How to Get Your Packaging Design from Idea to Market

Experience Your Design ™

Experience Keylay

HOW TO GET YOUR PACKAGING DESIGN
FROM IDEA TO MARKET

As the saying goes “time is money” and the same applies when launching a new product. Many business owners and marketing teams have big ideas that they want to get out into the world. Ideas that need a team of professionals to turn it into reality. This is especially important when your tangible product needs to be customized to help it stand out in a sea of competitors. Where to start though? You’ve got the vision and need the expertise to make it come to life. We’re going to help make your product packaging design a reality with a few tips to make the process smoother and easier from start to finish.

1. KNOW WHAT YOUR CUSTOMER WANTS

Quite often people are excited about the big idea and the final result but forget about everything in between. A large amount of time and effort goes into enhancing product packaging like Deep South’s Label and bottle enhancements shown here.

You know that you have an amazing idea that is going to help change the world–or at least make it a little better than the day before. You have the perfect image in your mind of what the final result will look like, but there are a few things missing. The packaging for the product itself.

Now that you know what you need, what happens next? Where do you go from here?

First, you need to work backward and think of how the customer is going to interact with the final product. Will it be on a store shelf surrounded by dozens of products in the same category as yours?

Perhaps the product is sold online and the customer cannot interact with it in person. If so, do you want your packaging to have a completely different shape, pattern or material?

Ultimately, a product’s exterior packaging can mean the difference between closing a sale and the customer moving on to the next thing. These are all things to consider before any designing or printing begins.

2. PRODUCT LAUNCHES START OFF EARLY

Take a deep breath and remember these words… The Earlier, The Better. When it comes to packaging design when you plan ahead, you’ll have an easier ride it comes time to get the packaging produced. Build in enough time to source the right printer and designer to create your packaging. You’ll save yourself from scrambling for someone to print and design your packaging in a week.

Find a Company to Produce the Packaging
Whether you rely on word-of-mouth or Yelp, put some effort into looking into your contractor’s credentials. Also feel free to ask for an estimate of what it will cost to produce your project. However, keep in mind that you’ll need to know a few things before reaching out to receive an estimate.

Such as…

How Many Packages Do You Want to be Produced?
Sometimes this can be a difficult question if you don’t know the exact number that you need to be printed. A good rule of thumb is to start off with a minimum of 1000. The higher the number, the lower the cost per piece being printed. Also, it helps to get quotes from multiple printers who specialize in product packaging so that you can get a nice estimate range.

His, Hers, or Your Own Template
Before a package can be designed, much less printed, it needs a template.

Why is using a template so important? Can’t you just make one?

Yes, we could. However, if the designer is creating a custom template there needs to be more time–and budget–provided to have it done right. Ultimately, they need to know what the printer requires for file setup and production. In addition, it’s extremely helpful for a designer to know what the printer’s limitations are so that you don’t get a product that can’t be printed.

Keep in mind that you don’t have to have the designer create the template. Once you find the printer that you want to use, they will provide you (or the designer) with a template based on the specs of your product. This will help ensure that the imagery used for the packaging works within the confines of the template.

On the printer’s end, templates help to streamline the printing process. They don’t have to remake the wheel each time a package is produced. By using one template, it helps make sure that your package remains the same from design to print production.

What Are Your Expectations?
Whether you’ve found a printer who has a design team in-house or have two separate companies to do the work, it helps to have a meeting to go over the details. Both the designer and the printer need to know what you want the final design to look like. They can also guide you as to whether or not the final design can be produced within your budget.

3. UNDERSTANDING THE ROLES OF YOUR TEAM

Packaging Designers
If you don’t feel comfortable speaking directly with the printer, you can always use the help of a designer. Designers who specialize in both graphic and product packaging design are a treasure trove of information. When it comes to ensuring that what you want can be produced, they will often work closely with the printer to bring your big idea to life.

The designer will be able to visually communicate your product’s main features and benefits to connect with the consumer. They will be able to work with you to make sure that the design not only looks good but entices people to purchase it.

Professional Printers
These people will help guide you in choosing the best materials, which could range from paper to plastic or even something more exotic to construct the packaging exterior. They will educate you on the best ways to ensure that the material supports the product’s weight and size. When the packaging is finally printed, they will often work with the designer to make sure that the colors are correct and that there are no imperfections.

With any new product launch, there will be additional marketing involved. Companies will often conduct a soft launch of the product. Based on the results of the market’s response, many will then move on to a full launch.

4. REALISTIC TIMELINES

Now that you’ve got your big idea and a team assembled to make it happen, it’s time to build a timeline. Unfortunately, this is one of the main reasons a lot of projects run into trouble. We know that you want it right now and that you’re excited to get this puppy out into the real world. However, good things come to those who take things more slowly.

Here are some averages that you are looking at to produce a good packaging design from start to finish. Keep in mind that this includes edits/revisions, print proofs, and approvals.

Initial Design: 3 weeks – 2.5 months
This is largely dependent on how many revisions your designer will provide and how many additional changes are requested on the client side. This is why it is incredibly important to discuss what you want and be on the same page before pen goes to paper.

Printing of Design: 1-2 weeks
Once the final design files are received and checked, your printer will send you a proof. Once you approve this proof for color, imagery, and text then it will be printed in the final run. Make sure that you have looked over the proof thoroughly to ensure that there are no mistakes in copy. After you give the final approval, any further changes to the packaging will be costly.

Product Marketing: Ongoing post printing
Depending on whether your product is seasonal or evergreen, your marketing needs to include a strategy based on your target market and their tastes. Over time, you may have to tweak the packaging a bit or release a new iteration of that evolves with consumer trends.

5. QUALITY, SPEED, AND COST

It’s important not to sacrifice the quality of your design or printing. Of course, you can always request that a job is done faster and at a lower cost. However, the chances of coming out with a less than stellar product greatly increases. Reducing the amount of back and forth and going a bit more slowly can help save you both time and money.

Here are two of the most common reasons how a budget can suddenly explode into an unruly beast:

Making Changes to the Project Scope
If you and your designer originally agree that the design should only use a certain color scheme and image treatment. After speaking to a third-party, they tell you that hand-drawings are now “in”. As a result, the entire design needs to be redone.

Changing or Accelerating the Timeline
You have spoken to your designer and printer and have agreed to a 6-week timeframe to have the final packaging design in your hands. However, you have now decided to have the product to be produced in half of the time.

CONCLUSION

Launching a new product is similar to bringing new life into the world. You want to nurture it and make sure that it has the best chance of making an impact. To help facilitate this new “creation” you want to make sure that you have the best people working on it. With the help of a good designer and printer, they will be able to help you bring your product out into the world looking its best.

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