Packaging Design Trends to Look Out for in 2023

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Every year, we see new innovation in packaging design.

This year is no different!

While 2021 and 2o22 saw an emergence of minimalist product packaging designs, 2023 will further build on this concept through a variety of design considerations.

Typically when you think of high-value luxury packaging, the first thing that comes to mind is a rigid gift box. This article is not limited to that one type of box.

By utilizing these packaging design trends, you can create a premium experience whether you are producing a folding carton or corrugated box for your e-commerce business.

Remember, these are suggestions.

Be creative and take risks with your designs. It may be the impetus for success your company has been looking for!

Throwing it Back 

Bringing The 60’s Back

Have the 60’s ever really gone out of style? 

Some design trends are simply timeless. 

1960’s psychedelic designs have made a huge comeback over the last few months of 2022, so expect to see many more designs inspired by this time period in 2023!

1960’s designs remind us of a more care-free and fun loving time, which is just what consumers are looking for. 

With symbols of peace and vibrant colors, brands have the opportunity to shed new light on their products and address current social issues in a high spirited way. 

Wavy typefaces, funky designs and pops of color are being used to enhance contemporary products such as clean beauty and vegan foods, making this design trend incredibly versatile across many different industries! 

Carrying on the Y2K Trend

Although most of us remember the 2000s quite vividly, the Y2K aesthetic has once again weaved its way into pop culture, and the same goes for packaging design in 2023. 

The 2000s were obsessed with the future and technology and this was heavily reflected across nearly every industry during this time. 

So, it’s no surprise that the Y2K aesthetic has made an emergence in the 2020s, where once again the focus on innovation and the future of technological advancement is prominent. 

We are now slowly turning our attention to more nostalgic designs that remind us of care-free and easier times. 

With the use of metallic and holographic finishes paired with kitschy artwork designs, brands are capturing the controversial (and often laughable) essence of Y2K and sparking lots of nostalgia in all of our 90’s babies. 

Repopularizing the 1920s

Playing further into the trends of nostalgia, the 1920s make a huge emergence with Betty Boop and Popeye inspired characters (rubber hose characters). 

Rubber hose characters gained popularity in the USA during the 1920s thanks to the emergence of Walt Disney and have since evolved into more modern characters and illustrations that are gaining popularity in 2023. 

With the character’s playful and mischievous smiles and elevated artwork designs, rubber hose characters once again bring a sense of lightheartedness during a time that feels quite heavy. 

This trend extends beyond packaging into fashion and apparel with many designs featuring Mickey Mouse and other original disney characters! 

Exciting Typography Designs

Typography can define a design on its own, and this concept is not something to be looked over in 2023!

Text centric packaging designs have been an emerging trend over the last few years, but it’s safe to say it has made its way into the mainstream for 2023. 

With the majority of shopping being done online nowadays, consumer behaviour has shifted to much more fast paced decision making. 

Initially popularized by brands like no name, text is used to communicate the product’s intent without decorating it with unnecessary elements. 

This meets consumer fast paced demands in quite a simple and effective way. 

Rather than focusing on eccentric artwork, brands are utilizing contrasting colors to bring text to the forefront of their designs. 

Typography is a delicate and refreshing way to reinvent packaging on oversaturated shelves featuring abstract and complex designs. 

Minimalism Stays Strong

Further playing into simplicity, minimalism has been a key trend for custom packaging design. 

Let’s face it, minimalism is classy and timeless. 

Muted and monochromatic color schemes continue to dominate in 2023.

It adds a sense of luxury and peace to your branding while offering customers a high end unboxing experience. 

Minimalist typefaces paired with matte finishes emulate a timeless feel, which consumers enjoy time and time again across any and all industries. 

Flexible Packaging Design

Flexible custom packaging design is expected to be a key trend in the packaging industry for 2023.

This type of custom packaging design offers several benefits over traditional rigid packaging, including improved sustainability, product protection, and convenience for consumers.

One of the primary advantages of flexible packaging is its reduced waste.

Flexible packaging typically uses less material than rigid packaging, resulting in fewer resources required for production and transportation.

