Packaging design is an opportunity, one
that often gets overlooked in the day-to-day
crush of running a business. Smart brands
understand that beyond protecting the
products, exceptional packaging can also
create an unboxing experience that can
delight customers. “In our age of consumerism
and anxiety, any sense of luxury or personal
diff erentiation is a big deal,” says Isis Shiff er,
the founder of Spitfi re Industry, a New York
City-based industrial design consultancy.
Packaging can also communicate your
company’s values, whether that’s a
commitment to a seamless user experience,
sustainability, or a focus on health. Wellness
brands, for example, often use undyed simple
prints and plain, unvarnished corrugated
cardboard, an aesthetic that conveys simplicity
and transparency.
Below, Shiff er shares tips for harnessing the
innovative applications of paper to create
packaging that gives your product an edge
over competitors.
- Play with structure.
Paper is versatile. Capable of creating delicate
details, it can also be incredibly sturdy. When
smashed “it spreads the impact on a micro-
level to fi bers in all directions,” Shiff er says,
enabling paper packaging to protect even the
most fragile of contents.The key is to strategically harness paper’s
strength to protect a package’s contents.
Corrugated cardboard triangles are your friend
in this regard. When placed in the corner of a
package, they will absorb impact, protecting
whatever’s inside. Paper honeycomb, while
fl exible, is also capable of absorbing blows
from one direction. In some cases, the
packaging can even become part of the
product, such as a toy car company in which
the packaging doubles as the vehicle’s body.Furniture companies are experts at the
targeted deployment of cardboard to protect
their wares. A number of them have gone a
step further, manufacturing tables, chairs, even
couches from cardboard itself. These pieces,
which are assembled via a series of folds, are
easy to ship because they pack fl at.- Make it beautiful.
In addition to its functionality, paper is an ideal
medium for printing elaborate, eye-catching,
vibrant patterns, as its smooth surface allows
for the even distribution of ink. Texture provides
another opportunity to stand out, as does the
shape and weight of the package itself.
Top-shelf and artisanal businesses often map
out the unboxing experience so that every detail
enforces the brand’s aesthetic. A high-end tech
company, for example, can communicate its
products’ elegant, seamless design through
luxurious soft-touch paper and a lid that slides
open with a satisfying swoosh.- Consider the environmental impact.
The most common way to recycle paper is to
send it to a recycling plant, where it is broken
down into pulp and reused. The natural fi ber
in the box that arrives at your doorstep is a
valuable resource that makes more boxes.
Brown shipping boxes can contain a signifi cant
amount of recycled material.
Whenever possible, avoid expanded
polystyrene. While the material can be suitable
at protecting fragile objects, “you can’t compost
it, recycle it, burn it, or melt it,” Shiff er says.
“It just sits there.” Thanks to innovations in
packaging, it’s possible to replace expanded
polystyrene with more environmentally-friendly
options, such as paper.Shiff er recommends taking cues from
companies that have already made
sustainability an explicit part of their mission
and have implemented strategies—such
as using biodegradable plant dyes and
waterproofi ng coating—to keep packaging
from ending up in a landfi ll.3 WAYS INNOVATIVE PAPER
PACKAGING CAN GIVE YOUR
BUSINESS AN EDGE
Sponsored by//Branded ContentFor more information and ideas on
innovative paper packaging for
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