Prototypes and mockups are your best friends when it comes to ensuring that your packaging design translates from your computer screen to the real world! Think of it as your secret weapon to making packaging that truly wows.
Nailing Down Your Vision
Starting with a strong vision can help inform your entire design process. This doesn’t just mean the way the packaging looks. It’s also about defining your brand’s personality, your customer, and how you want your packaging to perform in the real world. Taking time in this stage to define and refine your vision can help ensure fewer packaging headaches down the road with packaging that both looks good and works hard for your brand. Need some help in that department? Check out our Branding Services to learn how our team can help!
The 5 Stages of Prototyping
Ready to see your packaging come together? There are a few important stages of the prototype process:
- Brainstorming: No rules just your initial ideas on paper. Draw a doodle, make a moodboard, or choose your favourite colours.
- Flat & Digital Designs: Once you’ve got your initial direction down, we get busy on creating the initial designs on a 2D dieline. Work with our in-house graphic designer or a designer of your choice!
- The Virtual Reality Check (3D Renders): An optional stage in our design process, our in-house graphic designer can create 3D renders of your packaging to show you how it might look in person. This gives you a better idea of how the elements might translate in the real world!
- The Sample Phase: Once you approve of the way your design looks digitally, our production partners create a physical sample. In this phase of creating prototypes, you can physically test your packaging to make sure everything’s just the way you need it! At this point in the process, you can make any necessary changes to your design (and the structure!) before mass production begins. This sample may not include all the bells and whistles (i.e foil, Pantone print) so you can focus on the functional aspect of the design!
- The Mass Production Sample Phase: One last check before you get your packaging delivered to your door. Fully fledged packaging with all the bells and whistles, this is the version your customers will receive!
What Mockups Really Reveal
We know that seeing your design on screen doesn’t compare to having your packaging in your hands. Physical mockups give you insights that a computer can’t:
Materials
How does the packaging feel? Is the paperboard too flimsy? If you’ve chosen a fancy textured paper, is this the tactile experience you want your customers to have? You get to experience these things before your customers do!
We know that getting your colours to print can sometimes be tricky. A mockup shows you if your designs and colours will pop or blend in to the background.
Durability
Packaging something delicate? A prototype can give you the chance to stress test the level of protection you’re getting (check out our drop test of Grumpy Kid Studios packaging for reference!)
Assembly
How easy is your packaging to assemble? Imagine you or your team folding or building these every day. A physical prototype can let you test the assembly learning curve.
Budget
We know all the bells and whistles can be enticing, but how much of that makes sense for your business’s budget? Mockups can help you see how much bang is really worth your buck.
Getting a chance to actually test your packaging can help you learn faster, giving you space to adjust your packaging as needed. That flap that won’t stay closed? That colour that doesn’t look as good as you thought it did? Let your prototypes tell you what the issues are! Creating physical samples can also be more cost-effective in the long run. Rather than blindly investing in thousands of generic bags and boxes, this going custom lets you take the reins with your packaging.
Your Prototypes and the Unboxing Experience
Creating a memorable unboxing experience is one of custom packaging’s many advantages. Creating a sample can help you simulate your customer’s experience with your packaging. Grab your prototypes and have someone pretend they’re your customer. Ask: can they easily get your product out of the packaging without struggling? Does the texture and feel of the packaging convey the quality of the product? If your product needs instructions, are they clear enough?
All these things can create share-worthy packaging that will catch not only your customer’s but potential customers’ eyes!
LeKAC x You: The Dream Team For Custom Packaging
We know that going custom with your packaging can be nerve-wracking. Working with a seasoned packaging partner like LeKAC can help take the stress out of the process. We don’t just do packaging–we’re also your one stop shop for all your branding and design needs! Work with our knowledgeable team to create packaging that will stun, all custom-made to order for your business’s unique needs. Ready to get started? Contact us today to speak with a member of our team!