Flexible packaging is also often a more easily recyclable packaging type, and can be made from renewable materials such as paper or bioplastics.

This makes flexible packaging design an attractive option for brands looking to improve their sustainability practices.

Flexible packaging is also known for its superior product protection, which is especially important for food and beverage products.

Flexible packaging can help to extend product shelf life, reduce spoilage, and prevent contamination.

Additionally, it can be designed to offer a wide range of features, such as reclosable seals, tear notches, and easy-open options, which can increase convenience and improve the overall user experience.

Moreover, flexible packaging can be more efficient in terms of logistics and transportation.

The lightweight and compact nature of flexible packaging reduces the overall weight and volume of shipments, which can result in lower transportation costs and reduced carbon emissions.

Overall, flexible packaging design is a trend that offers many benefits for brands and consumers alike.

By reducing waste, improving product protection, and increasing convenience, flexible product packaging can improve sustainability practices while also improving the user experience.

As such, it is expected that this trend will continue to gain popularity in 2023 and beyond as brands increasingly seek to prioritize sustainability and enhance their packaging designs.

Bringing Artwork To Life

3D illustrations adding depth to designs is an innovative trend we can expect to see more of this year. 

This innovative trend brings your packaging design to life and adds extra shelf appeal. 

It’s definitely eye catching and will easily turn consumer’s heads when passing by. All in all, 3D designs may only be effective for certain industries. 

Drinks and beverage product packaging has been the most dominant industry to encounter packaging design trends in the past, with many wineries using 3D illustrations on their bottle labels. 

However, the need to differentiate on shelf as well as online now a days will likely push packaging design trends across the food, beauty and apparel industries. 

Interactive Packaging

Interactive packaging is a trend that leverages technology to offer consumers a more immersive and engaging experience through packaging design.

With the help of features such as augmented reality or QR codes, interactive packaging allows brands to communicate with their audience in a more interactive and dynamic way.

By scanning a QR code or using an app to access augmented reality content, consumers can unlock additional information about the product or brand.

This type of engagement can help to create a stronger emotional connection between the consumer and the brand by providing a unique and memorable experience.

Moreover, interactive packaging also enables brands to collect valuable data on consumer behavior and preferences.

With the help of tracking tools, brands can learn more about how consumers are interacting with their products, which features they are most interested in, and how they are responding to marketing messages.

This data can be used to improve packaging design and marketing strategies, resulting in more effective campaigns and better product development.

Overall, interactive product packaging is an innovative way for brands to stand out in a crowded marketplace and connect with consumers in a meaningful way.

By offering interactive experiences and collecting valuable data, brands can strengthen their relationship with customers and increase the effectiveness of their marketing efforts.

As a result, interactive packaging is expected to become more prevalent in 2023 as more brands seek to differentiate themselves in a competitive market.

Interior Packaging Designs

With product packaging, it’s really what’s inside that counts. 

Designs in 2023 will likely embrace this concept in a more literal way and feature the bulk of their artwork designs on the interior of their product packaging. 

This is especially true for the e-commerce industry. 

While it is true that we’re seeing more exterior printing on mailer boxes and regular slotted boxes, this is not a maintainable expense for many businesses as artwork designs are often compromised in transit. 

Beautifully crafted interiors provide customers with a sense of anticipation during the unboxing experience, adding to the impact of your branding. 

Shopping for many, has meant picking up that boring brown box from your shared mailroom or front porch. 

With interior artwork designs, businesses offer an element of surprise which becomes sharable content for their brand.  

Unboxing videos have gained a lot of attention over the years and continues to boom on social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok.

Brands will take more advantage of their unboxing experience to create sharable and unique packaging designs featuring interior printing. 

Sustainable Packaging

Sustainability and eco-friendly shopping has been a major focal point for a while now, but this concept will get taken to the next level in 2023. 

The use of raw materials has made an appearance in 2023, but we can expect this to be more dominant as product packaging design trends in 2023. 

Textured materials lets consumers know more about what materials are being used and how they are being sourced. 

With the great shift of consumer behavior to eco-friendly products, brands are working hard to meet sustainable packaging demands in their industry niche. 

