Packaging Design Trends 2023 : 6 Ideas To Revamp Your Packaging
Product packaging is one of the most exciting pieces of marketing design a brand can create. First, it functions as a visual hook that convinces audiences to stop and look at your product. Then it goes on to imprint your brand identity on your audience’s minds. Finally, when they sit down to unwrap it, the packaging design ensures that they have a smooth and memorable experience. Since packaging design has so many roles to play, it’s important to know what customers are looking for. It’s important to know what’s trending and which of these trends are most suitable for your brand. So, let’s discuss packaging design trends today.
Year after year we see changes in terms of the material, shapes and the type of packaging customers prefer. Usability, aesthetics, and now even the sustainability aspect of the chosen packaging influence the way customers look at your brand, your product. And good marketing is about giving customers what they are looking for, right? So, aren’t you curious to find out what customers are looking for, what the trends are, in packaging design? Let’s dive in.
Reasons why packaging design is critical in branding
About 72% of Americans say that packaging design influences their purchase decision. So, even the best products might not sell if the packaging design is bad. That’s the reason why brands spend a lot of time and money designing their packaging graphics.
When you see something creative, you talk about it to your friends, right? And now social media has made it possible to share experiences with people around the world. Good packaging means a good experience. 40% of consumers talk about creative packaging design they come across, on social media. So, if you have a unique packaging design, it might help create more traction for your brand on social media. And this means more new leads and better brand visibility.
In addition to the fact that packaging design has such a huge role to play in branding, you should also know that nearly 30% of businesses see improvements in their revenue when improvements are made to their packaging design. So, if you think your packaging design could use a few upgrades, packaging design trends of the year will be a good place to look at.
Packaging design trends – should you follow them?
Timeless packaging designs definitely have their perks. In the long run, with consistent interactions, a strong bond develops between your customers and your branding designs like packaging design. So, when should you change your packaging?
- If you are making a drastic move, like switching to eco-friendly packaging materials, then redesigned graphics work.
- When your old packaging design is being criticized for usability and other aspects, you need to address your customers’ concerns on time.
- If your brand has pivoted and your branding strategies and branding assets have changed, redesigning your packaging is your only option.
If nothing else, you can always give your product packaging a fresh makeover every few years just to keep up with the color trends and design trends. Moreover, you would want to keep up with your competitors too!
But all that said, we’d also like to reiterate the fact that changing your packaging design drastically can sometimes backfire. Tropicana’s failed attempt at a packaging redesign in 2009 is a perfect example. The packaging was unrecognizable and did not receive a good response from its customers. The brand’s sales dropped by 20%.
To avoid such branding disasters, ensure that when you adopt packaging design trends you still retain some of the most recognizable elements in your original design. Add your brand’s flair to it. Every aspect of the new design should convey your brand message and should resonate with your brand personality perfectly.
Having said all that, let’s now talk about those 2023 packaging design trends you have been waiting to hear about.
6 Packaging design trends to look out for in 2023
1. Textures to add more depth to the design
We are not talking about just textured backgrounds and textures in the graphics but actual tactile textures. When customers hold your product in their hands for the first time, they feel the texture, the ups, and downs. That instantly makes a connection with them. Such first impressions are valuable in branding.
Brands are using embossing, die-cut details, and other ideas to create textures in packaging. So, this is a trend to keep an eye on. With the right texture, you can also add a touch of sophistication to your product.
Moreover, textures come as a surprise element when your customer picks up the product from a shelf. This leaves an impression on them and helps in better brand recall too.
Kimp Tip: Even the most expensive textured packaging materials will not make the intended impact if your design does not complement the texture. For example, a simply grainy texture on the label sheet might not be immediately recognizable if the label has a solid white background. So, let your designer know that you will be using textured labels and packaging boxes and they will be able to recommend the right design to make these textures stand out.
2. Get creative with your typography
Saying that typography has a big role in packaging graphics will be an understatement. Starting with the product name itself – it should be catchy enough to cut through the noise and get people to notice the product. But at the same time, it cannot be fancy at the cost of legibility.
Keeping that in mind, one of the packaging design trends to explore in the coming years will be typography experiments. Statement fonts, warped fonts filling creative shapes, there are many creative versions to try.
Moreover, statement fonts with unique personalities can be used to capture the authenticity of your brand without complicating the design. So, that’s definitely a trend to add to your list in case you plan to work on new packaging design this year.
