Think of it as the business card of your product. A nice packaging will not only increase the value of your product, but also improve the shopping experience of your customer. Knowing that t-shirts don’t usually come in packages will give you an advantage over the competition.
Think of your target audience
How old are they? What do they do? Where do they hang out? Knowing who your potential buyer is will help you clear many doubts.
Branding
This means that your packaging needs to tell your brand’s story without words. Anything from colors, to materials and font types can help you with this task. There are graphic designers out there who specialize in packaging that can help you bring your vision to life.
Materials
There are many different materials you can use for your packaging. When choosing a material you not only need to think about the visual aspect, but also the properties of your product – in this case t-shirts.
- Plastic: The most common. Almost 50% of all packaging is done with plastic and for good reason. Plastic doesn’t weigh very much, is easy to shape, it’s cheaper than most other materials and protects against most elements.
- Glass: It is sustainable, odourless, and versatile. The problem with glass is that it’s heavier than other materials and often times, takes more space.
- Cardboard: It’s durable, insulating, sustainable, and highly customizable. Cardboard, while wonderful, does not provide as much protection against the elements as other materials.
- Metal: There are many kinds of metal, but the most commonly used in packaging are aluminium, steel and tin. They’re durable, increase shelf life and are versatile.
Functionality
What is your packaging intended for? Is it just a pretty wrap intended to catch the customer’s eye? Or is it going to be shipped to the other end of the world?
- For shipping: This type of package should be able to resist a long trip: these include the elements and rough handling. If you ship overseas, you should consider if labelling in different languages is necessary. Also keep in mind that different countries have different policies on transport
- For display: This type of packaging is all about the eye candy. As we mentioned before, when people shop they hardly do any reading so your presentation should focus on the visual aspect. Is this just meant to be shown online? Or is it a special package you give to someone once they’ve made a purchase?
Final Words
Whatever your feelings may be, packaging is an important part of a brand that often goes overlooked. Don’t make that mistake. You only have one chance to make a first impression – it’s clichéd, but it’s true. Think of your audience, get advice from a professional, think of materials, storytelling and functionality.
