Global consumer spending on food products is projected to reach $20 trillion by 2030, according to Plant & Food Research study.
However, with so many options on the shelves, how will you make yours stand out and end in the consumers’ shopping baskets?
In this realm, the best packaging design wins.
In this article, you will find the best food packaging design examples to get inspired by and learn the steps of the packaging design process.
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9 Mouth-Watering Food Packaging Design Examples
These are the 9 best food packaging design examples of 2023:
1. Mirzam Chocolate
Mirzam Chocolate won our hearts over with this beautifully illustrated food packaging design the moment we saw it!
Mirzam is a bean-to-bar chocolate producer that puts the transparent chocolate making process into the focus of their brand identity, and as a result, we’re left with a spectacularly rich taste of dark cocoa and imagery to match.
Following a dreamy maritime theme, this design sparks curiosity the moment the customers lay their eyes on the package design. The background to the whimsical, somber artwork is, of course, the spice route that continues to inspire Mirzam.
Created by Backbone Branding, the chocolate package is a mesmerizing illustration depicting a boat on the water, traveling by the shores of Papua New Guinea.
The colorful representation of the starry night sky ignites wonder, as the hues flow one into another. On the other hand, the drawings of the map of Papua New Guinean culture and people seem to be hand-drawn and closely resemble antique world maps.
The beauty of this food packaging design lies in its fullness that somehow still manages not to become intrusive or over-encumbered. The design is effective as it inspires but doesn’t invade.
Overall, this enticing illustration is definitely worth its place on our list! This is a great example of a food package design that creates a puzzle of interconnected and logical pieces, where each element plays its part and attracts consumer’s attention.
2. Chocolocuras
Chocolocuras is a brand that offers various products including coffee and truffles with different flavors that range from chocolate to lemon and orange.
The company has invested in an outstanding food packaging design that changes once you turn the tap. Different characters replace their bodies where a policeman becomes a thief and a lion turns into a hunter.
Each package has different characters that make opening these products funny and humorous where the consumers get a feeling as if they were part of some game.
The design itself has eye-popping visuals and there is a mix of bold colors and bold typography to emphasize the flavor of each product.
The consistency in colors and the authentic illustrations make this brand stand out and reinforce its identity on the market.
3. Bozal Mezcal
Bozal is a brand born in the mountains that produces widely refined mezcals in the regions of Guerrero and Oaxaca in Mexico.
The name Bozal means untamed and comes from Agave, the wild plants used to make these drinks.
What’s interesting about this food packaging design is the custom made rustic ceramic bottles where mezcals are packed. The earthy colors represent the different varietals and give a traditional and premium feel.
The design is minimal yet modern and the heavily textured paper label represents the gritty soil where agave grows. It showcases the brand’s personality and tells the mezcal story.
It is clean and simple, with limited usage of wording. The combination of serif and sans serif typography add a luxury feel to these drinks
This is a great example where the packaging does the talking.
4. Good Hair Day Organic Pasta
For those consumers and designers who love great food packaging design, Greenomic’s Good Hair Day Organic pasta is a real day brightener.
This is an award-winning design made of paper that carries original Italian pasta made with natural ingredients.
The interesting series of packaging designs have two major goals: to attract attention and emphasize the quality of the product.
This is a successful branding of products that stand out on the shelves and bring consumers a good mood and even greater taste.
Good Hair Day Organic Pasta’s design teaches us that creativity and authenticity can make all the difference.
The wavy, curly and straight hairs emphasize the natural color of the pasta. They are combined with simple lettering and bold typography which gives a chic look.
5. Loving Earth Chocolates
Loving Earth chocolates are made from high quality and organic ingredients. In fact, the raw cacao they use is produced by the Ashaninka community of the Peruvian Amazon in Peru, which is the area where the cacao originated from.
This food packaging design uses bold natural colors that represent the organic side of the products and their premium quality.
Each different chocolate has big bold lettering that emphasizes the flavor and the cocoa row bean in the middle of the packaging drives interest while showing the nature of the brand - a key element that makes the company recognizable on the market.
6. ALE+WANG Cremes
ALE+Wang cremes are made from fresh all-natural ingredients and the big colorful illustrations on this food packaging design emphasize their incredible flavors.
These fresh visuals are the packaging’s main focus and the coconut milk splash creates a playful element that conveys a sense of movement and energy.
The bold natural colors perfectly blend with the big bold typography that emphasizes the products’ flavor.
This food package design is unique just like the products themselves that inspire a global connection that brings people together, as the company states.
With consumers opting towards more realistic and honest brands, the natural and fresh look of this design make these products attractive.
7. Willie’s Cacao Truffles
The award-winning brand, Willie’s Cacao, has launched a limited edition of truffles with dreamy liquid centers (raspberry, matcha and roasted green tea).
