Specialist food packaging designs.
Bring flavour to your brand.
Creative effective food packaging design that gets noticed. Let’s eat!
Looking for an experienced agency to take your food packaging design to the next level? We’ve got you. At Engineroom, we’ve helped everyone from local start ups to established international brands discover and effectively communicate their brand personality and connect with customers via great food packaging design.
We can help with the entire design and production process: from branding, brand positioning, research concepts, on pack communication, design, structure as well as liaising with the printer to ensure the end result is a high quality production.
With over 25 years experience specialising in food packaging design we have worked with many of Australia’s well known foodservice and FMCG retail brands. At Engineroom, we partner with our clients to design food packaging that leaps off the shelf and into customers trolleys.
Effective food packaging design is essential for getting your product noticed and connecting with your target audience and yes, it is worth your time to get it right. In fact your brand and product is the final impression when it matters most - on the supermarket shelf. If you don’t make an impact, or communicate clearly, you will be overlooked.
Therefore it is important to realise that packaging is your final touchpoint.
Consider this…
As you can see, no other form of communication can claim such impact.
Is your food packaging design working for you or against you?
Do any of these problems sound familiar?
- Target consumers don’t seem to have any loyalty to brands and appear to be only choosing products based on price. Your product isn’t cutting it on an emotional or functional level.
- You've paid a fortune to a design agency for a fancy pack design, but it’s come back from the printers looking comparatively nothing like the design concept you saw on screen.
- You have multiple products and/or flavours but none of them look like they belong together or come from the same brand family. In fact consumers aren't even aware you have multiple products in your offering.
- After months of trying you managed to get a meeting with a store buyer but even so they aren’t interested in stocking your product even though it meets their category needs.
- Lastly, your packaging has so much text on it with the nutritional information, mandatories and product messages all competing for attention. As a result its busy and overcrowded and none of them are cutting through.
New Product
Development
Are you starting a new food brand? Launching a new product line? Eager to establish a meaningful connection with your customers? We’re here to help.
We’ll create packaging that communicates the features and benefits of your product and most important expresses your unique brand identity.
From target audience research to typography, legal requirements as well as packaging standards, we’ll guide you through the entire design process. The ultimate outcome? An impactful final result that in essence effectively bridges the gap between your amazing product and your valued customers.
Packaging
Redesign
Is your food packaging design looking dated, tired or simply off-brand? It’s time for a redesign.
Our expert team create food design that effortlessly embodies your FMCG products' benefits and unquestionably captures the very essence of your brand.
Be it a complete refresh, small design changes, an eco-conscious packaging overhaul, or even if you're unsure of your vision, rest assured that our packaging design team will collaborate closely with you. With the result that together, we will create an effective packaging design that distinctly sets you apart from your competition.
Range
Extension
Are you gearing up to launch new SKUs, broadening your product spectrum, or even envisioning a new sub-brand?
As you start on these endeavours, it’s crucial to maintain brand consistency. Our team will help your new products stand out from the crowd while simultaneously slotting into your existing brand family.
We’ll create effective, distinct product packaging that matches your current ranges and communicates your brand effectively. That is to say our experienced designers will ensure a cohesive, strong brand identity across your entire range.
Research
Concepts
Thinking about testing before venturing into the market?
We know the impact food packaging design can have on your sales figures. Significantly how even a minor percentage dip can cause a negative effect on your company.
With this in mind get real-world customer insights to drive your design and marketing strategy. We have extensive experience creating high quality, cost-effective concept designs. These designs capture the very essence of your products, enabling you to receive the utmost value from your consumer research. Consequently helping you to minimise risk.
Why Is Food Packaging Design Important?
Food packaging design needs to be thought out carefully to;
1.
Catch the eye and interest of consumers
2.
Effectively communicate the products key messages or benefits in an aesthetically pleasing way
3.
Connect to people on an emotional level - driving them to buy
It’s easy to forget how important food packaging design is to consumers. We eat and drink without thinking all that much about the packaging design but where would we be without it?
How often have you walked past an item in the supermarket aisle or shop display and it has jumped out at you enough to stop you to pick it up off the shelf to find out more about the product. It’s the look of the visual packaging design that stops us in our tracks and makes us want to find out more or pick up the item to purchase.
