Packaging Design Trends to Elevate Your Unboxing Experience

If you have a product-based business, creating a memorable brand should be one of your top priorities. You obviously want people to recognize your products on the shelf, but you should also want them to genuinely enjoy the experience of receiving and interacting with your packaging. By making their first interactions with your brand unforgettable and special, they're much more likely to become raving, loyal customers.

Now you've probably seen lots of unboxing videos circling around the internet over the past few years. They're pretty trendy and maybe you like to watch them, maybe you don't. BUT the important thing that they highlight is how brands put in the effort to make that experience of opening their product for the first time more monumental. It's always more exciting if the packaging is filled with little details that show the brand's values and make the customer feel special. But if the packaging is bare, it just doesn't have the same effect, right?

Think about a brand that you love. What's their packaging like? Is there anything notable that they do with their unboxing experience that has made an impression on you?

If you're a product-based business and want to elevate your unboxing experience, we’re going to share some of our favorite trends with you! These are simple design tricks that you can use to make your packaging more memorable, along with some tips on how to implement them affordably.

Packaging Tape + Stickers

One of the easiest and most affordable ways to make a big impression on your packaging is to use branded tape or stickers. This allows you to create a totally unique design while avoiding the high cost of printing on the actual box. You can use bright, colorful stickers to make the unboxing experience more fun and lively. Or you can use transparent stickers instead to give a more streamlined, clean feel that mimicks a custom printed box.

Pro Tip
Use stickers or tape that wraps around the corner of a box to encourage more interaction with your packaging. By making the sticker wrap around the corner, the customer will want to turn the box and inspect every side. This instantly feels more fun as they explore each side and find new information.

Patterns + Illustrations

Of course, illustrations and patterns are an easy way to liven up your product packaging and make them stand out – whether it's on the shelf or on someone's doorstep. You can use them on the entire packaging or just as a small pop of color. Some common places to use patterns are tissue paper, packaging tape, and the outer packaging.

Pro Tip
To cut down on printing costs, you can keep the outside of your shipping boxes blank, but use a pattern for the inside. This allows you to only need printing on one side, making things much cheaper. But it's also a fun experience for the customer because the box appears simple on the outside, but opening reveals a fun surprise on the inside!

Fun, Cheeky Messaging

Another way to make your unboxing experience more memorable is through your messaging and copy. Many brands use clever (and sometimes customized) language on their packaging to make the customer feel extra special.

Pro Tip
Want your customer to feel a certain way when they buy or open your product? Maybe there's a quick message that you can place somewhere to help achieve that! Try and see how you can use copy to improve their experience and make them feel seen.

Minimal + Typography-Driven

If your brand needs to give off a more clean, sophisticated vibe, this might be the best direction for you! Sometimes less is more when it comes to packaging (and it can also save you money). By using a really beautiful font and clean layout, your packaging can still come off as super stylish.

Pro Tip
Embrace the white space! You don't need to fill every single inch of your packaging. Sometimes having some breathing room is a good thing and can make the overall vibe of your packaging feel more calming.

Eco-Friendly + Re-usable

Sometimes packaging can be wasteful, so it's important to consider how you can packaging your product is a sustainable way. There are LOTS of options – from recyclable materials to simply using less packaging. I highly recommend reading this blog post to get some sustainable packaging ideas.

Pro Tip
Rather than using materials that customers will immediately throw away, consider using packaging that they can easily re-use. Instead of wrapping your product in tissue paper or bubble wrap to keep it safe inside a shipping box, try using a fabric bag! (Like Parachute does in the photo above) This way, your product remains safe and the customer gets a nice bag to use so nothing is wasted!

There are so many options when it comes to designing your product packaging, but hopefully these trends have given you some ideas! If you want more packaging inspiration, check out my Pinterest board. And if you have questions or are interested in elevating your unboxing experience for your brand, I would love to chat! Feel free to reach out or check out my services page to see if we're a good fit to collaborate.