8 Tips to Make Your Packaging Visuals Speak Volumes Salman Shahid • Design In this article:Grabbing the attention of prospects to your products with unique packaging visuals never fails you. If you are a business struggling to captivate buyers, maybe it’s time to rework your packaging design. Does it really matter? Of course! According to a report shared by IPSOS: “72% of Americans agree that packaging design impacts their purchase decision.” Such significant inclination of customers to prefer packaging design while buying products suggests that, by all means, design matters. But the question is, how can you rework your packaging visuals to make them more persuasive for your target audience? In this blog, I will walk you through 8 tips to make your packaging visuals speak volumes. By exploring and implementing these tips in your packaging design strategy, you will witness a hike in your customer base. Read on! 👋 Psst... Did you know you can get unlimited downloads of 59,000+ fonts and millions of other creative assets for just $16.95/mo? Learn more »Importance of Visuals in Packaging Design Imagery and graphics do much more than just add some colors and shapes to your packaging design. They also contribute to influencing the perception of your prospects. Whether it’s about designing retail display boxes or packaging for a PR campaign, the importance of visuals can’t be overlooked. From colors and patterns to imagery and vectors, mastering the art of visuals helps you stand out from your competitors. Unique graphics on your product packaging become the distinctive identity of your brand, making your products more recognizable on retail shelves. These elements also help you persuade your prospects to buy your products. You can build an emotional connection with your buyers by designing the right graphics and choosing appropriate color schemes. That’s how you can get attention and drive actions from your customers alike that boost your business.Get 300+ Fonts for FREEEnter your email to download our 100% free "Font Lover's Bundle". For commercial & personal use. No royalties. No fees. No attribution. 100% free to use anywhere. 8 Tips to Stand Out with Packaging Visuals Now that you know the importance of packaging visuals, let’s explore how you can create timeless designs for your product packaging. Here are 8 simple yet effective tips that can help you create a remarkable design for your product packaging: Leverage Simplicity with Colors Minimalist packaging designs play a role in reinforcing the important aspects of design in the minds of your customers. If you want to exude a feel of sophistication with your product packaging, opt for a minimalist packaging design. This design approach involves using subtle colors and plain surfaces with brand logos only. By opting for a simple design, you can still make an impact by choosing the right colors. Choose colors for your packaging that can evoke the right emotions in your buyers. For example, to create a sense of excitement and eagerness, you can opt for the red color. If you want to captivate buyers with a serene feel, choose white or other light colors. I will also recommend that you check the packaging of your competitors to see how you can better utilize simple colors in packaging. Go for Multisensory Packaging Designs Hitting multiple senses of viewers at a single glance can help you create a sense of desire in them. If you want to offer such a remarkable experience to your prospects and convert them into your customers, you can go for a multisensory design approach. It involves adding certain elements to your packaging that not only provide visual appeal to buyers but also target other senses as well. For instance, you can go for embossing or debossing on your product packaging boxes. These finishes not only glorify your visuals but also provide a tactile experience. Another example of such a design approach is using custom-scented packaging material. Such packaging is more suitable for perfumes. Create captivating packaging and incorporate the fragrance of perfume packed inside in packaging material. Such an approach will help you hit both the visual and the nasal senses of your buyers. Align with Your Brand A thoughtful product packaging design is one that tells a story with its visuals. Don’t forget to align the design story of your packaging with your brand. To do so, you can incorporate your brand logo with the imagery such that both blend to create a unique perspective. For instance, if you are a pizza brand looking to position your packaging around your brand, go creative with the logo. Your brand name melting down like a cheese will seamlessly connect your brand with the pizzas that you sell. You can also customize the color scheme of your packaging such that it connects with your brand. Choosing the right color helps your packaging to resonate with your brand at first glance. I suggest you explore color palettes and color psychology to create effective brand design guidelines. Influence Perception with Patterns Patterns and textures of packaging surfaces play a significant role in shaping the perception of prospects. If you want to fascinate your target audience with your product packaging, understand their preferences first and design accordingly. For instance, if you want to create a sense of efficiency with your product packaging, opt for sharp geometric patterns. Such patterns depict your calculated approach and focus that can relate to your target audience. On the other hand, if you want to create a sense of sophistication, you can go for curved patterns. Such patterns exude a serene charm suitable for high-end product packaging. While creating patterns, pay attention to your packaging designs. Doing so is essential so that your patterns don’t overlap or spoil the core design of your packaging. Choose pattern colors in contrast with the design, so that they align with or even enhance printed graphics and imagery. Complement the Product with Imagery Showcasing the unique features of your products can make a big difference. All you need to do is relate your visuals to the features of your products, and your packaging design will rock! For instance, if you are selling an energy drink, you can add an animated character embedded in electric slashes. You can also add multiple images to separately explain each property of your product. For example, you can print green leaves, muscular characters, and other elements on an energy-boosting supplement. When it comes to choosing graphics for branded products, aligning the idea with your brand voice is essential. For example, if your brand voice exudes Upbeat and Power, go for graphics that highlight enthusiasm. Creating a sense of excitement with graphics will help seamlessly resonate with your brand. Talk About Sustainability Most buyers prefer to buy products packed in sustainable packaging. The reason is that they want to contribute to reducing environmental pollution and climate change. If you are selling products in sustainable packaging, don’t forget to mention it to fascinate eco-aware buyers. To do so, you can add signs of compostability and recyclability on your product packaging that depict that you are using sustainable packaging. Instead of printing, you can also paste labels that show the eco-friendly features of your packaging. The ideal practice here is understanding international signs of sustainability and eco-friendly packaging. Most of your customers would be aware of those signs and will be captivated by them without a hassle. But, before you advertise the sustainability of your product packaging, I strongly recommend that you explore the Fair Labelling and Packaging Act. Doing so will help you understand whether your labelling is legislatively correct. It can prevent you from legal actions. Get Attention with Die-Cut Designs Another design feature that most businesses overlook is die-cut designs. These designs not only glorify your product packaging but also provide a glimpse of your products to your customers. You can go creative and add die-cut windows of various shapes according to your preferences. From simple square or heart-shaped to intricate patterns, endless designs are available for you to pick from. The choice of designs depends upon your preferences. If you want to offer a clear view of products, square or round designs are more suitable. However, if you want to go exclusive with these designs, opt for intricate die-cut patterns. You can laminate these die-cut windows with clear vinyl sheets that showcase the products without exposing them to environmental dust. The thickness and shade of these sheets can be tailored according to your requirements. Enhance Captivity with Embellishments If you want to stand out from the competition and impress your buyers, packaging embellishments make a big difference. You can enhance the captivity of your packaging boxes by adding suitable decors to them. Doing so will give your packaging a feel o a gift that gets the attention of most customers. Endless options are out there that can help adorn your packaging uniquely. You can choose from ribbons, beads, custom stickers, and more to glorify your packaging. Such decorations also persuade customers to buy your products. However, you should pay attention to the functionality of your packaging first. The embellishments must neither block the opening nor should make boxes difficult to carry. Doing so you can create a timeless yet hassle-free experience for your buyers. Conclusion Packaging design can make or break your branding and marketing game. We hope that benefiting from the above 8 tips can help you create timeless visuals for your product packaging that speak volumes and boost your brand. Salman Shahid Salman Shahid is the CEO of OXO Packaging, a custom packaging company with operations in the USA, UK, and Australia. His exceptional business development skills have helped many expand multiple brands and turn them into successful enterprises. As a BD and Marketing thought leader, his mission is to help others build successful businesses without having to go through challenges and turmoils.