You might have come across a product whose label immediately grabs your attention. And even if you don’t really need the product, you feel compelled to buy it and check it out because the label is so beautiful. Or maybe you have to choose between two products of the same pricing and quality. You will find that the one with the more attractive label seems much more appealing. This is the power of product labels on people’s purchase decisions.
So if you’re designing a label for your personal line of products or a line of consumer goods, here’s what you can do to effectively create a stunning design that influences people’s purchase decisions:
1. Consider the message you want to convey – While you are working on your label design, make a list of content you want to display on the product label and how much information you want customers to see at first sight. Company name, product name and type should be your prime focus. At the back or sides of the label, you should be displaying information like expiration date, manufacturing date, barcode design, ingredients, materials, etc. In case of product safety labels, include text like warning, caution and danger depending on the nature of the product.
In this product label, the product name and type (maple syrup) is clearly visible along with messages like 100% pure, quantity, and care instructions that a buyer considers at the time of buying an item.
2. Consider the Container Size and Shape – Maybe the container is round or has square edges or maybe it has some texture to it. While picking any shape for product labels, you must keep in mind, that every shape offers a unique feature.
- Rectangular– This shape allows for more design space. There are two main types- rectangular with pointed corners and rectangular with rounded corners. While labels with rounded corners can’t be lifted up from the surface which means they stay intact on the container, rectangular labels with pointed edges are more likely to flag.
- Square- This shapes leaves more room for other design elements like images, text, logo and graphics.
- Oval– Labels in oval shape allow for less design space, but give an elegant look to the product. This shape is widely used by companies that are into food, beverage and beauty verticals.
- Circular– Circular labels are visually attractive and are used to advertise latest sales and discounts.
3. Keep the Product in Mind– If your product is aesthetically pleasing, you might want to make the label as small as possible so it enticingly shows off the product and makes people want to buy it. On the other hand, a less visually-appealing product may require larger labels that hide the actual product to an extent.
4. Choose Colors that Stand Out – You want your label to stand out from similar products. This means you will need to choose the colors appropriately. For instance, most people selling eco-friendly products may use green or brown for their labels. While this is in tune with eco-friendliness, you could try something different and choose colors that coordinate with the product flavor.
The best way to choose the right color for your product label is to picture it in the shelves. Imagine how it would look next to other products in its category. Will it blend in too well or will it be able to stand out?
5. Consider Using the Appropriate Texture and Material – Adding textures to your product label could have a huge impact on the quality of your design. But you have to choose textures wisely because metallic and reflective textures could hinder the readability. And rustic textures could work well with labels for handmade products, for instance.
In addition to this, the material of your label could impact the quality of your design. Decide on whether you’ll use paper or synthetic labels. Maybe if you’re selling eco-friendly products you could try using recycled paper for printing your label.
6. Prioritize on Readability – Another important aspect of your design is the font. You need to choose a font that is easy to read so that customers don’t have to struggle to read what you’re saying. Make sure you consider your target demographic because the appeal of different fonts could vary across various age groups. For instance, teenagers might favor a quirky and fun font but senior citizens might prefer clear and formal fonts.
7. Consider the Packaging Lifespan – Eco-conscious businesses are always making an effort to reduce their environmental impact. And this would apply to your product label design as well. If you’re designing a label for products with durable packaging such as glass or metal, people might want to reuse the container. So you will need to create a label that can be easily removed. Here, the label material and adhesive would play a role and you would need to look at the long-term effects of your choice.
What next? After you have chosen a product label, you need to consider the fact that your customers may have a different opinion from you. So even if you think the design is perfect, your customers might not feel the same. Make sure you follow up the launch of a new product label with a thorough survey in which people can voice their opinions about the new label. This will help you make improvements as necessary and enhance the appeal of your product label to your target customers.
Got any more ideas to add to this list? What did you think of the tips given here? Make sure you share your thoughts in the comments below.
