Put your customers at the center of your packaging design

• The focus of your packaging should be on fulfilling the consumer’s needs, not just showcasing your brand. Consumers are primarily interested in how a product benefits them and addresses their problems. This means your branding and communication should be clear, concise, and focused on the advantages for the consumer.
• The language and messaging on the package must be straightforward and spoken in a voice that your target customer resonates with. Something as simple as a thoughtful tag line on the break-seal could be the deciding factor in their purchase decision.The challenge lies in striking the perfect balance between giving your consumers what they find familiar and introducing them to something uniquely appealing.
• Do some parallel market research. What other non-cannabis brands already resonate with your audience? It’s vital to pop our heads outside of the cannabis bubble and consider our target customer’s buying behavior wholistically. Only when you truly understand them, will you be able to speak to their hearts and minds.

Specialize and differentiate from the competition

• Identify and highlight what sets you apart. Consider what distinguishes your product from the multitude of similar offerings by your competitors. What will make it pop on the shelves next to other brands? Study dispensaries and take lots of pictures. What’s missing? Where do you fit? What choices are successful brands making that sets them apart? During your packaging design process, ponder these questions to pinpoint what can uniquely define your product.
• This distinctiveness is crucial for carving out success in a market flooded with brands vying for attention, particularly when many products are barely distinguishable from one another.
• Reflect on the aspects that make both your brand and product uniquely valuable. Focus on these key differentiators and ensure they are prominently showcased on your packaging, both through visuals and words.

Future-proof your packaging design.

• Getting your product to carve its niche in the vast, competitive, cannabis market requires a significant investment of time and resources. Thus, it’s critical to design your packaging to withstand future changes, ensuring your investments remain fruitful over time.
  Consider your entire product range including products that are still in the pipeline. Consider your past releases and how they’ve set visual expectations. Your design should align with a broader visual strategy from the outset, allowing for continuity and adaptability in your brand’s visual presentation.
• If you plan for a marathon and gear your packaging toward longevity you will avoid many of the expensive pitfalls and hard lessons that have left many cannabis brands financially challenged and visually fragmented.

Establish a visual flow

• Give your customer’s eye an evolving visual experience when they see your packaging. Generally you only have one brief moment to capture their attention and invite them to learn more. Don’t squander it!
• Consider these three critical questions during the design process:
  • What will be the first thing that catches the viewer’s attention (the focal point)?
  • What will their eyes look at next?
  • Where will the viewer’s gaze settle last?
• Approaching your design with an eye for flow is invaluable. While you may have several elements to incorporate, focusing on these three key points can guide the placement of the remaining elements. Aim to create a seamless visual journey that prevents the viewer’s eyes from aimlessly wandering through the design.

Design with intent

• Color and contrast are powerful tools that must be used wisely. Consider the mish-mash of color and brands on the dispensary shelves. How can you be bold and unique without joining the noise? Unlicensed trap brands are infamous for design and color disasters. Make sure you’re intentional and thoughtful with your color and contrast choices.
• Simplicity sells. Minimalism has emerged as a leading trend in packaging design and this isn’t by chance. When it comes to packaging, often less is more. In our crowded brand marketplace, there’s a unique pleasure in simplicity. A minimalistic design approach appears sophisticated, refined, and welcoming.
• A picture says a thousand words. Put careful consideration into what imagery you add to your packaging. As most states do not allow characters, animals or visual images of the product itself, you have to get creative. Take gummies for example: You can’t use a photo of the delicious gummy, but you can use a mouthwatering image of the fruit flavor it represents.
• Keep it consistent. It’s vital that you offer a cohesive experience for your consumer among all of your product lines and packaging formats. You want your customer’s journey to be an easy path from one strain to another, from one potency to the next and across all flavors.