Packaging Design is the combination of key design elements and materials into a perfect casing that ensures strong product branding. All labels and interior packaging could be included in this list, as well as the container, and any graphic design or text on the package.

The makeup you wear, the ice cream you gobble down, the jewelry you invest in, and the vitamins you take every day - all come in pretty jars, boxes, and bags that you might want to hold on for a while. Product packaging is more than just a tool for safe transportation. It’s a big part of what can make or break your brand’s identity. And this is exactly why you should make the most of the packaging design around your products. Here are eight magical rules of packaging design that are sure to work.

Consumers today are flooded with visual information at every step of their buying process, so much so that they don’t even care to notice the intricacies of a packaging design. So, consider keeping it clean and simple.

You want your packaging to be attractive, not too gaudy or distracting. The colors should harmonize with the product within, not fight or contrast with it. Pick a typeface that’s distinctive yet legible - one that complements the product’s logo.

Although the primary purpose of your packaging is to protect the inside contents, it also needs to photograph well if you’re trading online. Thanks to the age of digital streaming, you may also have to portray your package design on your website or social media handles. Hence, you need to choose a design that looks equally good on computer screens, mobile devices and newspaper ads.

Only a professional package designer or design agency can help you create a packaging that’s unique, relevant, attractive, and works on a range of platforms.

A good package design needs to achieve 2 main things:

1. A great package design should be seen. If it doesn’t get noticed, it cannot be chosen over the competition. This shelf impact and recognizability is crucial to a successful product packaging.

2. Once it is noticed & the customer is studying the pack, it should communicate a great and clear story, what is it that you are trying to tell your audience, is your brand fun, is it tasty, or are you challenging the status quo? These stories can be created visually using typography, shapes and colors, and will resonate immediately with your target audience.

Packaging design is your brand’s permanent communicator, it’s telling your (potential) clients about what your company stands for, the qualities of your product, and builds recognisability even before people have even purchased it. In other words, your packaging design is crucial to building your brand.

If you’re a business professional, you sell products and want a loyal client base, a great packaging design is your best bet. After all the effort you’ve put in to ensure your products are safe, reliable and high-quality, you have one final step to go: choosing the right packaging. It’ll work as the silent spokesperson for your product as it hangs in a display or sits on a high shelf. To know more about package branding, read our blog on packaging design and its marketing potential.

Anything that’s custom made is typically better than regular products, primarily because they’re made as per your needs and specifications. From color and motif to style, functionality and appeal, everything can be refined to suit one’s requirement. If you’re aiming for success, your custom packaging design will be as much a part of your branding efforts as your brand’s name, logo and slogan. If you’ve ever seen an unboxing video on social media, you already know how a custom packaging plays a key role in the user experience. It’s not just about how it looks, but also about how one feels as someone opens a package in front of their friends, family or fans. Remember the iconic blue Tiffany’s boxes? Just mention Tiffany and everyone around knows what it looks like. This is the power of custom packaging design.

Generic packaging, as the name suggests, is only standard or basic and won’t add any value to your business. It can neither improve your customers’ user experience nor make your business stand out in the crowd. In a world of regular, boring boxes, custom packaging design stands out. Whether you want a vintage, classic design, playful, fun motifs, or a bright eye popping design, there are lots of options like spot UV printing and specialized embossing or debossing to give life to your dreams. Look at the world’s most successful brands like Olay, Coca-Cola, KFC, Chanel and McDonald’s. All of them have used custom designed packages to sell their products. You’ll either pay for professional package design and enjoy its myriad benefits or suffer the inevitable consequences of regular, preset design – the choice is yours.

Today, packaging is more than a mere container or carrier of a product. Thanks to the extremely competitive marketplace, apparel, personal care, cosmetics, food, medicines and other consumer product manufacturers focus on packaging to grab customers’ attention and differentiate their business from others. One trick to go about it is to keep your packaging neat and uncomplicated. While some suspense is good, making it too complicated can leave your customers confused and irritated. Your package design should be very clear about the content and its purpose. Try using subtle elements, textured patterns etc but avoid including too many colors or patterns on the package. Minimalism is the new elitism, so try and stick to it. Always add a personal touch to your product packaging. This’ll not only make the covering attractive, but also give a memorable unboxing experience to your customers. The only way to do is, is to work with a professional packaging designer and get one crafted according to your needs.

