I stumbled upon this blog post from Envato recently which featured the top trends of packaging design this year. I’ve broken these down and not included all because some aren’t generally achievable in NZ due to cost restraints. If you’re keen to read the full article head on over here
Full disclosure I dislike the phrase ‘trends’ I feel some styles will always work when it comes to packaging design and some just do not. Going against the grain for the sake of it never really plays out well - Just my opinion.
Illustration
Did hand-drawn elements ever go out of fashion? I don’t think so. They’ve been indicated as a trend however for this year but they’ve been prominent for years now. If the project suits of course it’s a great idea to incorporate something original.
Gradients
Now I disagree with this one, hear me out….I get it from a design and visual point of view BUT I’ve worked in prepress for a good portion of my 14+year career which means nothing to you but in short, it means I’ve prepared ALOT of files for print in my time to ensure a good accurate result and gradients are often the biggest issue. Certain print processes may be absolutely fine to reproduce these but please check what your end print process is before going down this road, avoid printing digitally as banding is nearly always an issue.
Handmade & Hand Crafted
Again did this ever go out of fashion? This is that kraft-type style of design (often making something look sustainable when it isn’t) if you can’t afford to go sustainable you can always look the part right?
Sustainable Packaging
There’s a real focus on this but to be fair that has been the case for many years, it has become more of a focus for the consumer however when it comes to brands they purchase being viewed as sustainable and the less plastic the better.
Personalised Packaging
This is one that has been generally cost prohibitive in NZ but another way to look at personalising packaging which is perhaps an even better idea is hand-written notes or thank you cards in your orders when you send them out. Takes a few seconds and customers really take notice of little details here so it’s a nice idea to try when you can.
