10 creative packaging design trends you can expect for 2019.
1 – Simplicity
This seems to be one of the oldest of all the designs around.
Keeping things minimal has been the order of the day for a very long time, and feedback from buyers reveals that this is not going anywhere, at least for now.
There is one dominant characteristic of the minimalist design that makes this a hard choice to beat.
That is the fact that it speaks to our intuition more than other designs.
Because the simple designs involve presenting signs and symbols that everybody can relate to, it may not be an easy thing to achieve.
The symbolism will do much of the explanation, and you won’t need many words.
It makes it easy for people to understand what the product is about, even without reading any explanation.
2 – Doodles
This is the design that speaks to our kid-side.
The fact is that whether you are 10 or 90, you cannot say that you don’t doodle.
When you incorporate doodles into the design, it covers a wild range of targets.
So, many people will still stick to it as one of the best creative packaging design trends in 2019.
Well-thought-out doodles will always have a way of softening even the hardest of hearts and putting smiles on the faces of even the biggest frowns.
They bring out the fun aspect of the products and often make people believe that the content will be as happy and simple as the image on the box.
3 – Pastels
The events and trends of the past few years are revealing that pastels are taking centre stage in packaging design again.
The fragile and feminine attributes of pastels bring out a sort of calming effect that the explosive colours cannot.
Because the pastels are less saturated, they give out a soft and pale effect that will bring in a warm and candid aura on the products.
Many people see this as a message that welcomes them to the products.
They prefer the ease it uses to get people to buy to the rush that the hyper-stimulating colour employs.
Many product managers understand this, and they will stick with pastels again this year.
4 – Movie Posters
This is one of the creative packaging design trends that do not go anywhere.
It has been there right from our childhood, and it will remain there for much longer.
The primary reason why this will always trend is that it appeals to a fan base and a huge one at that.
They include the casual sympathisers, fans by referrals and die-hard collectors.
When these designs are used on products, they evoke the same love, admiration, and narrative as the real movie posters.
There is a huge connection between the posters and the products.
5 – Outstanding Shapes and Materials
Many people will like to categorise this as extreme packaging.
However, the thing is that it is extreme in a positive manner.
This also has a way of getting to children and those that love works of art.
When you design your resin package like a sheltering tree trump, or your juice can like a bamboo segment, you wouldn’t need any other words to push the sales.
Just add the company logo design on it, and see the product move.
No one will ignore this packaging design trend in 2019.
6 – Photography
This is one of the evergreen packaging design trends, and it will always remain here.
The photo on the package will convey a complex visual image, and this can make even the most uninterested person to pause and look again at the product.
This also works wonders when creativity and uniqueness are incorporated.
Think of making your dog the cleaner on the package of detergent.
2019 designs will still see a lot of this, as it is one of the purest but highest selling designs.
7 – Vintage
Of course, we all know that the past speaks to the present.
With the vintage designs, we are made to remember the past.
It has a way of attracting us to products even when we don’t intend to.
Throwing back to the past reminds us of what was left behind.
In most cases, it looks at important aspects of our history and culture.
They become evergreen memories we crave to indulge in, and so, we stick with the products.
On another level, they talk about quality and make us think about sticking to tradition, integrity and passion.
So, 2019 designers will still use it to take us all the way back and make us fall in love with what they are selling.
8 – Flexible Packaging
Another type of packaging that is growing faster than others is flexible packaging, and it will take centre stage in 2019 and beyond.
Here, it moves a bit further from the images and writing on the package to the packaging itself.
This is growing more than all the other packaging formats currently because it comes with premium functionality, sustainability and branding.
What we are saying is that the brand owners are always happy to come up with a new and unique package design that fulfils such qualities like increased shelf appeal.
The packages are straightforward to store.
They can be opened quickly and resealed without much ado.
They are easy to carry around, and they have the quality to prolong the life of the products.
Above all, these flexible packages are made with less material.
So, they are very efficient to ship and can easily optimise the e-commerce aspect.
So, we are looking at a packaging design that reduces the cost for the manufacturers, while selling the products to the buyers.
On the other hand, they also serve multiple purposes to the buyers.
Some other qualities of flexible packaging that will make it the in-thing in 2019 and beyond are the facts that they come with compactness and their barrier protection are long-lasting.
Their carbon footprints are also very low.
You would have noticed that most of the products now come in stand-up pouches.
These are now made in fresh categories, and that is because they are easy to open and re-close.
9 – The Nutritional Facts Panel
Of course, this has always been there.
However, the order by the FDA that brought in some changes will always take centre stage in however people design their packages for 2019.
The new and updated nutrition facts panel will now include a declaration of the volume of added sugars on each product.
It is also compulsory for manufacturers to state the revision of the serving sizes from 8 to 12 ounces.
While the FDA has shifted the compliance dates for firms of different categories, many who will see no harm in complying from the onset will bring in these changes in their packaging designs.
So, we will see many designers capitalising on these to bring in some unique effects on their packages.
10 – Vibrant Gradients
Web designers will understand the need for vibrant gradients whenever it is mentioned.
In 2019, something unique will happen.
The flat designs will give way to the gradients in many packages.
Now it is good to understand that flat does not mean simple, and gradients do not negate simplicity.
The gradients have staged a comeback, and at the right time too.
So, we will see more colourful designs.
They will come in a combination of several colour gradients but mild and very simple manners.