Questions to Ask at The Packaging Creation Briefing
In Malaysia, when a designer get a packaging box design job from client, some will just start doing the design without asking any question.
Without knowing more about the product and you just do a packaging box design, the outcome might not be appropriate and you would have wasted the client and your own precious time.
When you do packaging box design, you should make some enquiries that will help you with your design. It will help you to create a successful packaging box design and at the same time, simplify your work.
These are some questions you should ask the client when you do packaging box design.
1. What are the main features of the product?
You cannot sell a product without knowing what you are selling. The same goes for packaging box design. You cannot design the packaging box if you don’t know the product.
Getting all the correct product informations will give you a better idea how to design a packaging box that is best suited for the product. You can then identified the strength and highlight it better on the packaging box also.
2. Who are the competitors
In The Art of War, Sun Tzu remarked, “Know the enemy and know yourself; in a hundred battles you will never be in peril.”
If you understand what your competitors are doing, what are they using to sell their product? You can positioned your product differently to outshine your competitors.
What colour, design and font the competitors are using? Why customer choose their product? Understand all these and you can make your packaging box design unique and stand out on the shelf.
3. What is the Unique Selling Point (USP)?
USP is very important. It can highlight your product uniqueness and make your product different from the rest.
If the client does not know what is the USP. Discuss with the client what makes his product better than the rest. Normally the first answer that the client give. You can ask him whether that is the unique selling point of the product.
You should maximized on the selling point and highlight it on the packaging. It will make the customer identify what they need better and normally influence them to buy your product.
For example: Wall paint product. If the USP of the paint is dry faster. When customers need to do a fast job, they will consider your product.
If the USP is thicker paint. Customers will consider your product if they need to repaint the room with the same colour. Because the paint is thicker, it will safe them time on repainting.
4. Who is your target audience?
You cannot use a premium packaging if you are targeting children. Children will be interested in colourful packaging so that they feel that the product is fun.
You cannot make your packaging too colourful If you are selling an expensive watch. You should consider a luxury packaging box so that your target audience feel that what they are buying is an exclusive product.
If you are selling a sport item, you have to make it look exciting. Show speed and power in the packaging box design so customer feel that they are a sport man when using your product.
You must understand who is your target audience. Are they children, teenagers, housewives, executives or professionals? Gender male or female? Knowing your target audience are equally important in developing packaging box design.
5. What is the selling price of the product?
We also need to know the selling price of the product. If your product is more expensive, you should make your packaging box look more exclusive so that customer feel that they are paying a premium price for a good product.
You cannot have a low quality packaging box and make client feel confident about the product. For example coffee brand with label sticker. You cannot sell at a premium price if your packaging look cheap with a sticker.
If your product price is not very high, you should consider a more simple packaging box design so that the customer don’t feel that they are buying an expensive product.
6. What material to use for printing?
If you are doing packaging box for food product. You must ensure that the material used for printing are food grade compliance so that it is safe for food product.
If your product is environmental friendly, you should consider using recycled paper or FSC printing in order to show that your product is earth friendly.
Customers will appreciate the effort you put in using the right materials for your packaging box printing. They will remember your brand and always choose your product.
7. Is the product fragile?
When do packaging design and printing, you should also consider whether the product can be easily damage. For example: Cake can be easily damaged during transportation? How to make sure that it is still in one piece when you reach home.
Engaged packaging structural engineering and find a way to make sure that your product is protected during transportation. Used die-cut holder to ensure that the product will not be damaged so customer will not loose confident in buying your product.
8. Special print finishing
Special print finishing such as foil stamping, spot UV, embossing and debossing are common in packaging box design and printing.
Do discuss with your client whether they have the budget to do special print finishing. Sometimes by spending a bit more on packaging box printing, it will make your packaging box unique and eye-catching on the shelf.
Customers will be attracted by the special print finishing. When they picked up your packaging box and have a look, the battle is half won.
Conclusions
Talk to your client. Asked questions. Collect as much information as you can when doing packaging box design. A lot of time questions will inspire you to design the right packaging box for your client.
Client will be please if your packaging design can help their business. They will also remember that you do marketing research before you start work.