If you want your products to stand out in an increasingly competitive marketplace, then you need to ensure you’re embracing the very latest packaging design trends. Keep reading and the Prest Group will take you through the essential packaging design trends to watch in 2023…
1. Sustainable packaging
At the top of many consumers’ agendas is sustainability. Often described as ‘conscious consumption’, shoppers want to be seen to be purchasing goods that have a minimal environmental impact.
Don’t just take our word on this point, though. According to a study conducted by SmartestEnergy, 81% of people prefer to buy from sustainable sellers; so, if you’re able to demonstrate your brand’s green credentials via your packaging in 2023, you’ll be set for success.
Sustainable packaging options include packaging made from recycled materials, biodegradable packaging, and compostable packaging.
Plus, more and more brands are investing in high-quality luxury packaging, which encourages consumers to use it time and time again, thus reducing waste.
2. Minimalism and maximalism
An emerging packaging trend which is set to take off in 2023 is the use of minimalist printed designs on the outside of packaging, and maximalist designs on the inside.
This approach enhances the ‘unboxing’ experience, whereby individuals open a fairly simple looking package, only to be presented with a beautifully designed interior that inspires joy and pleasure.
Some brands are taking this design ethos further by including creative copy and customised messages as part of the maximalist interior designs of their packaging.
Here at Prest Group, we are able to help you fully embrace this trend with our box printing services, which make use of techniques and finishes like lithographic printing, spot UV printing and more.
3. Personalisation
Related to the above trend is the move towards increased personalisation in packaging design.
Consumers are no longer happy to receive their products in anonymous-looking white or brown boxes.
With the rise of unboxing experiences and the proliferation of social media, consumers want packaging that’s just as beautiful, well-designed, and well-considered as the product inside. They want to package they can be proud to share on social media.
As such, you should give some thought to how you can use your branding to create truly unique packaging that shouts about your company. The use of bold, interesting typography, bright, high-resolution colours and arresting and eye-catching finishes such as spot UV can help you achieve this.
4. Colour blocking and curves
Overlapping and mixing large curved colours has been a trend which has started to pick up steam in recent months and is truly going to take off in 2023.
Not only does the use of bold, bright, arresting colours catch the eye, but the use of curves and flowing lines creates a retro-psychedelic look which is very much the darling of the most forward-thinking consumer brands at present.
To achieve this, however, requires working with a packaging company that is able to create unique, custom colours that are achieved by expertly blending inks.
5. Return-ready packaging
This is a rather ‘practical’ trend, but one that can make a big difference to your business.
With the practice of returns now being an embedded part of online shopping (the average return rate being a high 20 to 30%), the most forward-thinking and innovative consumer brands are creating and using packaging that actively facilitates and enables the returns process.
Return-ready packaging is designed so that it can be opened without damaging the packaging, can be easily resealed and can have return labels applied with no fuss.
This makes the returns process far easier for your customers, resulting in them being more likely to buy from you again in the future.
6. Depth perception
Another trend which is growing in popularity is the use of packaging designs that play with depth perception.
Done right, this is a design trend that truly can make your products stand out. As they engage the viewer’s depth perception, these designs can make people do what is nearly impossible these days – stop and look at something!
In the battle for shelf space and attention, a design which needs to be ‘figured out’, can draw potential consumers to your product in an interesting and cost-effective way.
Naturally, to pull this off, you need to be using a packaging company that is able to reproduce and print these designs in incredible fidelity and accuracy; a packaging company like Prest Group!
7. QR codes
Once thought obsolete and confined to the annals of packaging design history, QR codes are back in a big way. And, they’re only going to get bigger in 2023.
The COVID-19 lockdowns of 2020 and 2021 got consumers back into the habit of using QR codes, and it’s a habit that’s stuck around.
QR codes offer a brilliant way of further immersing consumers into your brand beyond your packaging. Whether it’s linking to useful pieces of content (e.g. recipes, style guides, instructions), or linking to broader brand-building pieces like microsites, QR codes are a really effective way of connecting with consumers.
8. Bold typography
Instead of investing in intricate designs and patterns, an increasing number of brands are focusing on the use of bold, large typography instead.
As the central feature of a package’s design, bold typography puts your brand name front and centre and makes it hard to forget. In fact, in an environment where many brands are splashing complex designs over their packaging, simple typography can really help you stand out.
Stay ahead of the competition in 2023
If you want to place your brand at the forefront of consumers’ minds in 2023, then you need to be using the very best packaging solutions you can find.
Prest Group offers exactly those solutions, with the knowledge, experience, and techniques that can make the trends outlined above a reality for your packaging.
Our custom printed boxes will make your brand stand out and become truly unforgettable. It’s a form of visual marketing that’s not only highly-effective, but cost-effective too.
Find out how Prest Group can create custom printed boxes for your brand now
For more packaging and design information, advice and insights, read the Prest Group blog…
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