The Shape of Packaging to Come

As designers, we’re constantly looking to the future to predict the next trends and come up with that inspiration for the newest iconic packaging range. Fashion comes and goes and we see this in the use of materials and processes across certain industries.

Each time a new process or application is developed such as cold foil printing or laser cut card, manufacturers battle to sell the feature to marketers and agencies who then find ways to utilise the technique in their product packaging. Soon, however, the trend becomes stale as the market place becomes flooded and marketers struggle for their message to stand out from the noise. This continuing cycle is a function of speed to market and a result of the challenges that brand owners face in a highly competitive environment.

Sometimes it is easy to reach straight for the new technology as an easy route to competitiveness or differentiation, but I would argue that a well thought out pared down approach to design is much more likely to achieve a considered and cohesive result that not only catches the eye but has the added emotional connection that can be so difficult to achieve with a brand.

For me the future of the industry is not a new material or process but the way we apply design and branding to the packaging. There are lots of new technologies and systems for managing unique customer experiences such as personalization and highly targeted packaging solutions through to recording of usage and data capture, but sometimes these technologies can miss important intangible connections which help us connect with the packaging. By getting back to basics and starting with a fresh clean piece of paper, we can not only help redefine the message, but reintroduce new exciting ways that your consumer can interact with your product.

Before starting with a packaging project we like to understand the values of the company as well as the usage and application of the product so that we can help to apply those messages to each element of the container.

Our design process has been formed out of a number of years’ refining and helps us to answer the intrinsic questions about the audience and key messages that your brand is trying to deliver. With this approach, we start from the ground up applying features, materials and processes that not only look great, but work together and are achievable in a real world scenario.

This way, not only can we help your product to catch the eye, but also to hold attention through the lifecycle of the customer experience to ensure that they come back next time.