Mistakes that are frequently made when working on structural packaging projects from Gerald Bell's blog

Regardless of the category, from beer to household cleaning products, brand owners will be looking for ways to make their packaging more valuable beyond the point of sale experience. It is the best brands that achieve this by enhancing and expanding their customers' experiences in unique, meaningful, and long-lasting ways – for example, by thoughtfully including ergonomic and functional benefits or by addressing environmental sustainability issues. The importance of structural packaging has arguably never been more prominent on the agendas of brand owners and consumers.
 

1. Assuming that the chosen graphic design firm has 3D expertise
 

The skills and approaches that are required to ensure effective structural packaging and an enhanced consumer experience are numerous and diverse, but to be honest, only a small number of branding companies that specialize in 2D branding possess them in their full capacity. Although clients seek convenience and prefer a "one-stop-shop," they will readily invest in the enthusiasm their go-to agency displays for the 3D opportunity – and you can't really blame that agency for believing in their ability and relishing the challenge – but it so often turns out to be outside of their comfort zone, as in the case of the aforementioned client.What is the difference between single and double cardboard boxe.

 

2. Believing that 3D project timelines and budgets are comparable to 2D project timelines and budgets
 

Once the final design has been approved, 2D graphics projects can be implemented and launched in a relatively short period of time. Because many brand owners are more familiar with such timeframes and because their minds are (understandably) often more focused on short-term goals than on long-term vision, structural packaging projects are frequently completed in a rushed manner. To achieve genuine and long-lasting differentiation, however, longer project timescales as well as a higher investment are required – not only to refine and develop conceptually, but also to translate those concepts into viable results through appropriate tooling and production.

Finally, in order to achieve meaningful success with structural packaging projects, brand owners must be realistic about costs and timelines, and they must not treat them as if they were comparable to 2D projects.