Packaging

With only ten days of the new year under our belts, we have carefully thought through our trend predictions for 2019. 2018 was a great year for package design, and we hope that the momentum carries through the Year of the Pig.

Nude Tones

Bold colors were a major trend last year, to the point where every color of the rainbow could be found in nearly any supermarket aisle. This year, in order to stand apart from a sea of vibrant packaging, some brands will play around with ultra-minimalism by sticking to classy nude tones.

Extravagant Illustrations

On the flip side, interesting and detailed illustrations are a great way for brands to develop their story. Since having a strong story is becoming even more of a necessity for brands, expect to see more companies trying this out in 2019.

Interesting Shapes

Brands have been experimenting with nontraditional packaging shapes for years, and innovations in packaging technology have only made it easier for them to do so. As brands search for markers of creative identity that they can own, shape can make for an intriguing choice.

Reimagining Weed Imagery

We called out this trend in our latest 5 Designs We Love piece. As CBD and other marijuana-related additives become more popular, designers are tasked with rethinking today’s users. Many of these products are premium, and their upscale consumers don’t mesh with classic iconography like Baja drug rugs or peace signs.

Dignified Women’s Product Design

Women have long bemoaned the fact that our products are often designed in an infantilized way. The “Pink Tax”, as its known, is a phenomenon that sees manufacturers making their products pink and slapping a higher price tag on it, making everyday items more expensive simply because they’re marketed to women.

In late 2018, the disruptive razor company Harry’s launched a sister brand called Flamingo. The overall design is simple, yet very elegant and mature – without a trace of shocking hot pink to be found. More importantly, the brand is priced equally to Harry’s main men’s line.

We’re looking forward to seeing what surprises 2019 has in store for the design community. With disruption being such a key theme over the past few years, we wouldn’t be surprised if some of the most transformative trends on the horizon are developments that none of us can imagine yet.