Here’s an example – the bubbly font on the Nuud Gum packaging is hard to ignore.
Or you can always opt for scrawly fonts that look more casual and personalized to fit your brand. Handwritten fonts have been quite the trend in marketing after all.
Kimp Tip: As we mentioned a while ago, irrespective of the font you choose and the style you adopt for your design, ensure that the core message is not lost in the process. For the more critical information like the ingredient label, you should still stick with a more legible font. Like a clean sans-serif font, for example.
Typography for your packaging graphics getting you all wrapped up? Choose a Kimp subscription and stop worrying about packaging design.
3. Let’s not forget the Y2K trend
The idea of nostalgia somehow always clicks in marketing, doesn’t it? The dramatic resurgence of the Y2K trends in design is a good example of this. The Y2K trend is as simple as it sounds – aesthetics from the Y2K era (the late 90s to early 2000). This was the time when major technological revolutions happened and many more were anticipated. So the aesthetics that were trending were mostly futuristic. In other words, incorporating neons and bright colors, silver, and gradients.
If you have a new product to be launched or if you need a fresh new idea for a limited edition product to be released into the market in the coming months, then the Y2K design style is a good one to consider.
BelliWelli, a brand known for its snack bars, has some of the most unique packaging designs. It shows how statement looks like the Y2K styles and others can be made to work even for food brands.
Or if you wish to incorporate this trend without deviating too much from your brand’s tone of messaging, you can always just use the colors as gradients and go with a more minimalistic design like the packaging below.
4. Illustrations? Yes, please!
Why do we like using emojis in communication? They lighten the mood, they make virtual communication more interactive and expressive. Illustrations can do the same thing to marketing designs. There are many ways to use illustrations in marketing and using them to personalize your packaging design is one.
So, among the packaging design trends anticipated for 2023, the use of illustrations is one. This can be in the form of elaborate illustrated scenes that tell a story or simple illustrations of ingredients in the product.
The best thing about illustrations is that there are several styles to explore. So, depending on your brand’s visual style and color palette you can always come up with a style that captures your idea accurately.
Moreover, in a rack filled with products whose packaging and labels contain images of all kinds, creative illustrated packaging graphics will stand out. That’s definitely a good reason to try this trend this year.
5. Minimalism never goes out of style, does it?
Yes, we love colorful packaging designs and fancy fonts. But minimalism has its own charm, don’t you agree? Take a look at the below packaging design and you’ll see what we mean.
So, one of the packaging design trends that’ll probably be used by brands around the world is minimalistic packaging graphics. Without all the noise, without all the distraction, without all the fuss you are telling your customers that you mean business. That’s what makes minimalistic packaging graphics popular.
Kimp Tip: Once you have drafted the copy and the idea for the design elements on your packaging, go back and zoom out a little. When you look at the big picture, at the response you want from your customers and the purpose of your packaging you will be able to prioritize these elements based on what’s necessary. Stick with the bare minimum, only the essential details and nothing else. You will be surprised to see how a sleek minimalistic packaging design appeals to your customers.
6. Sustainability with a creative twist
Several brands are moving towards the use of eco-friendly materials for packaging. Kellogg, for example, is working towards 100% sustainable packaging by the year 2025.
Giving your packaging graphics a new look when you make such big changes will be welcomed by your audience. They know that the design is different because the approach is different. So, if you have been giving sustainable packaging a thought, now is the time to make a move.
Kimp Tip: Minimalistic designs go well with eco-friendly cardboard and paper packaging. Here’s an example.
Want to create such minimalistic designs for your eco-friendly packaging idea? The Kimp team can help.
Embrace the packaging design trends with a Kimp subscription
Your packaging design often stands as a visual reminder of your brand. Every time people see your product at a store, the design talks to them, makes a connection. You just want to be sure that every time your packaging talks to your audience, it has good things to tell about your brand. Your packaging graphics need to deliver the intended brand message and build trust. So, pay attention to the little details and your branding gets so much better.
Making changes to branding and marketing designs can be nerve-wracking. We get it. But that changes when you have a professional design team that supports unlimited designs every month. So, choose a Kimp subscription. If you think you are not ready to make a leap, take it one step at a time. We have a risk-free free trial option. Sign up now!