Overview
A part of the package design industry is keeping up with current and upcoming trends for each season. Designing packaging trends includes research focusing on what colors, patterns, icons, materials, and more are trending for that season. Using this research I create a brand along with a mood board and packaging ideas to represent the trends for the upcoming season.
Trend Process
After researching, I choose a focus point and a selection of colors that will be the most prominent. I then design a mood board to help customers visualize the theme of the trend with the main colors. Naming the trend to correlate to the theme helps visualize it with the brand and it gives the packaging a logo so customers can see where their logo can go and how the packaging can be customized to fit their brand. For holiday, I created and designed two different trending brands because of the difference in colors and styles.
Below are my mood boards for the two packaging trends.
Design Process
When designing the trend, I gather some patterns and icons to have a variety of inspiration and ideas. I start with creating dielines and models of what packaging products I’m going to design before designing. This way I can create an assortment of different types of packaging and tailor the packaging to products appropriate to the season. For holiday, creating more giftable packaging items for resale and winter clothing/accessories are fit for the season. I usually try a few different patterns and colors on the different pieces to see what fits best, or to have extra options to choose which design will fit best to complete the collection of pieces. Having a good variety of the color palette and trending patterns/materials is important.
Trend- Stardust Soiree
Stardust Soiree was the first trend I created based on my research. It focuses on the glamour and enchantment of celestial designs and sparkling elegance. It emphasizes metallic shimmer finishes on richly colored matte papers for its luxury look and feel. Materials such as applied plaques, ribbons, and 3D printed foiling adds dimension and a more personalized, fancy unboxing experience. The palette focuses on luxury, with deep colors like burgundy, plum, and dark blue as the rich backgrounds to complement the silver and gold foils.
Take a look at my package designs for this trend! I’ve designed digital renderings along with photographs of the sampled products to see them come to life!
Below are a variety of my digital renderings that were sampled and photographed!
Trend- Humble Hearth
Humble Hearth is the second trend I created for holiday based on my research. This trend focuses on folk art and the culture with modern winter traditions. Nature inspired patterns are the focus of this trend, with the heart-warming elements of winter. Materials like velvet, tassels, and metallic finishes with natural papers and kraft bring together the rustic elegance of this trend. The palette features natural tones with shades that create a cozy winter’s night feel.
Take a look at my package designs for this trend! I’ve designed digital renderings along with photographs of the sampled products to see them come to life!
Below are a variety of my digital renderings that were sampled and photographed!
Sampling Products- Creating Flat Dielines
Once we complete our digital version of the trend, we order samples to have physical versions of some of the pieces for photography and customers to view the product better. This involves creating flat die lines for the products and ensuring the technical design of the product is accurate. For example, when designing a box, I need to create two flat die lines for the base and lid of the box, doing the math to add the top, sides, and inner wrap (bleed) of the paper wrapping the box so it is properly proportioned.
If the box were to hold a jewelry product, I would also create a die line for the insert and add the punches of what product I want it to hold. (necklace, earrings, etc.)
I also need to add notes with my die lines so there is direction on the size of the product, thickness of board it is made out of, materials to use whether it is a specific paper from a vendor or if a Pantone color is printed on paper, if any hot stamp foiling is needed, etc. Particular to this trend, I would need to source what ribbon I would like to use and write the source of that ribbon for the product.