Product packaging is usually necessary for safe transportation of goods, but it's also a hidden opportunity to boost sales. According to a recent survey, around 72 percent of consumers say that their purchasing decisions are often influenced by packaging design. If you're not making the most of your packaging, you're definitely missing out on potential sales and prospects to promote your brand.

If you visit any big retail store or supermarket, you’ll notice shelves stacked with similar products from various brands. Why would you choose one brand over others? Is it always the product’s quality? Packaging has a major influence over the consumers’ buying decisions. First impression is often the last impression, and nowhere is it more applicable than in the marketing world. Brands usually have about 7 seconds to leave a lasting impression on a customer before he/she moves on to the next option. So, an attractive packaging design not only makes it more likely for the consumer to choose your brand over others, but also reflects your brand value.

Practicality of a product depends on the shape, size and shelf space of the product packaging, not just the brand or its label. The easier it is to handle, unbox and store, the more popular it is with the consumers. When Heinz introduced the inverted squeeze ketchup bottle in 2002, their sales increased by 6 percent. Consumers had been complaining for years about how hard it was to get that last bit of ketchup in the bottle. The brand spent three years designing the convenient bottle, which is equipped with a vacuum cap that stops formation of crusts around the lid. Nobody has the time to toy around with the packaging or container, when all they have to do is with the product within. So, keep your packaging size small and easy to handle.

Design firms or even freelance designers will have different prices for designing a product packaging. While some of them will charge tens of thousands of dollars for custom packaging design, others may have different packages depending on your business type, level and design needs. Some of them will also charge different prices depending on their level of expertise.

When comparing quotes from multiple firms or designers, take note of whether they’re proposing to charge you hourly rates or flat upfront fees. The hourly plan often seems low and feasible, but could turn out to be more expensive than a flat rate scheme. Sometimes, a design project that’s expected to be over by 10 hours might take 30 hours, and if you’re paying on an hourly basis, you might find that your final cost is a lot more than you had anticipated.

At DesignBro, pricing depends on the number of designs you want to choose from. For instance- want to receive a minimum of 3 concepts to choose from- then the project price starts at $624.

For a simple calculator on our pricing you can check out our pricing page

There’s nothing to prepare for starting a logo design contest. Any idea or request for your logo design can be included in the creative brief, where you’ll outline the details about your business. You can also attach design samples or sketches for reference. Also include your desired packaging type, dimensions, box or container sizes, brand details, and any other specifications that are related to your design.

We work on various packaging design projects from an extensive range of industries, including pharmacy, cosmetics, books, food, liquor, fitness equipment, health drinks & more. If you have it on your mind, we can get it designed. From quirky paperboard boxes to patterned seal bags and drawstring bags, we design everything

Yes- you will be able to add additional documents to the brief. The more information you provide, the better it is for our packaging designers.

We currently only design on existing shapes. This means you will already need to know what type of pack you’re going to use (for example is it a can, box, pouch, etc), and you will need to know the approximate sizes at the very least.

Our briefing module guides you through our questions step-by-step. It will show you & explain every question and step along the way. Still need help- just contact us and we will be happy to help.

Yes! For just $40 you can order our standard NDA during the check out process. This means the designers will have to agree to keep your project a secret before they can see the full details of your project.

In the packaging and printing industry, the word “dieline” means a template that’s needed to ensure the accurate look and size of a final physical package. This outline serves as a diagram that marks all the cut lines and folds of a package in a compressed form. Dielines are typically created by graphic designers and are used in the creation of different types of packages, for example pocket folders, envelopes, boxes, and more

Your packaging printer or manufacturer will often provide you with a dieline template. However, you can always start your design contest and get an exact dieline template for the winning design before receiving the final files.

Your custom packaging design contest will give you one winning product package layout in one size. If you have added requirements for different product flavor, color, container size or style, you may have to run additional contests.

Costs are $250 per extra variant. Just contact us to get this started.

No. There are tons of great printers in the world- find one near you & we will provide the open files that they can work with.

We are a global platform & only allow the best 5% of all designer applicants to join DesignBro. Currently we see most clusters of our designers in Europe and The Americas. All designers speak a professional, if not native, level of English- but most importantly they are experts in design.

We also offer logo, brand identity design and many more design products. Have a specific request? Just contact us.