The packaging design for a product, regardless of the type in question, must follow a careful study.

 

The members of the packaging design team carry out and must resolve a series of questions to reach the successful result of a package that reaches the minds of each consumer and triggers a purchase.

 

Fulfilling the expectation and function of the packaging in terms of functionality, low cost, and that it also strengthens the brand, and being competitive are some of the issues on which they must pay attention.

 

In these lines we will review the elements to take into account when designing a pack.

 

Packaging  design

 

The concept of the packaging to be designed, in addition to being striking and functional, must take care of certain elements that we will go over below.

 

Contents

It does not maintain the same characteristics, whether it is a liquid or solid content, or whether it is food or chemicals in general.

Knowing the characteristics of the content with which the packaging will be filled, allows you to make the appropriate choice of material, shapes, practicality of presentation, colors and other characteristics.

 

Material

All packaging is designed to contain a specific product, making it attractive to potential customers.

 

Additionally, packaging is designed to protect products and keep them free of pathogens or possible contamination.

 

The selected material must offer sufficient care against blows, crushing, or any inappropriate treatment that occurs during transportation to the points of sale.

 

If we talk about food products or drinks, the packaging must offer protection so that it comes into contact with the outside, being able to alter its content, or even worse, making its consumption dangerous or impossible.

 

The hardness of the chosen material, the possible reaction of its components, are details to take care of. This consideration becomes highly relevant when the packaging has been designed to contain consumer products and food.

 

internal space

The capacity of the container must be such that it not only receives the stipulated quantity of the product, but also considers possible atmospheric changes that can modify the filling space.

 

The packaging may need a space that facilitates direct consumption, and the addition of other ingredients.

 

If the packaging has been designed, without the correct knowledge of the density of the product, its possible reactions in different environmental conditions, or the exact quantities it contains, a package will be obtained that must be modified.

 

These errors, and the efforts to correct them, are often more expensive than the design itself.

 

Production line temperature

The temperature conditions at the time the production line is filled is an outstanding element to consider.

 

Due to their characteristics, some products, especially food, are hot-packed, or are subjected to heat after filling.

 

The packaging characteristics that are required in this case are specific, and must be known prior to design.

 

If they are not taken into account, the packaging may deform or break, giving rise to cracks or cracks.

 

labels and decoration

Knowing the type of labeling and decoration that the packaging will have printed, the shape, material and resistance of the design will be decided.

 

Certain decoration materials and techniques are not compatible with the material chosen for the packaging.

 

Sustainability

There are many brands that are investing in the change towards the use of sustainable packaging for their products.

The aim is to obtain containers that can be recycled, easily degradable, and that use materials from renewable sources.

The elimination of single-use plastic packaging influences the amount of garbage that accumulates in landfills. The greater use of recycling techniques to obtain sustainable packaging contributes to the planet.

 

Design integration and production

 

It is not an easy task for the creative, to design a packaging that is attractive to the client, and is also functional in the production line.

 

There are many striking designs with potentially successful features that, when filling or sealing, turn out to be technically incompatible.

 

The design department must be in communication with the production department, and its engineers must be able to contribute ideas and data that improve the packaging.

 

If this communication is not established, the result is an inoperative packaging design, which must undergo a modification process.

 

For entrepreneurs and brand owners it is extremely important that their products are fully functional, from the moment they enter the production line, until the customer consumes them in their entirety.

 

As we can see, packaging design is a complex process, which must follow a careful study of many elements.

 

The resistance of the material, the shape, functionality, and the attractiveness that it represents to the clients, are factors that must be taken into account to achieve the ideal packaging.