According to Lars Wallentin, during almost 40 years responsible for the development of creative design solution for strategic brands of Nestlé, there are 10 ways to improve your packaging design.
Packaging design is a multi-disciplinary occupation. To succeed you need knowledge in many fields of activities. Here is a summary of the ten most important ones:
1. Understand the consumer: To find out what the consumer likes or wants, first of all think of yourself.
2. Understand the meaning of simplicity: There is no doubt too much (useless) information on today’s packages.
3. Understand positioning: a package design must strengthen the idea behind a brand (or product).
4. Understand hierarchy: There is always something that is most important.
5. Understand legislation: This is the area where things often ‘go wrong’ as we do not make a difference between a must and a guideline.
6. Understand material: It is just common sense that carton packages with transparent windows have today become very popular as most consumers want to see what they buy.
7. Understand layout: There is a deep rooted syndrome among most marketing people. It is called “the upper left hand corner syndrome”. A package design can have ANY layout.
8. Understand ecology: Would it not be a good idea to use the packages to educate the consumers about ecology?
9. Understand 3D: A full-fledged packaging designer cannot be only a graphic designer. He or she must understand shapes, forms and how to achieve them.
10. Understand total packaging, i.e. the synergy effect: Until this day I have never been at a meeting where all of the following responsible persons were present: project leader, designer, technical designer, creative director, legal adviser, someone representing the trade.