It’s becoming pretty clear that sustainable packaging is a must in almost every industry, and what better way to showcase your initiative by offering customers an eco-friendly feel right from the beginning. 

Coatings and laminations were used in the past on otherwise eco-friendly packaging materials. However, this compromised the recyclability/compostability of far too many packaging solutions. 

Consumers are becoming more educated on the subject of eco-friendly materials, and the issue of coatings and laminations quickly gained traction forcing many businesses to re-evaluate their sustainable packaging. 

With raw materials, coatings are not required, in fact, it is encouraged not to use coatings or laminations at all in order to preserve the natural textures of sustainable kraft packaging solutions! 

Mono Material Product Packaging

Mono materials have become increasingly popular in recent years as more consumers and brands prioritize sustainability.

These packaging design trends are expected to continue to gain momentum in 2023 as brands continue to look for ways to reduce their environmental footprint.

Mono materials are often made from a single type of material, such as paper or plastic packaging, that can be easily recycled or disposed of.

This approach to packaging design offers several benefits over traditional multi-material packaging, including reduced waste and increased recycling rates.

In addition to being more environmentally friendly, mono materials can also offer a simpler and more cost-effective solution for packaging design.

By using a single material, brands can streamline their production processes, reduce their product packaging costs, and simplify their supply chain.

This can result in more efficient and sustainable packaging operations, which can be beneficial for both the brand and the environment.

Overall, mono materials are a trend to watch in 2023 as brands continue to prioritize sustainability and look for ways to reduce their impact on the environment.

By adopting mono material product packaging designs, brands can demonstrate their commitment to sustainability while also reaping the benefits of simpler and more cost-effective packaging solutions.

While 2023 continues to bring uncertainty, we can look forward to some fun loving and entertaining packaging designs across a wide range of industries. 

With nostalgic caricatures, bursts of colors and strong influences by easier and more fun time period, designs will progress into exciting and innovative packaging solutions for maximal shelf impact and minimal environmental impact. 

Looking for the perfect packaging solution to hold your products this year? We’ve got your back!

Browse our website and request a quote today to make an impact in 2023!

Catching and keeping customers’ interest is like a high-speed, high-intensity sport. It’s tactical. It’s fiercely competitive. And it’s incredibly hard to get ahead. 

In this ruthless race to the checkout, one thing brands must focus on is their packaging design. And one way to do this is by staying on top of the latest packaging design trends. 

Of course, design trends are ever-changing. And blindly implementing them for the sake of sheer trendiness is probably not the best game plan for your product or brand. Instead, use them as inspiration. As an insight into how people are thinking, feeling, and buying right now.

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Anyway, enough of pep talking (and dodgy sporting puns). Let’s dive into the top 12 packaging design trends of 2023, as well as what they can tell us about the modern day consumer. 

1. Sustainable packaging

Image source: Dieline

Remember how I just said that packaging design trends are ever-changing? Well, this one’s an exception, with more and more brands factoring sustainability into their packaging design choices. 

This comes as the result of climate anxiety which has seen people around the globe make a more conscious effort to be eco-friendly. These feelings are of course fuelled by the rise in social media. But with billions of tonnes of plastic entering our oceans every year, it’s definitely an important shift. 

But because sustainability is top of mind for so many consumers, brands often go about promoting sustainability purely from a marketing standpoint, without making any meaningful change. “Hacks” for how to reuse old packing materials such as bottles and shopping bags is a novelty, not a solution. 

The best sustainable packaging examples are innovative and authentic. They put substance above style, but often end up being naturally stylish as a byproduct. Some interesting sustainable packaging design trends include things like edible food packaging, downsizing, and minimalistic styles that save on waste materials. 

This example from New York-based clothing retailer, Bscly. This brand stands out from other clothing brands for all the right reasons. Usually, whenever we order clothing online, it comes wrapped in layers of paper and plastic packaging. But Bscly’s minimalist outfit kits come in their iconic sugarcane boxes, which are 100% home compostable. What’s more, sugarcane grows faster than trees, it can be harvested annually, absorbs CO2 from the atmosphere, and returns some nutrients to the soil as it grows. A clever piece of packaging design, for sure. 

