As this litany suggests, packaging can be a neglected aspect, if not an afterthought, of product development. This is understandable given that the packaging is the disposable part – the barrier, the protector or the bright, shiny advertisement surrounding what is actually consumed. It’s the product people buy, after all, not the packaging.

Or maybe not. Market research collected over the past five years indicates that there has been a significant shift in consumer sentiment, so today the vast majority of people say the design and materials used to package product influence their purchasing decisions. Of particular concern is excessive packaging, the kind that makes you feel like a climate threat to someone throwing all leftover cardboard, plastic, and styrofoam in the trash.

Brand experts say the success of a product today often depends as much on the creativity, usability and durability of the packaging as on what is inside. But since each of these attributes often comes at the expense of the others, packaging design is a delicate balancing act. Avoiding pitfalls takes preparation, anticipation and imagination.

“Product developers care so much about the product itself that they often don’t start thinking about packaging until very late in the product development process,” says Daniel Johnson, Chairman of the Packaging Sciences Department. at the Rochester Institute of Technology.

Rushed and neglected

As a result, things can get rushed as the launch date draws near. Details are overlooked. To save time and money, packages can be tested by technicians in a laboratory or by company employees in a conference room, rather than by people in real life situations. Removing the tamper-evident seal from a shampoo bottle while you are comfortably seated at a table is another matter than when you are wet and naked in the shower.

“We educate our customers a lot to see packaging from their customers’ point of view,” says Kaeo Helder, industrial designer at Red Antler, a branding consultancy in New York. just wrap it in plastic ”, but then you have this scenario where someone has their teeth in them trying to crack it open. “

If a product is typically used in the kitchen or bathroom when hands are likely to be wet, he says, perhaps design a square tray or a tray with divots that are easier to grip. Even better if it breaks the seal when twisting. The general shape is also important. Will the container fit where consumers are likely to store it? You don’t want a product that is too tall for pantry shelves or too wide to fit in a refrigerator door or shower cart.

It’s the little details that can have a big impact on sales. “We’ve seen this trend of businesses saving money by not investing in focus groups and instead bringing in a handful of interns to monitor social media and find out what people think about a news story. packaging solution, ”says Renee Benson, packaging engineer in St. Louis of CRB Group, an engineering, architectural, construction and consulting firm. “They don’t seem to understand that most people don’t complain. They just change their buying behavior.”

New product, old packaging

Another common mistake is not to consider the downstream effects of modifying an existing product, which companies tend to do every few years whether the product needs it or not. Ms Benson gave the example of a brand of disinfectant that added a moisturizer without considering how that might affect the packaging, which had a membrane valve in the dispenser made of a particular type of elastomer or rubbery polymer.

“When they improved the formulation to add more emollients, it made the elastomer swell, and then we had leaks in the field,” Ms. Benson said. “Because they skipped the step of examining product-container compatibility, it caused customer defect and ill will.”

The same can happen when a company decides to use slightly thinner packaging material to reduce costs and waste. It sounds like a good idea. But other aspects of the production line often rely on the use of the bulkier material.

For example, the temperature used for heat sealing may be perfect for the original material, but will fix the thinnest material so tenaciously that customers will have great difficulty opening the resulting package or container. Remember this when the effort of opening a bag of crisps sends them flying around the room.

Indeed, designers and engineers claim that innovation in packaging is often limited by existing machinery. Or, maybe the packaging has been like this for so long that no one can think of a better way. For example, paint cans, which are difficult to transport, do not pour easily, are difficult to open and close. “Something like a spout sachet would work better,” says Dr. Johnson. “But for an average paint company, changing a production line for a new type of container is a multi-million dollar problem. “

In addition, the entire supply chain, from delivery pallets to storage racks to mixers, is built around paint in a jar. But now, with direct-to-consumer e-commerce, businesses that cling to old and bulky types of packaging, be it paint cans or whatever, are asking for disruption.

Start disturbance

Packaging experts say internet startups have a chance to shake up entire industries based solely on crafting a better package. An example could be a series of small companies that now offer tube-less toothpaste in tablet form and packaged in small recyclable tin cans or glass bottles. It’s touted as better for the environment, and unlike tube toothpaste, you don’t have to take it out of your carry-on to show it to security guards at the airport.

“Brands ignore packaging at their peril,” says Patrick Llewellyn, managing director of 99designs, a global platform that connects designers with companies looking to create or update their packaging, especially now that Covid has led consumers to order more products online. “Previously, your shopping experience was mostly in a store to find and compare products on a shelf,” he says. “And now all of a sudden the box that arrives at your door could be your first experience with the Mark. “

Businesses should now consider the “unboxing experience”. Indeed, there are popular YouTube channels that show people unpacking a variety of products, from toys and electronics to everyday groceries, to vicariously enjoy the thrill of opening something. “It all depends on how you organize this unboxing experience. where you can open a flap here or pull out a piece of paper there and reveal something, ”says Red Antler’s Mr. Helder. “It’s like an archaeologist, almost, digging something.”

But again, it’s a balancing act. People want less packaging, yet they want the product to arrive in good condition. They want packages that are practical and sustainable, but also bring joy. They want a package that informs (ingredients, directions for use, expiration date), but they don’t want to be inundated with verbiage either. And now there is the added complication of creating packaging suitable for multiple supply channels, which have different prices and transit and delivery requirements.

Big brands increasingly need to develop different packaging for use in different retail situations, including dollar stores, convenience stores, warehouse stores like Costco, grocery stores, and online marketplaces like Amazon. “There’s a lot more packaging design going on,” says Dr. Johnson of the Rochester Institute of Technology. “Now is the perfect time to be a packaging engineer. “