2014’s trends in packaging design: from recyclable to comestible, with second life, simplicity and white

Irinel Ionescu, Creative Director AMPRO Design Romania, detailed, for AdHugger, the trends that will be visible in 2014’s packaging design: recyclable or even comestible packaging, second life ones, solving problems shapes, simplicity and white, among others. More information, in the material below:

No matter how much technology evolved and will evolve, the packaging continues to remain mandatory for a long time, and packaging design will continue to be an industry and, as any industry, will have trends and particularities.

The responsibility trend will continue to be visible in packaging design with the apparition of more recyclable or even comestible packaging options.

We will see more and more “second life pack” packaging options that, beyond the functional role to protect the content, can  be used for another purpose after they are emptied: support for different objects or transform into toys.

Due to the technological evolution, we will see more and more spectacular shapes in packaging design, shapes that will solve usage, transportation and stocking problems and that will also differentiate the product at shelf.

At design’s level, most probably simplicity and white color will be more and more present on packages.

In 204, in a world of social networks, brands will launch more and more packaging “drawn by consumers”, as they like, which will see consumer getting more and more power in report with the packaging.

Speaking about online and digital world’s  development, I can see these areas will come with the most spectacular influences over packaging design during the last years, reason why I saved the best for last:

Truly, a packaging can be noticed at shelf with its shape, color and so on, but, in order to really amaze the consumer and to create a real tie with him, much more is needed!

After the try (failed try, in my opinion) to have a QR code on the packaging, starting 2014, the next big thing in packaging design is “Augmeted reality”, a technology that adds digital content to any kind of printed material, that brings practically the digital into packaging and creates memorable experiences with the brand.

How does it actually work? The packaging is scanned with a smartphone, laptop or tablet and, with help from a pre-installed app, the image on display looks exactly like the packaging, as it is in reality, but with added digital elements that interact with the consumer. For example, Lego shows how to build what’s in the box and how you can play. The characters on the packaging are coming to life and can speak to the consumer; practically, the possibilities are infinite.

So, after we brought packaging in digital, starting 2014, digital will get to come alive into packaging!