Some of the biggest and most notable brands in the world have shown us that incorporating a memorable mascot into packaging design has proven successful. Think of the Pillsbury Doughboy or Tony the Tiger from Kellogg’s. Incorporating these characters into your packaging design is a great way to bring a consistent, happy element into your design. Consider switching up what color the mascot is, what they are doing, or what they are wearing based on the variations of your product. Switching it up like this is a great way to create uniqueness for each variation design, but it is important not to switch it up to a point where the branding is unrecognizable.
If your brand is not interested in creating and maintaining a mascot, consider adding a cartoon charm to your packaging design to make it feel more personable. These cartoons should be along the same lines as a newspaper comic and look silly and imperfect. Incorporating this style into your packaging will make your brand feel more approachable to consumers.
Especially in 2023, when the world is full of uncertainty, consumers are looking for brands to provide them with comfort and familiarity. Creating a sense of nostalgia with your packaging design is a great way to bring this comfort to your consumers. Bright colors, sticker-book aesthetics, and doodles are just some examples of elements that help make your packaging feel nostalgic.
There are two main goals when it comes to packaging design.
One of the biggest trends we will see in 2023 to deliver these goals is through illustration and bright colors on the packaging. This style puts priority on playfulness over strict and minimal design. Implementing fun illustrations on the bright packaging that give the consumer an idea about the main ingredients or elements of the product is a great way to grab their attention on the shelves.
If your brand does not want to be quite as literal about the design matching perfectly to the contents of the packaging, creating an abstract representation to show on your packaging is another fun and interesting way for your brand to grab the consumer’s attention.
For some brands, it does not make sense for them to have their packaging design heavily illustrated or have bright colors. If this is the case, your brand should consider experimenting with new colors and textures. Bold, highly saturated colors will lead packaging design in 2023.
Adding texture to your packaging will automatically enhance the perceived value of your product. Some ways to implement texture include foil printing, embossing, and debossing. Adding these textured elements to your design will appeal to the consumer’s overall sense of touch and will, in turn increase the chances of them grabbing your product and taking it off the shelf.
Read more about Packaging Trends at packworld.com
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Growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area in the 60’s, Tom developed a strong desire to create positive change for people and planet.
He went on to pursue his passion for art and design at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California, and worked for design firms in Southern California before moving to Boise, Idaho in the early 80’s. Foerstel Design opened its doors in 1985. Since its inception, the firm has cultivated a bold, happy, forward-looking team focussed on creating distinct and effective work on behalf of their clients.
An integral part of Tom’s philosophy is giving back to the community in which he lives — a company cornerstone that drives Foerstel’s long history of providing pro-bono services to local non-profit humanitarian and arts programs.
One of Tom’s proudest personal achievements is his ability to say Supercalifragilisticexpyalidocious backwards.