6 Steps Packaging Design Process at Richpack

Packaging is the silent salesman. It’s the first thing a customer sees, and it can make or break their decision to buy. It’s a powerful marketing tool that communicates your brand’s story and values. Studies show that 7 in 10 customers are swayed by packaging design. That’s why getting it right is essential for any business. But some brands may not know which stages a design project goes through, leading to inefficient communication and project delays. In this blog, we will help you develop an intuitive understanding of the entire design project cycle and steps and reduce doubts through the six steps of the Richpack packaging design process.

Understanding the Packaging Design Process at Richpack

Our six-step packaging design process blends creativity, strategy, and meticulous execution to bring your vision to life.

1. The Design Brief: Laying the Foundation

The design brief of how to design a package for jewelry is the compass for our journey. It captures your vision, requirements, and aspirations for the packaging. We’ll work closely with you to gather essential information, such as:

• The purpose of the packaging (protection, branding, or both?)
• Your target audience (who are we trying to reach?)
• Brand guidelines (colours, fonts, logos, and overall brand personality)
• Specific content to be included (product information, legal requirements, barcodes)
• Budget and timeline (setting realistic expectations)

A clear and comprehensive brief ensures we’re all on the same page from the outset.

2. Research: Knowing Your Market

We’ll then embark on a research phase to understand your market, competitors, and target audience.

2.1 Client Research

In customer research, we will deeply understand the history of jewelry brands. Asking about the time when the brand was founded and major events in its development history, such as whether there has been a landmark jewelry series released, this information may inspire our team to use retro elements or modern innovative elements in jewelry box design. For example, when we designed the custom jewelry box for EFFY, we focused on extracting the story of the creator and the jaguar elements for design, creating a creative and sustainable jewelry packaging that satisfies more consumers.

Secondly, we will understand whether the brand hopes to expand the high-end market, increase the young consumer group, or consolidate its market share in a specific region. If the goal is to attract high-end consumers, the packaging may be more inclined to use luxurious materials and exquisite craftsmanship. If it is aimed at young consumers, the design may focus more on fashion and personalization.

Of course, it is also necessary to consider whether there is a problem of excessive packaging costs, or whether the jewelry packaging is easily damaged during transportation, and whether the display effect is not as good as competitors. These issues will guide us to optimize the cost structure, strengthen the protection function of the packaging, and improve the display effect in the design.

2.2 Market Research

We’ll conduct thorough market analysis to identify trends, competitor strategies, and consumer preferences.

We constantly conduct market research to adjust the direction of our jewelry packaging design. With the improvement of environmental awareness, about 70% of consumers prefer jewellery products packaged in recyclable materials. Data shows that jewelry brands that use environmentally friendly packaging materials have seen an average sales increase of 15% in the past year. Therefore, we focus on innovation in sustainable design.

Among the jewellery brands favoured by young consumers aged 18-35, 45% use popular colour packaging. Secondly, we focus on specific target consumers and understand their preferences for jewellery packaging through surveys, such as whether consumers value the portability of packaging more, whether they like patterns or symbols with special meanings on the packaging, and their expectations for the packaging opening experience. These preferences will directly affect the design details. For example, in the design for the M & S brand, we combined popular colors with classic colors to maintain the traditional charm while attracting young consumers. Brands that adopt this color strategy have increased their overall appeal in the market by 20%.

2.3 Design Strategy

We’ll define a clear design strategy encompassing colours, fonts, shapes, and messaging, aligning with your brand identity.Our research ensures your packaging is strategically positioned for success. On the packaging, our design team will use patterns that match the brand image, such as brand logos, symbolic elements, etc. The brand logo is the core identification element of the brand and will appear in prominent locations such as the front and side of the packaging to enhance the brand’s recognition. Symbolic elements can be designed according to the theme and style of the brand, such as patterns with flowers, animals, etc. as the theme, to convey the brand’s unique style and emotional connotation. The pattern design should be simple, beautiful, and coordinated with the overall style of the packaging. We will also jump to our packaging strategy based on seasonal characteristics, and you can further read through this article.

3. Concept Development: Bringing Ideas to Life

With a solid understanding of your needs, we move to third steps of packaging designprocess, that is concept development, where our creative team brainstorms and sketches initial ideas. We explore different visual elements, considering:

• Colours
• Materials
• Shapes
• Typography

We encourage open collaboration during this phase, using tools like Google Docs, Canva, or Miro to share ideas and gather feedback. This ensures your packaging reflects your unique brand personality and resonates with your target audience.

4. Refinement and Feedback: Honing the Design

We believe in an iterative design process, refining and improving the chosen concept through feedback and revisions. We present multiple design options and work collaboratively to ensure the final design meets your expectations. We pay close attention to details like:

Our collaborative approach guarantees your satisfaction with the final design.

5. Prototyping: Visualising the Final Product

We then create prototypes of the packaging design to bring your vision to life. This step allows us to:

• Assess the visual appeal and functionality of the design
• Test different materials and finishes
• Ensure the packaging is structurally sound and meets your requirements

We can use online tools like Pacora to access packaging templates and die lines, ensuring accuracy and efficiency.

6. Print Production: The Final Touch

The last step in our process is to prepare the design on packaging for print production. We work closely with trusted printing partners to ensure the highest quality results. This involves:

• Creating print-ready files: Providing high-quality artwork files in the appropriate format (Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, PDF, or EPS)
• Accurate die lines: Ensuring the packaging is cut and folded correctly
• Correct colour codes: Using Pantone or CMYK colour codes for accurate colour reproduction
• Quality control: Overseeing the printing process to ensure consistency and adherence to your specifications

The result is beautiful, functional, and brand-consistent packaging that elevates your product and delights your customers.

Below we have compiled a six-step packaging design process table to help you better understand your progress and goals in future packaging solution discussions.

Conclusion: Your Partner in Packaging Success

At Richpack, we believe in a collaborative and transparent packaging design process that puts your needs first. Our six-step packaging design process ensures your packaging becomes a strategic asset that helps you achieve your business goals. 2025 is coming, and knowing the basic process; you can go here to find some new inspiration and create packaging with your packaging supplier to reduce the margin smoothly. Also, if you need customized jewelry packaging solutions or still confused about how to make packaging for a product, please get in touch with us, we will give you the best answer.