2. ‘70s retro design

Image source: Campaign Magazine

Packaging design trends are usually in line with other trends, like fashion and interior design. Because trends are influenced by people and culture, so they often expand across different types of media. And ‘70s-inspired designs are everywhere right now! 

This trend is big and bold. Some of its characterizing elements include: 

• Warm colors like burgundy, mustard yellow, orange, and brown 
• Wavy artwork
• Squiggly brushstrokes and illustrations 
• Bold sans-serif fonts

This packaging design style has made several groovy comebacks over the past few decades, thanks to its bright, nostalgic feel. When people are looking for a boost, or a break from the bland, the ‘70s re-emerges as a popular choice. This design is funky and playful so if that vibe is something that could work within your brand guidelines, it might be a fun one for you to incorporate into your packaging. 

You’ll see this design trend on almost every supermarket shelf these days (especially now that you’ll be looking out for it!), but one of the most notable examples is Burger King’s rebrand. Its new logo is almost identical to the one it used in the ‘70s, as a wholesome homage to its heritage. Their new packaging ticks every one of the elements mentioned above, for a simple, uplifting feel. 

3. Hand-drawn aesthetics

Image source: McQueens Dairies

Personalized packaging is another thing that’s winning customers’ hearts right now, with people appreciating those little touches that add a human element to the things they purchase. The world is becoming more digital each day, and that person-to-person connection is something that people yearn for more than ever. 

One way this comes to life in the world of packaging design is with hand drawn, handwritten elements. Even if the product itself is mass produced in a factory far from the point of sale, a rough, sketch-like style can do wonders for the way it’s perceived and the way it makes someone feel when they buy it. 

Every industry from beer to cosmetics has been tapping into this style of custom packaging design to build trust with their customer base. But one of my favorite examples is from the alternative milk brand of the moment, Oatly. Its hand drawn typography and bold, simplistic illustrations give the sense that this is a small batch product. Which, with a whopping $722m worth of sales in 2022 alone, we know is not exactly the case. And yet it charms us just the same. 

4. Textured packaging designs

Image source: Dieline

Another thing you can do to help your product stand out (literally) is move away from the traditional, smooth-surfaced packaging that we’re all familiar with. This innovative approach applies various different textures into packaging materials to create an engaging and memorable experience for customers. These textures are achieved by embossing, debossing, and adding pores or grooves to add some extra dimension to the product. 

It’s easy to see how textured packaging is on the rise. Unique sensory experiences are highly sought after, and when a shopper sees a textured bottle or box, they want to pick it up and see how it feels. They pay attention to the packaging which in turn brings them one step closer to popping it in their basket. Plus, more satisfied senses means higher product recall. 

Another good bit of news is that while textured packaging designs can give your product a much more premium look and feel, they won’t necessarily make a massive difference to your packaging and graphic design project management cost. This is because most of these textures can easily be added to the packaging material during the initial molding stage. This will of course depend on individual suppliers and manufacturing quantities. 

This example from Honour Essentials, a brand selling premium coffee and coffee-based skincare, is a lovely one. It combines a minimalist palette and style with different textures for a wonderfully luxurious finish. 

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5. Transparent packaging

Image source: Amazon

This packaging design trend does exactly what it says on the box. It creates a sense of transparency between you and your potential customer. As a society, we’re always looking for honest and authentic brands. And being able to see the actual product before purchase makes people feel more confident about its quality. When it’s done right, transparent packaging will help build a stronger bond between your brand and your customers.

This design trend is usually most commonly seen with food and drink products as well as health and wellness. The clear space can also offer an opportunity to touch and smell products. Engaging almost all the senses, so there’s a fair chance no one’s licked your new pack of pre-sliced cheese. Yet. 

Like all packaging design trends, however, working with transparent materials is an art. And having a skilled packaging designer who specializes in creating designs that compliment the natural product is a non-negotiable. This cookie packaging example from Crimbles strikes the perfect balance between transparency and messaging. 

