Consider the packaging design of a ring box for a moment. This traditional packaging style sets the stage for the glorious product to be presented to the (hopefully) bride-to-be. The product box is simple in design, understated and unobtrusive. However, the packaging is also elegant, opulent, and visually appealing. This is an excellent example of design and packaging medium collaborating to create an experience that enhances the product.

The world of packaging is vast, dynamic, and a very creative medium. It can be a simple box, a poly mailer, a mailer bag, or a tube like the one shown above. Product boxes serve many functions, including identification, protection, marketing, and transportation. With so many roles to fill, it’s easy to see how quickly and easily the topic becomes complicated.

This article delves into the relationship between physical packaging and package design.

You’ll also notice:

What exactly is packaging design?
How to Choose the Best Product Packaging
How to Create Branded Packaging
Inspiration for package box design
Let’s start with a definition.

What is packaging design?

The process of designing product packaging to securely contain, identify, and deliver a product is known as packaging design. Whether it’s McDonald’s food boxes, Apple’s iPhone packaging, the box that your new refrigerator comes in, or even tea bags, almost every product in a store has packaging. The majority of it is positive, but some of it is negative. Packaging can be designed by graphic designers, packaging engineers, or just about anyone, regardless of their skills or expertise.

Designing packaging for goods and products

Product packaging design is more complicated than slapping a sticker on a cardboard box. First and foremost, you must identify the packaging medium. Will it be a basic custom printed cardboard box or a high-end rigid box?

Your packaging medium is frequently overlooked.

After you’ve chosen a material, consider the following:

Packaging and graphic design
Design of physical packaging
Design and marketing
Each of these defines design in a unique way.

Understanding these various points of view will also assist you in determining the best packaging for the products you sell.

Graphic design and packaging

From the perspective of a graphic designer, design is how the brand’s design is reflected in the product boxes. In this sense, the design concept must both attract a customer’s attention and provide information about the product.

Packaging graphics should also showcase the brand’s design and motives on the box. To simplify the process, consider hiring a professional graphic designer or using a simple yet effective online graphic maker.

Consider the following design suggestions:

Physical packaging

The physical design constraints of your product package are the second factor to consider. You can have a box that when opened plays the “Titanic” theme, but not at the expense of product security. No matter how ‘out there’ your custom packaging is, it must serve a purpose, which is to keep your product secure. Manufacturing constraints must also be taken into account. Sure, you can design a safe and secure die cut box that plays ‘My Heart Will Go On’ every time it’s opened, but can it be made? Below is an example of packaging from Intel that is probably a little too extravagant: Examine the shapes, materials, and other aspects of their packaging design, and consider working within those constraints, as you know they work for your competitor!

Use your industry’s standard packaging solutions as a foundation and innovate from there.

Consider the following:

• Types of printing available on a printer type.
• The most suitable packaging materials for your requirements
• Your final packaging’s durability and weight
• Add-ons such as embossing, hot stamping, UV finish, and so on.

You can have the most extravagant design ideas, but if your packaging bundles can’t be manufactured, they’ll remain an idea.

Marketing and Design

The third point of discussion is marketing.

Using your packaging as a form of marketing, also known as ‘Packvertising,’ is an important and often overlooked aspect of box design.

According to a well-thought-out definition provided by O’Reilly:

“Packaging design is the integration of form, structure, materials, colour, imagery, typography, and regulatory information with ancillary design elements to create a marketing-ready product.”

To put it in simpler terms:

Packaging materials and design

Following that, you’ll see the most common types of packaging materials used in product packaging.

Cardboard corrugated
Cardboard is a popular and environmentally friendly packaging material. Cardboard fibre is commonly used in ecommerce and retail and is composed of at least 90% recycled material.

It’s ideal for products and industries such as:

Cosmetics
Subscription boxes for dry foods
Clothing and accessories Jewellery
But what exactly is the corrugated part of corrugated cardboard?

Corrugated cardboard refers to sheets of cardboard that have been joined together to form layers known as flutes. These layers cushion the box and strengthen it.