The food packaging design can make your food; look better, feel more premium, feel on trend, feel like you are looking after yourself, feel indulgent or even feel like an inferior alternative. Food packaging relies on our subconscious and our ability to connect with the food on an emotional level. In such a crowded marketplace your packs first impression needs to be positive if you are to be purchased over your many competitors. No matter how delicious your food may be, you need effective packaging to sell your products.
Top 7 tips for effective design food packaging
Food packaging design is a critical factor to consider when selecting a product, as the choices customers must make at the shelf can seem overwhelming. "Shelf impact" is any element of your product’s appearance that encourages shoppers to choose it over others. When you are designing your packaging, firstly think about what will draw attention and capture shoppers' interest to your products. What will make them stand away from other competing items? Potentially the colour or size of your package may be an important consideration, but in the end it’s about delivering a well-informed message about why your product is the best choice for customers. Futhermore, this requires a careful examination of shelf impact and creating the most attractive outcome for potential customers upon approach.
Here are 7 tips to designing effective food packaging that stands out, is appealing and communicates the right messages to your target consumer.
Do you know your target consumer, your competitors and how they measure up, relate to or are impacted on shelf against your existing product? Do you understand the category you are playing in? What your packaging design needs to achieve? Marketing goals and design objectives?
You need to see the food packaging design through shoppers eyes and create something that is relevant and engaging to your target consumer. It is important to be as creative as possible whilst understanding the decision making process of your consumer.
Details to consider:
- How impactful is the design?
- How is it differentiated from your competitors?
- Does the design have a strong visual architecture to ensure all elements are working together to correctly communicate your messages?
- Do you command attention on shelf?
Undeniably food packaging design and shelf impact go hand in hand. While considering the design of your product’s packaging, it's important to remember that it needs to be eye-catching and memorable for potential customers. Shelf impact is key to standing out from the pack among the countless competitors on store shelves. By creating a clear and distinct message about why your product is superior, whether this is through a bright colour palette or a timeless design. Above all take the time to ask yourself what will really make your product stand out from the competition and make sure that it has an unmistakable presence when customers wander through the store.
In light of so much competition on the shelf, consumers quickly judge and make purchasing decisions.
In short communication needs to be balanced with design to create an effective packaging design. These two elements go hand in hand to attract, engage and communicate on shelf. Focus on what matters most. And pay attention to the relationship between messages and combining like items to reduce on pack clutter. Direct no nonsense communication gets cut through, given that consumers make impulse and often subjective decisions about whether or not to buy food packaging.
Equally important to understand and consider the legal standards related to your product category. Standards depend on: the type of product, distribution and retail requirements and the country’s it is sold in. Food packaging design must always include; a full ingredient list, clearly labelled allergenic ingredients, nutritional information, product weight and recommended serving size as well as meeting the Australian country of origin food labelling guidelines. These elements are extremely important to get right, as you risk being refused placement, or pulled from the shelves if you don’t.
Although print and production is the final essential step to successful packaging by no means should it be overlooked or left until the last minute. As it can result in an inferior looking print result and thus in the consumers eyes, an inferior product. For this reason it can't be stressed enough that artwork set-up is a critical stage of packaging design.
Unlike the printing of brochures, packaging is printed on large presses with limitations. Packaging Finished Artists understand:
- the way the presses work
- how to talk the jargon with the printer
- lastly, how to set up your packaging artwork. Giving consideration to; print limitations, available inks, press tolerances, dielines as well as how ink reacts to different substrates.
Testing the printing of your packaging is a vital step to ensure consistency across your brand. In fact this has become even more critical with most printing now being done offshore in China.
As a result you are no longer able to physically complete a press check before proceeding. For this reason, to achieve the best result it is recommended your designer stay involved in the printing process. In essence think of production and artwork as quality control.
To get repeat business you need customer satisfaction and loyalty. Your customers need to trust you so you need to be authentic and reliable. Most important, don’t mislead them with inaccurate representations of your food on the packaging. Additionally, don’t manipulate your packaging design or format to make it appear as if you are offering a bigger or better value than what you actually offer. While doing this may win an initial purchase, it won’t lead to repeat business. No one wants their product to go viral for the wrong reasons. So above all focus on giving your customers the real deal and they’ll keep coming back for more.
At the heart of every great product is a compelling story and unique message attached to its origin and development. In fact the product is a reflection of its founders commitment and passion. Consumers today are increasingly drawn to products that stand out from the crowd, offering something different than what’s already on the market. Food packaging design can be used as an effective tool to communicate this point of difference and create a competitive edge. Designing creative and eye-catching food packaging is a key factor in showcasing your product’s unique story and communicating its point of difference to potential customers. This is because it not only helps to draw the attention of those browsing shelves, but also provides an opportunity for you to establish brand loyalty through clever design elements and engaging messages.
