Packaging

Combine illustration, advertising and typography and you have packaging design: the art and technique of enclosing and protecting products in a creative way whilst imaginatively conveying important information about the product.

With hundreds and thousands of various products on the market, it is the designer’s challenge to create a durable and protective packaging for the product which stands out from the rest, informs the buyer about the product and ultimately boosts the selling of the product.

The designer has to be aware of the many rules and guidelines involved with packaging design and must often conduct months of market research and market testing before even starting with the design. In today’s environmentally conscious world, and to keep to international standards, the packaging has to be sustainable, meaning that it should be made from renewable virgin materials which are reusable and recyclable.

Of the vast areas in which the designer must master, label design is probably the most important. The label must contain the product name/logo and details, the producers name and particulars and any warnings or notices about the product. It must also have an attention drawing power and must give its product an impression of quality. The designer should also master the design, layout and printing of 3D packaging. This needs to be easily constructed, durable, ensure convenience in use and storage and make the product easier to identify.

If packaging is not what you are looking to specialise in, what about advertising, illustration, logo design or typography? Or what about… Next up –
Aspects of Graphic Design: Book and Magazine Design