Simple Product Designs Still Stand Out

Did you know that 95 percent of the products that are introduced in a given year often fail? While that’s unfortunate, it’s true. Some products fail simply as a function of their design, but many of them flounder because of poor packaging.

Packaging is important for a wide variety of reasons. While its original purpose was to protect its contents, packaging’s role in the marketing process has grown exponentially throughout the years. One of packaging’s most critical responsibilities in today’s marketplace is to tell consumers how your products and brand are different from your competitors’ offerings. Simply relaying this information isn’t enough, however. Your packing needs to communicate these things quickly and often without words.

Should I Use a Simple or Bold Package Design?

If you’re asking yourself the question that’s posed above, consider this: Several eye-tracking studies have confirmed that people read an average of just seven words per shopping trip. Instead of relying on text to make their purchasing decisions, consumers often use their instincts and look for products based on their color, shape and location in a retail outlet.

For your packaging to be successful, consumers must know in an instant what your products are and why your goods are relevant to their lives. To do this effectively, it’s typically best to use a simple package design.

Consumers can only hold between five and nine pieces of information in their short-term memories at once. This means people generally have limited resources they can use to make a purchasing decision before their minds are overwhelmed.

If you’re trying to figure out how to choose a product design, keep the following mantra in mind, “Less is more.” This powerful phrase was introduced during the minimalist movement in the 1960s by famed architect, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. While the term is more than 50 years-old, it’s still relevant when it comes to designing a new product package.

Package design simplicity is often driven by the need for your packaging to deliver vital messages about your products and brand instantly. Bold packaging that’s covered with images and a list of a product’s benefits is typically confusing for consumers, and it often strays from a manufacturer’s original packaging goals.

Your packaging should be a direct reflection of what it contains, but it shouldn’t be overly complicated even if it contains a complex product. Apple’s packaging is a good example of this. While Apple’s electronic products are highly advanced, the company is known for its simple packaging, which makes its products instantly recognizable for many tech-savvy consumers.

While many customers are starting to think of unboxing a product as part of their experience with that item and the brand that produced it, your packaging still needs to be simple enough for them to open easily. In addition, your packaging should be simple and durable enough for consumers to have the option of reusing it after they’ve opened it to access your products.

Phase 1 Prototypes Can Help

If you’re designing a new product package, you may think it’s simple enough to impress shoppers, but you’ll only know for sure if you test your new packaging. Of course, you can only test your newly designed packaging if you have prototypes you can use when you conduct focus groups.

To get the prototypes you need for your product package reviews, contact Phase 1 Prototypes. We’ve been creating packaging prototypes for companies in an array of industries for more than a decade. Whether you’re interested in a stand-up pouch, a custom box or packaging that’s never been done before, we can create a prototype for you. We’re not shy about pushing the limits our clients want to surpass, and we’ve developed a number of proprietary substrates over the years to make our clients’ packaging dreams come true.

Contact Phase 1 Prototypes for a free quote for your prototypes today.

SHARE THIS: