Packaging development – information support
When it comes to packaging development, there are also some considerations beyond the pure marketing and design appeal.
Firstly, you need to know what information needs to be included on a product to make it easy to use and understand. In some cases, this can be a legal requirement with for example the nutritional labels that need to be included on food and drinks products. Do you need to include expiry or use by dates? What about storage instructions and how to use guides?
In most cases, key information like the size and weight, the recyclability of the product, the sourcing and ingredient or materials list, the barcode and contact information for the manufacturer are mandatory inclusions. The contact information is an important way to reassure the purchaser that if something goes wrong with the product, they can contact you to resolve any issues.
You should check government and trade association websites for a list of what is legally required in your category. Failure to meet relevant standards can result in fines and lost sales. That’s obviously not what you want.
Consider the total amount of packaging required
You also need to consider how much packaging is involved in the overall process to get the product to the consumer.
On the alcohol examples above, we focussed on the labelling in particular as this is often where the most design elements come in. But look back at those examples, and you also need to consider the bottle – the shape, the material used, the size. Plus the bottle top and any other seals or materials that support the basic product. These are all primary packaging elements that are directly part of the consumption or usage of the product.
Your product may also need secondary packaging elements, like in the Krug Champagne example. These are elements that support the main packaging. But they are generally not needed once the product is open and in use. Think plastic wrapping or foil seals or boxes that hold multiple packs.
This also then extends into any packaging that is necessary for products to be shipped.
Supermarkets for example usually have strict definitions of the number of units they expect to be bundled together in shipper units. Six, twelve or twenty four units create a shipper pack that is easy for the supermarket workers to identify and place on shelf.
Though consumers may not necessarily see all of this packaging, you have to include a lot of the same elements from your primary or secondary packaging. The name of the brand, the size and weight, the barcode, the use by date and so on.