What makes a good packaging?

Nowadays it is no longer sufficient to focus only on logistical aspects or the safety of the content when designing a packaging. Considering packaging alone as a means of advertising and as an essential decision maker would also no longer be up to date. In the meantime, packaging has become a decisive medium or image carrier and can – of course, only if the design was successfully implemented, lead to an increase in sales figures. But how is this success defined and how can an optimal packaging design be created?

A small keyword: empathy.

Consumers have very special wishes that should never be ignored. Packaging is designed for those who ultimately make use of it. Profitable packaging is only partly a successful means of advertising with which you can stand out from the competition and brag about your so-called “Reason-to-Buy”. To do this, however, you need to know the people you want to address with it and, above all, be able to put yourself in their shoes. The best way to do this is to involve the desired target group at an early stage of the development – whether it’s through qualitative or quantitative surveys. Packaging which was adapted to consumers’ needs and wishes is therefore clearly the more successful packaging.

and: authenticity and loyalty.

The packaging should firmly reflect the brand. Here it should be noted that any deviations in design that cannot be associated with the brand could trigger discrepancies in the consumer and thus convey a false image of the brand, which ultimately leads to confusion, loss of trust and, in the worst case, loss of interest and aversion to the brand. Buyers lose confidence in the brand when the usual mission is suddenly no longer visible on the packaging. Therefore, a clear communication of that one important purchase argument should definitely be included in the design. By the way, this is not about being as “unique” as possible and becoming more and more colorful and loud. Strong features such as originality, naturalness, safety or tradition are just as convincing.

And last but not least: added value.

Whether functional or emotional, added value is a must. Addressing customers and designing the product to serve them should be the motto. In the end, you buy what you are yourself. An environmentally conscious person will therefore opt for environmentally conscious products that promise to do good, and a clear recognition of this promise in the packaging design can make it easier for them to make the decision when standing in front of a huge shop shelf with an abundance of products.

In general, successful packaging requires much time and effort when designing a packaging in order to realize the full potential of the it. Customer satisfaction should be taken into account at every single step. As the saying goes: beauty grows through countless efforts!