6. Minimalism

Image source: Bulk

Less is more. Enough said. 

7. Mascot variations

Image source: Bored Cow

This is one of my favorite trends on the list. Brand mascots have been popular for yonks. But until recently, they’ve mostly remained the same across all brand touchpoints, including packaging. They wore the same clothes and had the same stature. But now we’re seeing brands add variation to their mascot’s appearance between product types and flavors, with new clothes, movements, or attitudes. 

Bringing a beloved brand mascot to life is a wonderful way to put a twist on familiarity. These designs also often convey a fun sense of playfulness, like this example from Bored Cow. 

8. Wraparound designs

Image source: Bathing Culture

If you’re looking for a packaging trend that directly encourages customers to pick your product off the shelf, this could be the one for you. Wraparound label designs are tactically created to pique curiosity by having the product name, details, or patterns span around the packaging so that the full effect can only be experienced by holding the product and having a closer look at the full design. 

Wraparound designs also create a sense of freedom and fluidity by defying expectations that designs should fit neatly onto the front of the product. Taking things a step further, these designs become even more appealing to the eye when the patterns themselves come together and line up when the products are displayed side-by-side on the shelves. The chef’s kiss of clever design, right there! 

9. Big, bright colors

Image source: Packaging of the World

While minimalism is trending right now, so is the use of ecstatic colors. Grabbing people’s attention these days is harder than ever, with the world moving at such speed, and so many things competing for our attention. 

First and foremost,  these loud colors are there to get noticed. Packaging designers haven’t figured out how to make their designs talk yet. But if they could, this one would most definitely be shouting, “Hey! Look at me! I’m fun and exciting!”. 

But there’s more to this trend than meets the eye. There’s an emotional factor at play, too. Colors can have a profound impact on our mood. Brands are capitalizing on this to create an emotional connection with consumers, making them feel happy and uplifted before they’ve even opened the box.

10. Cartoons and comics

Image source: Design Week

Another style that’s been cropping up on our shelves is a kind of comic book design. I say comic book because the illustrations are often minimalistic, with a hand-drawn vibe.

And there are a lot of reasons why this is an effective design approach.

Firstly, this style plays with nostalgia – something that many Millennials and Gen Zers are fond of. For many of us, cartoons and comic books were a cherished part of our childhood. By incorporating this beloved style into their packaging design, brands can tap into something that really resonates with consumers on a personal level. 

Another reason is the way this style lends itself to storytelling, something which instantly helps humanize a brand. Using illustrations and character-driven narratives to tell your brand story and touch on different features and benefits is an engaging way to communicate with customers. 

And finally, this style allows the brand to appeal to a wider age range, as cartoons and comics speak to children and adults alike. 

11. Designs inspired by nature

Image source: Savon Stories

It’s a sad fact that with life moving at full speed, getting out in nature can often fall to the bottom of the to-do list. But humans have an innate connection to nature. And it can do wonders for our physical and mental wellbeing. As a result, people are on the lookout for alternative ways to reconnect with good old Mother E. So bringing natural elements into your product packaging could help you appeal to this type of audience. Depending on your specific product and brand guidelines, of course. 

These packaging designs also reflect society’s growing interest in clean, natural, eco-friendly products. For both personal wellness and environmental reasons. And at the end of the day, we’re somewhat simple creatures. Show us a box covered in leaves, landscapes, or earthy colors, and most of us will associate this product with nature. 

Industries like food, beauty, and homeware are leading the way with this design trend. But it can be weaved into any product category once it’s done in a genuine, honest way that’s authentic to the brand. 

Final thoughts 

In 2023, successful packaging design goes beyond mere aesthetics. It’s a tactical blend of innovation, sustainability, and emotional appeal. Embracing these trends while staying true to your unique identity and values will help you stand out from the competition and forge meaningful relationships with their customers.

I hope this article gave you a better idea of how consumer trends can impact packaging designs. And inspired you to strategically incorporate them into your next packaging design project. If you’re looking to simplify your packaging design review process, Filestage can help you out by streamlining your workflow for faster, more effective results. Start your free trial today.