This rainbow of truffle delights results in a bold impactful and luxurious design that reinforces the brand’s identity.
The mystical creature illustrations bring magic and serve as seductive characters that allure consumers to choose these products.
The brand’s logo only adds to this food packaging design and makes a strong impression on the consumer, making these products stand out on the shelf.
8. RightRice
RightRice is a vegetable-based grain product rich in fiber and proteins. It tastes just like traditional white rice, but it is a low-carb healthier alternative.
Consumers can enjoy different flavors including garlic herb, cilantro lime and lemon pepper.
This cool food packaging design has a cut-out window that allows people to see the actual look of the product and it carries the form of a bowl of rice.
The usage of the black color combined with the big bold letters emphasizing the product’s name gives a feeling of luxury and the messaging above the bowl highlights the vegetable ingredients.
It's a minimalistic food packaging design that helps the company Betterer Foods expand both its reach and product line.
9. Gritz
Gritz is an Italian brewery company that produces beers with different flavors. They are stored in brown glass bottles with an unusual package design that tells the Gritz family story.
Each different bottle and taste represents a different face. The characters include the grandmother, the mother, the father and the wife who are portrayed in a modern and ironic style.
The story is interesting and says that the grandmother left her inheritance to Claudio, her nephew, to open a brewery - a dream that he long dreamed of.
This food packaging design consists of a handwritten logo and big bold letters with the names of the family that represent each different taste.
The illustrations of the characters are eye-catching and reflect the real appearance of the people.
This is a great example that has an unordinary packaging that makes the products special and attractive to the consumers.
Still not sure how to approach your packaging design? Let's review the basics.
What Is Packaging Design?
Packaging design is the creative process of outlining the exterior wrapping of a product.
It refers to the choice of material and form and the combination of structure, typography, colors, imagery and other elements that will make product containers distinctive and attractive to the consumers.
The primary goals of packaging design are to:
- Protect the product during transportation
- Raise brand visibility and define brand identity
- Drive customer interest
Ultimately, the packaging design functions as a branding tool that promotes the inside of the product, its taste and feel.
It helps businesses meet their marketing objectives, stand out from their competition and ultimately generate sales.
Packaging Design Process: Seven Key Steps to Consider
On the surface, the packaging design process looks pretty straightforward. Make a structure, add an illustration and slap some colors and text and hurrah - your design is ready.
If only it were as simple as it sounds.
Packaging design is a complex process that requires technical skills, strategic thinking and creativity to deliver a winning design that stands out on the shelf and ends up in shopping baskets.
From briefing to post-launch feedback, these are the seven key steps to delivering successful package design:
- Product briefing: During this step, the business establishes communication with a prospective package design company and gives an introduction. This includes the industry they belong to, the type of products they have, their benefits, the variety of customers they are selling to and how people buy the product. The business also provides specific requirements. If the product represents a brand, the company should give key branding elements like colors, fonts, logos, messaging and more.
- Research: The research phase helps designers tailor their decisions and inform their strategies. This research will provide essential information on competitors' strengths and weaknesses, strategies, audience needs and purchasing drivers.
- Concepting: The concept design stage can begin once your designers define the product specifications, review your competitor products and determine the consumers' needs. The next step is to consider all the elements like identity and positioning that portray your brand to ensure the design aligns with its identity and appeals to the target market. During this step, these experts will combine their creativity with their technical skills to deliver concepts that they will later submit for selection.
- Design review and refinement: With a few concepts created, you can go through package design testing and provide feedback. You, as a client, can request changes in terms of colors, fonts, imagery and other elements, so that the final design meets your preferences. The designers will then polish their work to ensure their artwork aligns with your brand identity and creates an emotional connection with the consumers.
- Print: When the final design is approved, it's time to bring the packaging into reality or print it. For this step, you might need to consider the help of a professional printing company.
- Market launch: Launching your new product into the world is the most exciting step of the packaging design process. Here you need to prepare yourself for several aspects, including how to deliver and display your product. Make sure you plan everything so that this process goes smoothly and you can avoid stress.
- Post-launch feedback: After the product release, you need to collect feedback from the market and your consumers to understand how the product performs and its successful package design. You can do this through online surveys where you will add questions regarding the product’s acceptance and sales.
Why Is Packaging Design Important?
Packaging design plays a crucial role in the success of any product on the market and it must balance aesthetics, functionality and sustainability considerations. By considering these factors, brands can create packaging that effectively communicates their values and engages customers while protecting both products and the environment.
Here are several reasons why packaging design is important:
It Attracts Customers' Attention
People are highly visual creatures and love aesthetic packaging that looks nice on their kitchen shelves. Visually appealing packaging is crucial because it grabs customers' attention. A great design catches the eye and makes consumers curious about the product, which can lead to increased brand awareness and sales.