Food packaging needs to be practical as well as aesthetically pleasing in order to do its job properly. By investing time into crafting an effective food packaging design, you’ll benefit from a number of advantages. The right materials and shapes can protect your product in transit and also prevent tampering. Additionally, you'll want to make sure that your food packaging boxes design is the right size for the product it contains. If it's too large and takes up unnecessary space, this can increase transport costs. Alternatively, if it’s too small and isn't able to protect your product adequately, then this could be damaging to your brand reputation. As such, you should carefully weigh up the size and shape of your packaging to make sure it’s just right. Take time to consider all the factors involved, and you’ll reap the rewards.
FAQs
The cost of designing new food packaging will vary depending on the number of products, SKUs, packaging formats and dimensions. We’ll work with you to come up with a packaging design and materials that work with your budget, and as part of our initial brief, we will prepare a number of pricing packages for you to choose from.
The amount of time needed to create your new food packaging will vary depending on the number of products, the scope of your project and your particular design needs. Having said that, if you’ve got a particular launch date or deadline in mind, our team will ensure we have your products shelf-ready in plenty of time.
Absolutely! Food packaging design is only as good as the final result; that’s why we can handle the entire design and production process, from concept through to print. We always design FMCG packaging with print limitations in mind and partner with trusted printers to ensure our design concepts meet expectations when printed. Additionally, we can also liaise with your chosen printer if you prefer.
Time and time again we have heard stories from clients about how the images previous designers presented to them throughout the design process, didn’t match the final printed product. This is because in many cases the production aspect of the packaging design process is an afterthought. Leading to inferior print results and therefore an inferior final product on shelf.
Unlike artwork for simple print mediums like brochures or posters, the artwork set-up process for packaging is complex and requires specialist knowledge. We’ve printed thousands of package designs over the years, and we know how to get the best results by speaking the printers language, using the right print processes, inks, substrates and dielines.
At Engineroom, we’re not your average food packaging design agency. Rather than simply designing packaging, we partner with our clients to achieve their goals, get their products front and centre on shelf, and genuinely become an extension of their marketing teams. We help our clients effectively communicate their brand personality, and we can do the same for you.
So, why should you consider us?
- We’re laidback – Believing we are ultimately here to make your life easier, not complicate it. This approach means no high-pressure sales pitches and no intense back-and-forth or jargon-filled presentations.
- We speak your language – No need to stress about knowing your vectors from your pixels; we'll explain everything in plain English!
- We’ll dot the i’s and cross the t’s – Our dedicated team comes backed with decades of industry experience. Knowing exactly what mandatory information to include on your packaging, without compromising the design. Furthermore we know where to source barcodes and how to create them at the optimal size, the ins and outs of the Australian food labelling standard, and everything else needed to cover the legal mumbo jumbo.
- We know what works – Having conducted many shelf audits and revitalised hundreds of packaged products, you could say we know how to strike the right balance between creative FMCG packaging design and effective communication.
- We’ll become part of your team – Our commitment doesn't end when your products hit the shelves. We thrive on nurturing partnerships with our clients, guiding them every step of the way on their brand journey.
- We make it easy – A dedicated project manager will lead you through the whole design process. They’ll serve as your main contact, overseeing the job until completion and communicating with our design team, printers and your own team to deliver the final product.
- We’re a full-service brand agency – In addition to FMCG packaging design, we also offer branding design, and digital marketing and design. In essence, we're equipped to assist you with everything from websites to social media and your PowerPoint presentation to the trade or category buyer.
Absolutely! Consumers and Retailers often have chosen brands that they stick to, and it can be difficult for new food brands to break into an oversaturated market. The key is identifying what sets your brand apart and communicating it effectively with your target audience. At Engineroom, we offer full branding, brand positioning and key message strategy services along with packaging design and digital design – so we can take your brand from concept to shelf and even to selling online!
Here are some of the ways we can help launch your new food brand:
- Concept Development
- Branding
- Research Concepts
- Packaging Design
- Print Production
- Brand Application and Templates
- Website Design and Build
- Social Media Styling and Content Generation
At Engineroom, we genuinely care about your products success. We’ll do all in our power to ensure your brand has its own personality and puts its best foot forward. We’ll help you build a strong food brand identity that cuts through the noise and resonates with your customers.
