What’s to Come: Packaging Trends 2017

With the brilliant start to the new year, many companies are taking advantage of the spirit of the holiday’s and updating their packing to match new products and trends. As customers are looking for a new start, brands around the world are hustling up new and attractive options for reliable products. So what are some of the key trends that you should be on the look out for, and how can you incorporate them to ensure success in the new year? There are quite a few that are carrying over from 2016, which we will cover for you first, and then some exciting new opportunities to discover that go from the aesthetic design of your brand to the unique types of packaging themselves. In the carry over we see the simplicity of design, vintage throwbacks, and strong durable packages decorated with geometric shapes, but a few trends to incorporate include mail friendly packaging, eco-friendly products, and ingenious windows in packaging that show off your beautiful product.

2016 was a bold year for packaging, and those trends are not soon to go away in 2017. Customers in today’s saturated market are still looking for simplicity in their advertisements and packages. The essential information must be displayed without any cluttering designs to distract the eye or get in the way of your brand’s message. Just like in 2016, you are going to want to incorporate any graphics or logos you choose into creating one singular concept that portrays both your product but also your overall narrative. This is no easy task, but having bold yet simply designed products will grab customer’s attention. Another trend carrying over is funky homemade fonts, embracing a font that looks like artistic handwriting will connect your customers with a human homemade feel. If the purpose of your brand is to play to nostalgia and simpler times with authentic artisanal ingredients, then you are going to want to play on the 2016 trend of a vintage look. Chalkboards, bold bright lettering, and old style writings that highlight a vintage feel to your product will not only be popular but will also give you a strong brand personality and feel.

If you want to further the nostalgic feel and play on new 2017 trends, consider how most of your products reach your customers. E-commerce and web purchases are only going to get stronger in the new year and most your packages will be delivered by mail. Playing into old fashion feelings, consider redesigning your brand to look like mail packages your customers may have received as kids. Simple brown paper and twine, specialty stamps, anything that upon first glance draws your customer in. Even if you are simply displaying your items in the store, seeing them packaged as little gifts sent through the mail could draw in clients looking to shop for others or just feeling nostalgic for mail other than their monthly bills. This clever packaging strategy is going to blossom in 2017.

Packaging shouldn’t be just mail friendly, it should also be eco-friendly for the conscious consumers who are looking to make a purchase that minimizes their footprint. Many coffee companies have diversified their market by using packaging that can be either recycled or even biodegradable. The materials of any packaging in 2017 will be challenged to both durable, long lasting, and still, have an element of environmental awareness that is also noted on the package itself. Products that advertise themselves as fair trade or organic will especially feel this pressure to create inventive new packages that fit the bill. In addition to being biodegradable or, recyclable consumers are also going to love repurposed packaging. Whether your packaging is made out of recycled material or biodegradable paper this will make your product pop on the shelf. The package itself will be a huge reason why your customers are picking your product, it should be clearly advertised and reflect the narrative of your brand. It can be used as the main marketing arm, or simply be in line with your own eco-friendly brand.

What is most exciting about 2017 trends is the playfulness artists will be able to incorporate into the packaging. One of the trends that will be getting lots of traction is carefully designed windows to show off your product. Whether it was food or coffees, the high quality of your product should be clearly displayed. A window can serve a few purposes; it can be used to observe the product, could be cleverly integrated into a logo, form a funny shape, or even encourage physical interaction. These different purposes will pull the customer in and help them notice all of your high-quality products as well. If you are going to integrate windows into your design and have more than one product try to make this look a consistent across all of your products. The clever windows will help distinguish your brand, and give your customers a beautiful quirky package to display in their homes. These goofy designs are not just for children focused brands either, you can utilize windows in clever ways to attract millennial customers as well.

2017 is going to be an exciting and challenging new year for designers and producers to keep up with trends and distinguish their brand. Luckily this year ushers in a lot of new materials to be manipulated, more creative designs, and streamlined branding. Narrative strategies that were used in 2016 to simplify brands and pull on nostalgic feelings will continue into the new year and take on new and exciting twists for both you and your customers. Providing excellent, durable, and unique packaging will get your product flying off the shelf and into the homes of satisfied customers. Having an alluring package is not just for the shelf in the store, but can help market your brand online and create conversations in the homes of loyal customers. Promoting your brand through simple yet enticing designs will be not only a challenge for you and your design team, but also an opportunity to further shape your brand narrative.