If you were to ask any packaging design team what the most important advancements have been in their field, odds are you’d get a lot of different answers.
Digital asset management, structural design solutions, centralized-project management tools – all these technologies and trends are doing wonders for improving the efficiency and quality of the packaging design process for brands across the world.
Brands recognize the importance of using packaging to attract consumers to their products on the shelf. As a result, there have been some great progressions within this area as more and more brands want to stand out in a crowded market.
One of these innovations is the integration of 3D design in the packaging process.
To illustrate why this is such an essential part of the packaging design process, we’re going to dive into the benefits of 3D packaging design solutions. But first, let’s break down why packaging is such a crucial component for brands.
Not Your Parent's Packaging
Don’t get us wrong; packaging has always been important when it comes to catching the eye of the consumer to spark an interest in purchasing the product.
But today, every single interaction a potential customer has with a brand is a chance to prove to a consumer that their product is worth the investment. Whether it’s a commercial, an ecommerce site, or walking by the product in a retail aisle, every moment is precious.
With the right package, a brand can leave a worthwhile impression, even for someone who isn’t currently shopping within that product category.
The packaging of a product is severely important, regardless of who the target market is.
Take a stroll down the toy aisle at any general merchandise store and notice how all the packaging is made to attract kids. The brightest, most eye-grabbing color combinations are used to convince kids to grab that one off the shelf and throw it in the shopping cart.
Move over to the electronics department and walk past the headphone section. Take a gander at the packaging these brands are using and notice how modern their designs are, such as the simple, clean look of Beats’ packaging. There is an inherent “coolness” to headphones, and it’s clear that headphone brands are trying to create that feeling with their packaging design, both in look and feel.
As you can see, the packaging is instrumental in not only helping consumers find your product in a crowded marketplace, but also for brand image.
Now, let’s talk about how 3D packaging design solutions can help you create the perfect package for your products.
How 3D Packaging Solutions Can Save Brands Money and Improve Efficiency with Their Packaging Design Process
Because packaging is having more and more of an impact on brand image and sales, companies are beginning to invest more in their packaging design solutions.
You can bet that 3D design tools are one of the more popular investments. Here’s why.
Easier to Visualize the Finished Product
If you’re not familiar with 3D packaging design solutions, they allow designers to clearly visualize how their package design will look in real life by viewing the image in 3D on their computer screen.
This makes it much easier for designers to have a clear view of a digital twin of the physical product. In other words, there is less guesswork, and brands can expect a more streamlined process with fewer interruptions and errors that come with traditional design methods.
Save Money By Limiting Failed Packaging Prototypes
Physical packaging prototypes that take too much time to make or don’t end up getting approved is another problem that 3D solutions help mitigate. Prior to digital technologies, many companies relied on their 2D designs to decide when it was time for a prototype of the package. The entire process was time-consuming, and if the prototype wasn’t perfect, it got rejected.
3D solutions allow you to greatly speed up that process and avoid spending money on physical prototypes.
3D Packaging Design Solutions
Studio
When it comes to 3D packaging, it doesn’t get much better than Studio from Esko. The benefits of integrating 3D packaging design solutions into your operations range far and wide.
Store Visualizer
Store Visualizer allows you to view and interact with packaging in a virtual 3D retail environment and collect consumer insights to anticipate how products will perform on-shelf.
WebCenter
WebCenter is the premier, one-stop-shop when it comes to collaborative workflow solutions for your packaging processes.
The solution will guide your team through the entire process of a single project, from content creation all the way through distribution. With WebCenter, you can do more with less time, simplify the view of project information, enable cross-functional teams to deliver content with improved quality, and cut back on mistakes, errors, and bottlenecks.
MediaBeacon
Having digital assets stored in various locations can dramatically inhibit collaboration and creates inconsistency across departments.
With MediaBeacon, you and your team will have a secure content hub in which all of your assets can be stored, making it easy for anyone to easily find what they are looking for.