Whether you’re producing snacks, oil, beverages, frozen food packaging design, ready-made meals, baked goods, canned food, shelf stables or large food service sized products for a range of 1000 SKUS or just 1 SKU we can help! Our designers have created food packaging for a range of formats including; pouches, wrappers, boxes, bags, tubs, tubes, bottles, sprays, bottles, you name it!
Additionally, we can also create unique, structural food packaging boxes design solutions to help you really stand out from your competition.
Yes we can draw up food packaging boxes design dielines for you in whatever format your printer needs. Not sure about the box closure, or how to reduce costs on production, no problem we can factor this into the dieline for you.
Here’s some real life examples of how we have brought our clients product packaging to life.
Point of Sale Case Study
Mentos Chews Point of Sale Design
Mentos was launching a new Chews range into the candy mints category called 'Mentos Incredible Chew'. The product was a long lasting, soft fruit chew that had 'True-to-fruit' flavours and no artificial colours or flavours.
With this in mind, the situation the brief was to create a concept for a key visual and a unique point-of-sale display for the new 'Incredible Chew!' launch that enticed customers to buy the product at different locations throughout the store.
The concept had to: communicate the product type (Chew) and the incredible, great tasting fruit flavoured experience. Display the three fun flavours available, as well as grab attention attract shoppers to the stand and look appetising. And perhaps most importantly make the consumer want to try the product.
Packaging Design Food - Food Point of Sale Design
Packaging Design Food - Food Display Design
Deliverables:
- Concept Development
- Point Of Sale
- Structural Design
Real Fruit Taste
This concept really played up the true-to-fruit taste. It suggested the product was grown alongside the fruit on the vines or trees. We wanted the key visual and point-of-sale display to have a natural outdoor feel to illustrate the 'all natural', 'no artificial colours or flavours'. In contrast the wobbler designs utilised the strong hit of colour to emphasise the three different flavours.
Long Lasting Flavour
This concept played on the product type - a chew with long lasting flavour. It highlights the fun flavours available in a "Willy Wonka" style concept. As shown above, the twisted shapes combined with the fruit visuals help communicate the chewy format along with the great tasting, fruit flavoured experience. The colour blocking creates a POS display which has high impact, at the same time allowing for multiple messages.
Incredible Chew
There is no mistaking this product is a chew! This concept makes it clear that the product is differentiated to standard mentos - it is NOT gum. The bulging treatment of the type, pack visuals together with the flavour imagery helps communicate the flavour hit!
Packaging Redesign Case Study
Azalea Grapeseed Oils Packaging Redesign
Deoleo briefed us to redesign Azalea Grapeseed Oil. The specialty oil segment within the cooking oil category is growing and market research found the Azalea brand had the potential to further grow the category and its market share through a repositioning. From our discover phase we determined the products 100% Pure positioning needed to be at the heart of the brand repositioning.
Specialty oils within the cooking oil category is growing, and market research found that the Azalea brand had the potential to further grow the category and increase its market share through repositioning and product innovation.
Furthermore, the consumer drivers for speciality oils are health, convenience, naturalness, culinary, and exotic appeal. As a result, the Deoleo team was motivated to develop the new positioning, Azalea - 'Culinary Oils From Nature's Pantry'. In line with their long-term growth plan and ambition for the brand to have a full Azalea range within specialty oils.
Given that the existing Azalea Grapeseed Oil bottle and label had remained unchanged for years, there was a lack of modernity and as a result, standout on-shelf. In contrast the insights from the research identified Azalea as a conceivable category leader in Grapeseed. Thus it became evident that a uniform and contemporary look for the brand would be necessary to be able to broaden the portfolio to other specialist oil offerings. Being the only Grapeseed oil brand in Woolworths, Azalea also had the potential to attract new consumers and in addition encourage the switch from other cooking oils.
The Solution
We crafted a packaging design concept that radiates vibrancy and a healthy, natural feel. This was complemented by stunning photography and a minimal design. To achieve this, we drew inspiration from adjacent categories, such as beverages. Our team created a design that introduced a distinct front label and incorporated grape imagery on the reverse side of the back label. This was a pioneering concept within the oil category. To execute this, Engineroom directed the photoshoot, ensuring a visually captivating bunch of grapes was captured and aligned perfectly with the design.
