January 18, 2019 2019 Packaging Trends for Product Success

Taking the latest market trends into consideration, here are tips to design attractive product packaging that will catch customers’ eyes.

by freejazzfreejazz on crowdspring

January 16, 2019

By Amanda Bowman

Packaging design (the packaging for your product) and package graphics (the graphics/content on your product packaging) play an important role in your company’s brand identity and can often be the difference between a business succeeding or failing.

Product packaging is the touchpoint between your brand and your customers. It’s what consumers see, pick up, hold, and take home with them.

Make sure your products don’t get left on the shelves in 2019 because of dated, unattractive packaging design.

To help you, we’ve identified five 2019 packaging design trends that are accessible, attractive, and easily adapted for any business.

Let’s take a closer look at each of these trends.

>> Read 11 Eye-Catching Packaging Design Trends for 2019 to see all 11 packaging design trends.

1. Transparent packaging

by ellianna on crowdspring

Who doesn’t get a little thrill at a sneak peek of what’s in the box?

Packages with cut-outs have been a staple for many years.

by studiox on crowdspring

While cut-outs briefly fell out of favor in the early 2000s because of the expense involved, many businesses have decided the expense may be worth their while.

Customers want to know what’s inside of their products, and transparent packaging is a way to show and tell in an attractive way.

Providing a literal window into your product helps build trust and (pardon the pun) transparency.

It shows that you have nothing to hide, and can encourage a level of trust not possible with products hiding behind a closed…box.

After all, seeing is believing.

by rdimension on crowdspring

2. Cause-friendly package graphics

by PIX on crowdspring

Companies that stand for something resonate with consumers. A Core LLC study confirmed this, revealing some impressive numbers. According to the study:

Forty-one percent of Americans say they have purchased a product in the past year because it was associated with a social or environmental cause. A full 83 percent of consumers want more of the products, services and retailers they use to benefit causes.

The study also found that companies who support causes are viewed more positively, and can benefit from switchers who jump from other brands. Specifically:

85% have a more positive image of a product or company when it supports a cause they care about; and,

80% are likely to switch brands, similar in price and quality, to one that supports a cause.

As we discussed earlier in our look at sustainable packaging, increasing numbers of consumers seek out companies who make it clear they care. Whether this is through sustainable packaging or clearly stated causes and charities doesn’t matter.

Wearing your heart on your proverbial sleeve (or in this case, packaging) is ultimately good for everyone, and good for business.

Be sure you emphasize your company name and logo since you want to be absolutely sure that consumers connect your brand to the cause. It’s a good way to put your brand identity – and key messaging – front and center.

This is a trend bound to grow as younger, more socially-aware consumers start flexing their immense buying power.

3. Vintage packaging

by BlackCatDesign on crowdspring

Every year, designers look to the past to find inspiration.

by TheBrandBureau on crowdspring

Package designs that recall vintage elements, colors, or patterns but with a refreshingly modern twist will be found in abundance in 2019.

Packages with a vintage feel draw in consumers who search for that “artisanal” or handmade quality.

It may be ironic to use something evoking the past to charm those looking for authentic in-the-now experiences.

by studiox on crowdspring

But what’s more authentic than getting in touch with our history?

Vintage designs also convey exclusivity. An old-fashioned look feels bespoke and unusual. That feeling lets a purchaser feel they’ve collected something rather than simply made a careless purchase.

If you’re looking to create an aura of sophisticated taste, finely crafted goods wrapped in vintage packaging is a great way to create that tastefully curated experience.

Authentic; exclusive; handmade: if any of these fit your brand, a vintage-era look may work for your package design.

by meshkenas on crowdspring

4. Package graphics that tell a story

by freejazzfreejazz on crowdspring

The best packaging tells a compelling story to interested consumers.

A good brand story conveys a central message in every visual piece of branding your business has. Your brand story, in many ways, is the backbone of your entire brand identity.

Product packaging is your business’ most effective weapon to tell your brand’s story in a compelling way:

Product packaging has the power to inspire us to purchase a product and can make us feel even better about the purchase we’ve just made.

To build a strong brand, you must tell compelling brand stories. As we wrote previously:

Effective product packaging does more than merely set the stage for a product. The experience of unpacking a product is part of a customer’s experience with a brand, much like a company’s name and logo.

The need to tell compelling brand stories will only grow in importance in 2019.

If you want your packaging to tell your own story, consider these questions for your designs:

• What does your brand stand for?
• How do you want customers to feel when they use your product?
• How does your product resonate with your customers’ desires, fears, ambitions, values, etc?

Having your packaging designs incorporate the story your brand tells is an especially impactful way to truly connect with your market niche.

5. Use of gradients in package graphics

by jovana on crowdspring

Gradients are a growing trend in just about every area of design.

We anticipate that gradients will be heavily incorporated in modern web design trends and logo design trends for 2019.

by Gernet on crowdspring

Gradients are easy to use because they’re striking and versatile. As we recently wrote,

Gradients provide subtle visual interest without being too busy.

That’s what makes them so great for lending an air of dynamism to a design without overwhelming the important stuff.

by trisant on crowdspring

Gradients add depth and complexity to packaging without distracting from the product itself.

The colorful design provides just enough visual interest to draw the viewer’s eye – and then helps customers to remember the brand later.

That kind of attention gives any product on a shelf a much sought after advantage.

It’s easy to see why gradients aren’t going anywhere in 2019.

by alancreative on crowdspring

Wrapping It Up

Trends respond to changing tastes, but our preference for beautiful design remains the same.

Good design is good business. Be sure your product packaging catches the eyes of your customers and prospects.

Amanda Bowman works in customer service at crowdspring, one of the world’s leading marketplaces for crowdsourced logo design, web design, graphic design, product design, and company naming services.  Amanda helps guide crowdspring customers through the easy process of obtaining affordable, high-quality custom artwork and content for their business.

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