It Differentiates the Brand from the Competition
As we mentioned, attractive design grabs customers' attention, but it also makes the product stand out compared to other similar competitors' products. This increases the likelihood of a purchase, especially in overcrowded retail offerings.
It Communicates Important Product Information
The packaging tells customers all they need to know about the product - for example, food packaging communicates ingredients, preparation instructions, nutritional values and expiration dates. This information helps customers make an informed decision about the purchase and build trust in the brand.
It Protects the Product
One of the primary functions of packaging is to protect the product from damage, contamination and spoilage during transport, storage and handling. A well-designed package will ensure that the product reaches the consumer in good condition, which helps establish trust and confidence and promotes repeat business.
It Reflects Brand Values and Personality.
Packaging design can communicate the brand's values and personality, such as its commitment to sustainability, social awareness, sophistication and elegance. A well-designed package can create a deeper connection between the customer and the brand, leading to brand loyalty and repeat purchases.
For example, consumers are increasingly concerned about environmental issues; packaging made of sustainable materials and utilizing eco-friendly practices can address these issues and appeal to customers who value ecological responsibility.
Creating Packaging Design For The Food Industry: How It Differs
According to USDA, in 2019, 20,062 new food products were introduced on the US market only.
The top five categories with the largest shares were:
- Beverages
- Snacks
- Bakery foods
- Candy and gum
- Sauces and seasonings
This number highlights the fact that the food industry is one of the most competitive ones.
So, designers who create packaging designs for businesses and clients in this sector will have a difficult task to come up with a unique artwork that stands out and attracts attention.
Food packaging is also a tricky field for one important reason - due to the nature of the product being sold and the safe and sanitary requirements, the packaging must undergo rigorous inspection and adhere to some strict guidelines.
But the huge array of rules and regulations that food and beverage product designs must follow didn't discourage the designers behind the brilliant packaging we presented in this article - and it shouldn't discourage other innovative brands, too.
Product packaging fulfills several functions. On the most basic level, it is there to protect and help transport our products -- in this case, food.
However, in today's world, the food and drink that we consume is so much more than necessary nourishment – it is a lifestyle, set of beliefs, a personal choice, the basic reflection of our individuality.
Because of this increasing shift towards health, wellness and balanced lifestyles, a proper brand presentation is imperative to fostering consumer loyalty.
After all, customers are far more likely to purchase from brands that share the same values that they do.
That, of course, means that the product packaging itself must define and express the product’s own character.
It is said that the best designs are not created through the use of a particular color or font, they are birthed and raised in the designer’s understanding of the idea behind the client’s product.
This means that designers, marketers and branding experts must also act as psychologists, observing and determining the characteristics that a product represents and figuring out the personality behind it.
The task of a product packaging design is to stand out from the crowd of similar products. That task is getting harder to achieve with every passing day.
Simply taking up more space or having the brightest colors on the shelf won’t cut it anymore.
What each design requires to be successful is a point of orientation, the center of attention that will draw the customers towards that specific food package design.
This center of focus is clear, simple, yet effective communication of the brand's essence and the proposition.
Takeaways On Food Packaging Design
In highly competitive markets like the food industry, design and branding quickly become a selling point of a product – the elements that will either make or break its success.
Companies today are well aware of this, and invest a lot of money in market analysis, material research and great visual concepts and package designs.
To be successful, the food packaging must be both functional and visually appealing. For example, there’s no point in having a glamorous wine bottle if it can’t be opened, right?
Therefore, when it comes to food packaging design, companies require plenty of experience and research before a product hits the shelves to ensure the perfect balance of branding, functionality and beauty.
Sometimes, we choose to buy the products simply because of the way they look.
In fact, many experts believe that packaging affects the buying process.
The influence of packaging is important and goes beyond our tastes in food, fonts and color.
It appeals directly to consumers' emotions - a hallmark trait of great brand identities that foster consumer loyalty.
And these 10 best food packaging design examples are compelling and innovative and they teach businesses a lot on how they can design products that convey brand personality.
Food Packaging Design FAQ
What makes a good food packaging design?
A good food packaging design must be visually appealing to attract customer's attention, it needs to be functional and easy to use. It is also crucial to have important information about the product such as ingredients, nutritional information and preparation instructions.
A good food packaging design must align with the brand's image and values, make the product stand out from the competition and consider sustainability and environmental impact.
What factors must you consider in designing the food package?
When deciding how to design food packaging, keep in mind that good food packaging design must have the following factors:
- Who you're selling your product to and what they like
- How your brand looks and fits in with the market
- Making your product stand out from competitors on the shelf
- Making the packaging user-friendly and easy to handle
- Following labeling and legal requirements
- Using eco-friendly materials when possible
- Balancing costs and packaging quality
- Keeping the food safe and protected
- Clearly communicating information about the product
- Considering how the packaging will be transported and stored.
