Shape, Colour, Structure, and Context of Use Turn Packaging Into a Complete Graphic Design Project

A box, container, or display does more than hold or present a product. Packaging is also a visual communication medium where shape, colour, and various design choices come into play.

Packaging design, therefore, requires consideration of several dimensions simultaneously. What shape will the packaging take? How will its structure be designed? How will the graphic elements be incorporated? What environmental, cultural, or legal considerations need to be taken into account?

This area of graphic design is covered in a complete 60-hour course in CDI College's Graphic Design – NTA.1U program. The Packaging Design course explores various forms of packaging, including cardboard folding, boxes, containers, and point-of-sale displays, as well as graphic, environmental, cultural, and legal considerations.

What Is Packaging Design?

Packaging design involves creating packaging while considering its shape, structure, and visual presentation.

It is, therefore, about more than creating graphic elements that will appear on a surface. The packaging itself has a structure that needs to be considered in the design process.

The curriculum begins with the history of packaging before exploring basic and varied packaging forms. Students then examine different types of packaging and the design elements involved in creating them.

Why Is the Shape of Packaging Important?

Packaging can take many different forms depending on the product and the desired result.

The program explores cardboard folding, tubes, trays, rigid boxes, and corrugated containers.

These examples demonstrate why designers need to think beyond a flat surface. Graphic elements need to work with an object that has its own dimensions and structure.

What Role Do Colour and Graphic Design Play?

Once the structure has been considered, packaging also becomes a space for visual communication.

The course specifically covers design and colour considerations in packaging. These concepts connect with other areas of the program, including colour, typography, illustration, image editing, and brand identity.

Packaging, therefore, provides an opportunity to see how different graphic design skills can come together within a single project.

👉 Learn more: Colour in Graphic Design: Understanding the Essential Principles for Better Communication

What Is a Point-of-Sale Display?

Packaging design can extend beyond the individual container. The curriculum also covers point-of-sale displays, which are designed to present products in the environment where they are sold.

The design, therefore, needs to consider not only the product and its packaging but also how they will be presented together.

This area also connects with visual identity. The course on brand identity includes packaging as one of the touchpoints where an identity can be applied.

👉 Learn more: Creating an Effective Logo: The Principles of Visual Identity Design

Why Are Environmental Considerations Part of Packaging Design?

Packaging decisions are not purely visual. The curriculum specifically addresses environmental issues and trends related to packaging.

This adds another consideration to the design process. Designers need to think about packaging in a context where environmental concerns can influence project decisions.

The course, therefore, goes beyond shape and appearance by introducing some of the broader issues surrounding packaging design.

Culture and Legislation: What Other Considerations Come Into Play?

Packaging also exists within a cultural and regulatory context.

The program covers cultural and legal considerations, as well as legislation related to packaging.

This highlights how graphic design projects do not exist in isolation. The design process also needs to consider the context in which the packaging will be used and the different constraints that may influence the project.

Packaging Design: Bringing Different Skills Together

Packaging design demonstrates the diversity of graphic design work. It can draw on knowledge of colour and composition while also requiring consideration of the medium's physical structure, the point of sale, and the context in which the packaging will be used.

In the Graphic Design – NTA.1U program, this area is part of a broader education that combines technological, conceptual, and technical components and explores artistic production in commercial and marketing contexts.

Designing packaging, therefore, provides an opportunity to understand how form, visual communication, and practical considerations can come together within a single design project.

FAQ

1. What is packaging design?
Packaging design involves shaping the packaging's structure and visual presentation, considering the product, its context, and the project's requirements.

2. What types of packaging are covered in the Graphic Design – NTA.1U program?
The curriculum covers cardboard folding, tubes, trays, rigid boxes, corrugated containers, and point-of-sale displays.

3. Does packaging design consider factors beyond appearance?
Yes. The course also covers environmental issues and trends, as well as cultural and legal considerations related to packaging.

Explore Further

👉 Graphic Design: Understanding the Field and Career Opportunities

👉 Advertising Design: Capturing Attention and Communicating a Message

👉 Graphic Design at the Heart of Business Communications

👉 Learn More About CDI College's Graphic Design – NTA.1U Program