No matter what you’re selling, it’s all about standing out from your competition.  

Novel packaging design is a great way to draw attention to your products and ultimately sell them.

Creative packaging design can make even the most mundane products look distinct.  Consider toothpaste. Everybody needs to brush their teeth. There are dozens of brands out there competing with one another.  

So, how do you get the customer to pick your brand?  

Of course, reputation goes a long way, but a cool design will also have a huge impact.

So, are you ready for a little design inspiration?  

Let’s take a look at the top 10 packaging design tips you can consider for your own custom packaging:

#1 Packaging Design Takeaway: Use Patterns

Pattern is one of the easiest ways to grab attention.  

Stripes, polka dots, and geometric shapes in various colors will draw the eye in and invoke a certain mood.

Check out how Orinico, a specialty coffee roaster, effectively infuses their custom packaging with a vibrant, abstract pattern. The design makes you feel that this is not your usual ho-hum coffee, but instead, is something bold and special.  

Yes, I’d like to order two pounds, please.

#2 Packaging Design Takeaway: Keep It Simple

Sometimes simplicity is the way to go.  

You don’t want to overwhelm your audience. Try going for a clean, uncluttered look by only using select pops of color. You can keep it simple by not using excessive packaging. This will also save you money – so it’s a double win.

But don’t confuse simple with boring.  

Look at this example of jars of honey from the Ballard Bee Company. The simple label with the bold typography looks sharp against the natural honey background.

#3 Packaging Design Takeaway: Consider the Overall Experience

Give your customers what they want and make them feel special.  

Add some glam and intrigue to your packages by using a layering experience. Use things like tissue paper inside, so as your customer peels open the layers, they’ll feel like they’re opening a present.

A study by Dotcom Distribution found that forty percent of shoppers would be more likely to purchase from a retailer again if they ordered something online and it came in a gift-like or premium package.

#4 Packaging Design Takeaway: Complement Your Product

Think about what you’re selling.  

Your packaging should reflect your product and your customers’ sensibilities.

If you’re touting an all-natural product, then give your packaging design a clean, natural look. You can use simple fonts and earthy colors to represent your product.

Look at the above example from Anthropologie – a company that takes marketing to the next level. The packaging they use for their soaps has a clean simple look, just like the product itself.

#5 Packaging Design Takeaway: Inject Some Fun

We can all appreciate a little playfulness and humor – even in our packaging.  

Check out how Thelma’s Treats uses a box designed to look just like a little oven.

#6 Packaging Design Takeaway: Make it Multi-Use

Have you ever kept a retail box just because it was beautiful?  

Well, you’re not alone. With landfills at their breaking point and people’s increased environmental awareness, single-use packaging is now frowned upon by many.   

As a result, more companies are coming up with innovative designs that allow customers to use boxes for purposes other than merely shipping. It may be as simple as reusing a box as decorative storage. But some companies are coming up with amazingly innovative ideas.

There are now boxes that turn into hangers. There are cleaning products stored in porcelain containers, which can later be used as vases. And even containers made of beeswax filled with honey. When the honey’s done, turn it over and voila it’s a candle.

#7 Packaging Design Takeaway: Don’t Forget About the Inner Design

Design shouldn’t be limited to the outside of the box.  

You want to efficiently use all of the available spaces to make your brand memorable. Why not add a little inside color to your box to reinforce your brand? Or print your tagline on the inside lid of your box?

When you buy custom boxes, you should also pay attention to how you house your products in your packaging. Don’t just carelessly fling your items inside the box. You can cut-out the cardboard to the size of your items, so it cradles your products, giving you a higher-end, finished look.

Thrive Market sells all kinds of organic brand items. But to make their own brand shine, they use their signature green on the inside flaps of their boxes.  

#8 Packaging Design Takeaway: Use Texture

Sure, strong visuals are essential to design, but why limit yourself to appealing to just one sense?  

The sense of touch is often overlooked in packaging, so you’ll get noticed if you add a little texture into the mix.   

Check out how, by adding some tactile interest, Eden Mill pumped up the luxury quotient of their bottled whisky. That just looks like the type of bottle you’ll leave on display long after it’s empty.

And it doesn’t take much. Look how Papadellis enhances its bottled olive oil, by just adding some texture that looks like a loose netting. It gives the bottle that handcrafted, personal edge.

#9 Packaging Design Takeaway: Use Color (or Don’t)

Using color in design can go either way.

Color – or the absence of it – can set the mood for your product and help reinforce your brand identity.  

If you’re looking for a more sophisticated design, you may choose to use something more subdued like a limited color palette. Of course, you may be going for a bold look in which in-your-face color is the way to go.  

#10 Packaging Design Takeaway: Sustainability Counts

Even a small difference in packaging can go a long way.  

Think about a six-pack of beer or soda. For what seems like eons they’ve come with those plastic six-pack rings, which have wreaked havoc with our oceans and marine life.

Carlsberg decided to do something about this, by tweaking their six-packs.  

Instead of the ubiquitous plastic rings, their new snap packs use a type of glue to stick the cans together, so they use minimal plastic.  

When it’s fully implemented, this small move will translate to a savings of 1200 tons of plastic, which is the equivalent of 60 million plastic bags. Woah! That’s going to get noticed by many of their customers, who make the environment a priority.

So, don’t be afraid.

Go on and get creative with your packaging design. It will likely give you that extra edge over your competition.

Last Updated: December 6, 2022