, but it can save you a lot of money in the long run. Over time, you’ll be able to refine your design and ensure that it’s targeting the customers who are most likely to want to buy your product.
7. Should You Hire a Food Packaging Designer?
This decision is completely up to you. Have you worked out what you want your packaging to say? Do you know the colors you want to use? Are you sure about the functionality you’d like?
If you don’t have the answers to these questions, then a food packaging designer may be right for you. Or, even if you do know what you need, but require someone to put it all together then you may also consider hiring a professional.
Food packaging design doesn’t need to be difficult. With the help of the right company, it shouldn’t break your budget either.
Food Packaging Design Should be Functional and Eye-Catching
If you’ve followed all of these tips to create food packaging design, your food packaging design is much more likely to be a success than if you went with the first idea you came up with.
The design process should be followed logically to ensure the largest number of people buy your product.
However, don’t sit back and relax once your packaging is out in the world. Instead, continue to track and measure whether this design is still working for you. You may find that a design needs updating to keep up with trends every few months.
However, for now, you’ll need to focus on other aspects of your company. For example, make sure your website is up and running. Don’t have a website yet? Learn more about the benefits of creating a website here.
