5 essential elements to include on your packaging design

Coming up with an idea for a great product might seem like the biggest hurdle, but in reality the real work is bringing that idea to life and on to a shelf in a store. How do you get your product to stand out while simultaneously sitting next to competitor products? How do you make sure you’re crossing all the “t’s” and dotting all the “I’s” legally while also accurately representing your brand and product?

It’s a lot to consider, and it’s all really important. Here are the five essential things you should be including in your packaging design. From here, the possibilities are endless, but we wanted to give you a start —

1. Brand assets

This may seem like a no brainer, but is your logo easily visible from the front of the package? Building your brand recognition by using consistent fonts, colors, and logo marks will help your audience establish trust — increasing the odds that they chose your product over another.

2. Practical info

If your product is a commodity based on weight (I.E. Not electronics or industrial equipment), then your label must include a few basic elements

- declaration of identity (what is the product? A candle, soap, a drink? Etc.)

- declaration of responsibility (name and address of the manufacturer, packer, or distributor)

- declaration of net quantity, servings, or uses

This is a great resource to learn more about the knitty gritty of each of these requirements, as well as additional requirements for different product sectors (I.E. Food products that need a nutrition label, ingredients, and more).

3. Truth and honesty

Have you ever purchased a snack with a drool worthy photo on the front only to be hyper disappointed to open a bag of air and crumbs? Or have you fallen victim to bogus marketing claims about how something is going to turn you into a size 0 supermodel?

Truth and honesty about the contents of a product help build trust and repeat customers. Plus, can we all agree to just be good humans? A great product with truthful and beautiful packaging will sell!

4. Unique selling point

Picture this, there are 27 options of spaghetti sauce to choose from on the grocery store shelf. Which one do you choose? (branding aside) is it the one that has healthy and simple ingredients? The one that is spicy? The one that has so much garlic in it that a vampire 50 miles away sheds a tear? Think about why someone would choose your product over another — this is your unique selling point. Lean into that and make sure when they look at your product they can tell what that point is right away. Being honest doesn’t mean you have to be humble.

5. Clarity, simplicity, and impact

Here’s where the beautiful design part comes in. Package design is a form of visually communicating with your target market, so what is your package saying? If you had only 10 seconds to verbally tell someone about your product, you would want to speak clearly, to the point, and with impact. The same goes with your package design.

Consciously, or subconsciously, we have likely all purchased something because of the packaging. Eliminate unnecessary information and get creative with your approach! We may be biased, but hiring a professional package designer will be worth the investment when your product stands out against the competition.