Given the significant opportunity for Azalea to serve as the overarching brand for Deoleo in the specialty healthy oil market, Engineroom also strongly recommended an evolution of the Azalea logo for a more modern appearance. At this time it was essential that the identity aligned with the brand's natural essence. Collaborating with a skilled typographer, our team refined the Azalea mark, resulting in an exquisitely hand-crafted logo that harmonises seamlessly with the brand's core proposition.
Results
The result is a packaging design that stands out like no other culinary oil on the supermarket shelf within the specialty oil category. The combination of the uniqueness of the bottle labelling coupled with beautiful imagery balanced against a new brand mark that reflects a more natural, crafted and own-able positioning, has resulted in an extremely successful relaunch for the brand.
Packaging Design Food - Food Branding Design
Packaging Design Food - Food Label Design
Testimonial
“We launched the rebranded packaging for the Azalea range in August 2018. We are certain that it had a positive benefit. The unit sales of Azalea in first quarter following the pack update were 46% higher than the corresponding quarter the year before. For the full year following the pack change unit sales were 64% higher than the previous year.”
Lorna Thomson
Deoleo Marketing Manager – ANZ
Deliverables:
- Concept Development
- Art Direction
- Brand Guidelines
- Logo Design
- Packaging Design
- Retouching
- Typography
- Print Production
Research Concepts Case Study
Allied Mills Artisan Bread Research Concepts
Working with Allied Mills and Woolworths we were asked to develop brand positioning boards that could be used in focus groups to encapsulate and communicate the inspiration and vision for each potential brand territory for a new range of Artisan breads.
As part of our brief we developed names, brand identities, brand / product story and packaging design.
In effect the concepts explored the areas:
- Traditional European craftsmen, baked in the time honoured tradition of the artisan baker
- Modern and Fresh with a simplicity of style and a slight European influence
- Woolworths Macro, sourcing better food choices
- All natural, simple ingredients
- Traditional with a modern twist
Packaging Design Food - Food Packaging Design
Packaging Design Food - Food Research Concepts
Deliverables:
- Concept Development
- Brand Strategy
- Discovery and Research
- Logo Design
- Name And Tagline Generation
- New Product Development
- Packaging Design
New Product Development Case Study
Bondi Organics
Bondi Organics approached Engineroom Design to create a unique and vibrant packaging design for their new range of Superfood Bars that captured their all-encompassing healthy vision and positioned them as a credible and trustworthy choice for both customers and distributors. We gave them a bold and eye-catching look that provided continuity for their range and differentiation between products and flavours. While our research gave us a strong strategic positioning that was relevant to their target audience and gave the brand stand out in its category.
In addition we extended Bondi Organic’s product offer with a range of plant-based organic protein powders. Simultaneously, we wanted to stay true to the flavour driven style of the bars, all the while giving the powders a slightly more masculine and clinical feel.
Traditionally, protein powders are typically positioned in the functional category, characterised by metallic colours and overt dessert imagery being the category norm. In contrast Bondi Organic’s organic positioning didn't align with this image. Instead, we opted for a subtle nod to the category using a hit of metallic in the icons and using simple illustrations that reference dessert flavours. As a result, this approach sees the design stand out from its competitors, while also sitting within the Bondi Organics product family.
Results
Bondi Organics’ product packaging sits boldly within its category providing an eye-catching solution which has ultimately driven sales since their launch. Feedback from customers and distributors has proven that their brand message is conveyed effectively, with the result that, the health benefits of their products are easily and quickly understood by the consumer.
Testimonial
“Our business objective was to convey a company profile that produces high quality, standout products within a saturated market. There was also a strong emphasis to drive the branding in a direction that was slightly daring and different to other natural/organic brands. These objectives were met and exceeded. Since our launch in October 2020 we have secured over 100 stockists and 4 major distributors covering both the eastern and western seaboard. We have collaborated with multiple social media influencers who were initially drawn to our branding and packaging. Distributors and major retail chains have told us that the reason they have taken us on as a start-up is due to the exceptional quality of our packaging design and that the packaging easily and effectively conveys the brand message.”
Codey & Alex, Founders of Bondi Organics
Packaging Design Food - Food New Product Development Design
Awards:
Transform Awards Bronze (Best use of packaging)
Transform Awards Bronze (Best visual identity in the Food & Beverage sector)
Deliverables:
- Concept Development
- Logo Design
- Brand System and Guidelines
- Packaging Design
- Range Extension
- Print Production
- Web Styling
