Whether you own a big business, a small business, or something in-between, packaging is a fundamental part of running things successfully. Product packaging serves multiple purposes. But the main purposes are to protect your product during shipping, catch the customer's eye, and be easy for customers to hold, open, and store.

Designing beautiful, functional, and protective packaging is the key to attracting customers and retaining them, but how do you create packaging that combines all three? Read on to learn some factors to consider when packaging products.

Factors To Consider When Packaging Products

The Design

When was the last time you took a look at a cardboard box? Usually, they’re plain and unappealing. Why look at a boring box when you can look at one that's colorful and fun? People shop with their eyes. If you want your product to sell, use packaging that will stand out on store shelves.

How do you make pretty packaging? By keeping your design simple but classy. Pick a complementary color scheme (think pink and teal or brown and an earthy green). You can also use appealing fonts that are easy to read, and don't forget to include your logo and other creative visuals to draw your customers in and show them what your product is about.

The Functionality

The next factors to consider when packaging products are functionality and accessibility. 

Customers won’t spend half an hour deciphering the text on the packaging—they're going to move on to the next product. Always make sure to choose a legible font and font size.

Make your packaging accessible to everyone, including people with conditions or disabilities that can make opening packages difficult (such as Parkinson’s or hyperopia). To solve this problem, design your packaging so there are multiple different ways to open it.

Is your packaging massive? Does it refuse to fold up? Some people like to save and store containers, either because there are valuable instructions on them or because they want to reuse them in the future. Consider making your packaging compact and easy to store.

The Secondary Packaging

Secondary packaging is a second layer of packaging that protects the primary packaging, which is the packaging that features your logo and appealing designs.

But secondary packaging is rarely colorful or fancy. It's usually pretty plain. It consists of crates, boxes, and shrink or stretch wrap. Your customers will see this kind of packaging on the shelf, but don't worry. It isn't the main focal point. Its main purpose (apart from protecting the primary packaging) is to let customers know that you've taken steps to ensure product integrity and quality.

Would you want to buy meat that doesn't have that protective layer of film over the top? Most likely, your answer is no. That's because that little layer of film—the secondary packaging—is what tells you that the product is fresh and safe to eat. That assurance can go a long way in convincing customers to purchase your product.