From Concept to Case: Designing Corrugated Packaging for Success

Designing successful  corrugated packaging is about more than fluting, board grade and graphics! The process doesn’t start with material choice or production requirements, but with a real and comprehensive understanding of the product, the brand, and the customer.

To gain an insight into the process and to explore the factors that influence our choice of materials and construction, we spoke to our in-house designer and packaging technologist, Balazs Barzca.

‘The first step in a successful corrugated design is to get a complete understanding of the product, the brand and the end user. 

How we protect the product, communicate the brand values and enhance the customer experience are all key factors in a successful design’

Here Balazs details the factors he always considers, to ensure his design solutions tick all the boxes!

Brand Communication and Customer Experience

Product packaging is the initial point of contact between the product and the consumer, the first thing they see and interact with on their journey with the brand.

Bespoke packaging should always reflect brand personality in terms of material choice, design, print and personalisation. A corrugated carton should be an extension of a brand, reflecting its overall communication strategy.

Functionality and Practicality

The primary focus of custom corrugated packaging will always be to protect and present the product. A bespoke corrugated solution should always meet the functional and practical requirements of the product and the consumer, in several key areas.

• Product Protection

A product’s weight, size, shape and composition will dictate the level of protection needed. Environmental factors such as temperature and humidity will also influence the choice of materials.

• Production and Material Optimisation

The right design will consider production requirements, machinery constraints and material waste to ensure the most cost effective and sustainable solution for customers.

• Packing, Handling and Distribution

It is essential that boxes can be assembled, packed and palletised with ease and it is important to consider whether this will be done automatically or manually.

Inserts and partitions ensure a product is secure within a carton or box, reducing movement and enhancing display, these elements should also be examined in terms of cost, labour requirements for assembly, and ease of unpacking for the customer.

Logistics, including transport method and distance to customer will also affect the level and type of protection that is required.

• Retail and E-commerce Requirements

Corrugated cartons are often designed to go straight from a pallet to a retail shelf. Easy opening features for retail staff, barcode visibility and impactful graphics are all options to consider.

For ecommerce products, effective protection for postal or courier delivery should be combined with a positive unboxing experience for the end user.

Sustainability

Material choice, optimisation and waste reduction are all key considerations in developing sustainable packaging. Innovative corrugated solutions are replacing more traditional protective materials ensuring customers can work towards their environmental goals without compromising on performance. Ease of recycling and adherence to the principles of the circular economy are all key factors.

Conclusion

Successful corrugated solutions are the result of a strong design!

By starting with an understanding of the product, brand and customer we can create corrugated solutions that do far more than just offer protection. The right carton or case can enhance customer experience, improve operational efficiency and help companies work towards their environmental goals.

At NPP our specialist corrugated team are on hand to advise and support you at every step of this process, from concept to case!

To learn more, get in touch with the team today: sales@npp.ie