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Have you noticed the trend toward minimalism in the last few years? It’s pretty difficult to ignore as many online influencers share their tips for creating a simpler and more meaningful life.

Minimalism also deals with design. It may take the form of a home that is decorated with a minimum of fuss, emphasizing straight lines and sleek curves. Clutter and anything that is deemed unnecessary is cast aside, leaving plenty of space for beloved items to shine.

Minimalism is a movement in packaging design too. While some brands are emphasizing several bright colors, a variety of fonts, and eye-catching graphics, others are going in a different direction. Perhaps you have seen this as you stroll through the aisles of a store. Every once in a while, you’ll see an oasis of calm in a sea of colors and images. It’s restful, isn’t it? For the right brand, the minimal approach is the sensible way to go.

Now, packaging design is highly individualistic. If your brand’s personality is bright and bold, then your packaging absolutely should reflect that. However, if your brand places an emphasis on relaxation, simplicity, naturalness, or meditative calm, then minimalism may be the ideal choice.

Keep reading to discover more about minimalist packaging, then give Mid-Atlantic Packaging a call. Our designers can help you craft packaging that is simple yet sophisticated.

How Does Minimalism Apply to Packaging?

Choosing minimalist packaging does not mean that your packaging won’t be functional or that it won’t adequately protect the products inside. Believe it or not, your packaging can use minimalist principles and still perform its basic requirements.

Instead, minimalist packaging typically sticks to a few standards. Some of these elements may include:

• The shape of the packaging
• Colors used in the background, text, and images, which are usually soft or pastel
• Simple, understated logos and images
• Using only as much material as is required

Basically, minimalist packaging follows many of the same principles that a minimalist lifestyle does. It is all about doing away with the non-essential to make room for what is really important. In the case of packaging, this means highlighting your fantastic products in the best way possible while also providing just the right level of protection.

Let’s take a closer look at five of the elements that you can use to create minimalist packaging.

1. Emphasize Your Brand’s Logo

Packaging that is not minimalistic sometimes has a lot going on. This could include the use of several colors, competing font styles, a great deal of text, bold graphics, and complicated shapes.

Minimalist packaging is different. Instead of trying to advertise everything about your brand and its products on the exterior of the box or bag, minimalist packaging keeps things simple. Accordingly, the only text you may see on the exterior is your brand’s name or logo. Perhaps it is embossed in gold on a pale pink background. The look is stately, elegant, sophisticated, and uncluttered. With one glance, a consumer knows precisely which company made this product.

Remember that minimalism is all about focusing on the essentials. When it comes to packaging, your brand’s name or logo should definitely be at the forefront. This is a great way to help the public remember your brand.

2. Display Only What’s Necessary

To be truly minimal, it is critical to identify any unnecessary elements in your packaging design. This may mean not only choosing to focus on just one or two colors but also eliminating extraneous information from the label.

For instance, let’s say that you were selling a food product. On your packaging, you’ll definitely want to include your company’s name and logo. What’s another essential piece of information that the consumer might need? With a food product, the ingredients may be the key to consumers being able to make an informed decision. This means that it makes sense to include the list of ingredients on your packaging.

Before arriving at a final design, ask yourself what your customers really need to know about your product. Are they looking for something made with all-natural components? Is it important to them that your product is sustainably sourced? Answering questions like these will help you to determine exactly which information makes sense to include on your minimalist packaging.

3. Monochromatic Color Schemes

Some brands excel at emphasizing a collection of bright colors. It’s fresh, energetic, and bold. However, that approach doesn’t necessarily work equally well for other brands.

If you are taking a softer approach, then give some thought to a monochromatic color scheme. Let’s consider the case of one extremely well-known brand: Tiffany & Co. “Tiffany Blue” is a robin egg blue color that has been closely associated with Tiffany & Co. since 1837. Visit the Tiffany website, and you’ll see it everywhere. You’ll also see it throughout Tiffany’s stores and, of course, in its packaging.

That single hue has become synonymous with Tiffany, and it is an approach that certainly has been successful for them over the decades.

Tiffany & Co. is an upscale jewelry retailer, but they don’t see the need to make a statement with a lot of splashy colors. Instead, they focus on one time-tested color to act as a brand identifier.

When you choose minimalist packaging, you can adopt a strategy that is similar to that of Tiffany & Co. Choose a color that is representative of your brand’s identity and use it consistently on your website and social media posts as well as your brick-and-mortar locations. Just as critically, make that color the central theme of your packaging design.

Tiffany blue is quite bright, demonstrating that minimalist packaging does not have to be white or pastel. Still, don’t make the mistake of overlooking how elegant and sophisticated a simple white background can look with a sensational splash of color for your brand’s name.

4. Use Only as Much Packaging as Is Necessary

How many times have you received a package and been annoyed by how much unnecessary packaging material was included? From a box that is far too large to an excessive amount of filler material, excessive packaging is wasteful and unnecessary.

The beauty of minimalist packaging is that it is thoughtfully designed to do away with anything that is not needed. While this could mean extra colors or too much text, it also may refer to excessive packaging.

Why does it make sense to use less material when designing your packaging? Here are a few of the advantages:

• It generates less waste in the manufacturing process
• using less material cuts your packaging costs
• It helps you and your customers make more sustainable choices
• It’s more convenient to recycle

One of the most attractive packaging options in the minimalist realm is Kraft paper. This light brown, slightly rough-textured material is totally recyclable while also being attractive and versatile. If you are looking for a packaging option that supports your brand’s sustainable choices, then Kraft paper boxes may be the way to go.

5. Choose Clear Packaging or Cutouts

Many brands like to highlight their transparency to the world. They are open about the materials that go into their products, especially those that are sustainably sourced. When you choose packaging that is clear or that has see-through windows, you are taking your company’s transparent message to a literal level.

Who doesn’t like to get a peek at what they are buying before they open a package? With clear packaging, each one of your customers gets that opportunity.

One of the best advantages of using see-through packaging is that it lets the product speak for itself. Your customers can see what they are getting even before they buy it, so there is no need to put so much information on the label.

Tips for Better Minimalist Packaging

When it comes to designing packaging with a minimalist look, your options are practically endless. This can be a bit overwhelming if you aren’t certain what you want.

Here are a few tips that may help to guide your choices.

Successful minimalist packaging makes excellent use of white space. This means that the designer isn’t afraid to have some blank space, or even a lot of blank space, on the packaging. This may be achieved by compressing the brand’s name, logo, or other information into a smaller area. Rather than looking boring, this technique actually directs the viewer’s eye to the most critical information, your company’s name.

Other brands excel when they choose to highlight the value of their product on the packaging. Choose one feature of your product that sets it head and shoulders above the competition. Then, find a way to highlight it in your packaging.

Perhaps the best advice to give is to be bold when designing minimalist packaging. Make a bold claim about your product right on the packaging. It’s certain to catch the eyes of consumers as they wander by in the store or look at your products on a website.

Try Minimalist Packaging with Mid-Atlantic Packaging

At Mid-Atlantic Packaging, we help organizations both large and small design packaging. Whether you want bold, bright colors and plenty of text or a more minimalist approach, our design team can help you create the perfect packaging.

Visit our custom packaging page today to get a personalized quote, or call Mid-Atlantic Packaging for any of your packaging and packaging supply needs.