Packing Design

Don’t let your designer off the hook! Gone are the days where any bland old box or makeshift packaging would do. We live in an age where personalization and individualism are at the core of the most successful consumer-focused businesses. While you can spend a ton of resources on ensuring that the contents of your skin care product are of the best quality, and provides the best value, there is no way for your customer to know how much you put into it. Except if you tell them.

The way to have your product speak for itself is through aesthetic. It is true that good packaging creates significant perceived value, and it is also true that good packaging is an excellent way to convince your customer of the real value held within its contents. Don’t let the opportunity pass to truly let your product sell itself.

Let it Speak for Itself

For every well-researched consumer product, a perfect buyer persona is created. That one person that is your absolute ideal target market. And this person has an age, gender, interests, and most importantly some money in their pocket. (The amount guides you to your price point, but we assume you’ve pinpointed that one already.) Think of favorite colors, eye-catching shapes, get a feel for their personality and let that inform your color schema and designs.

The Psychology of Color

With an existing logo, you already have colors associated with your brand. Ensure that your packaging design colors complement that of your logo colors. Messaging through color is essential when creating your packaging, but keep in mind that it is deeply rooted in culture and demographics. Think of your buyer persona again and consider how they will interpret your use of color. Instead of just picking something that looks good, decide what subconscious messages your colors are sending. In the West, we predominantly have the below associations.

White: Innocence, equality, new beginnings

Black: Power, authority, control

Blue: Trust, honesty, reliability

Red: Energy, action, passion, excitement, strength

Green: Balance, wealth, growth, security

Orange: Adventure, optimism, self-confidence and sociability

Yellow: Cheerful, optimistic, uplifting

Pink: Inspiring, warmth, compassion

For more on color psychology go here:

Shape

When we mention shapes, we refer to both fonts and packaging shapes. Curves and circular shapes often denote friendliness and femininity. Strong, straight lines and sharp angles remind us of power and masculinity. This does not mean that your feminine skin care product should be the shape of an hourglass! Look at the overall aesthetic and see how the lines and fonts work together to create an emotional association. Once again, have that buyer persona in mind.

Texture

The texture of your packaging will give a good indication of the quality of your product. Increasingly, more expensive products are packaged in material with a rich matte finish to set it apart. The level of luxury is determined by the tactile experience of your product, and it’s fairly easy to show texture on high definition social media photos as well. Whether your packaging is smooth or has a rugged finish, make sure it tells the story of your brand.

Packaging that seems flimsy to the touch can also send the message of poor quality. An example here would be the difference between a glass of wine from a plastic cup, and the same wine in an elegant wine glass. Your perception of the quality of the wine changes depending on which one you are drinking from.

Size

Bigger does not always equate to better in the world of skin care. Maybe when you’re stocking up on essentials, you appreciate the bigger containers filled to the brim. However, with skin care, smaller packaging often sends the message of exclusivity and quality. You don’t want to think of a big old tub of lotion on your dressing table when imagining silky smooth skin.

Not only do you need to think of the expiration date on a quality skin care product, you also have to consider the message it sends when you sell it in high volume. For something as personalized as skin care, you need an amount that lasts long enough to show real value, but not so long as to let it spoil.