Packaging is where a product brand meets its customer most often. A redesign can make a range clearer, more appealing and easier to choose. It can also confuse loyal buyers if it changes the wrong things. This guide explains the stages of a packaging redesign and what to decide at each one.
When does a business need a packaging redesign?
Common reasons include a range that has grown without a system, packs that look dated next to competitors, a move into new stores or export markets, a change of brand identity, or new information that must appear on the label. A redesign is not always the answer. Sometimes a refresh of one or two elements is enough. The audit helps you decide.
Who should be involved in a packaging redesign?
Packaging touches many parts of a business, so the people who will live with the result should take part early. Late objections from production or sales are a common cause of rework.
- An owner or senior decision maker who approves the direction.
- Marketing or brand, who hold the brief and the brand guidelines.
- Production and procurement, who know materials, formats and suppliers.
- Quality or regulatory staff, who are responsible for label content.
- Sales, who hear directly from retailers and distributors.
- The printer or packaging supplier, consulted before artwork is final.
What does a packaging audit cover?
An audit is an honest inventory of what you have. Gather every pack in the range, in its current printed form, and lay them out together.
- Every product, flavour, size and format, with its current pack.
- The logo, colours, typography, imagery and graphic devices in use.
- Inconsistencies between packs that should belong to the same family.
- Mandatory information and where it currently sits.
- Packaging materials, formats and the printers or suppliers involved.
- Known complaints from retailers or customers.
Why does shelf research matter?
Customers rarely see a pack alone. They see it on a crowded shelf, often from a distance and for a few seconds. Visit the stores where your product is sold. Photograph the category. Note which brands stand out, which colours dominate and how products are grouped.
- Can a customer find your brand from a few metres away?
- Can they tell your variants apart quickly?
- Which colours and styles are already common in the category?
- How does your product look in a fridge, on a low shelf or online as a thumbnail?
What should you keep from the old packaging?
Keep your distinctive assets. These are the elements customers already use to recognise you: a colour, a shape, a logo, a character, a pattern or a particular layout. Losing them can make loyal buyers walk past the product because they no longer recognise it.
List each element of the current packs and ask two questions. Do customers associate it with us? Is it unique to us in this category? Elements that pass both tests are usually worth keeping, even if you refine how they are drawn. Elements that pass neither are candidates for change.
What is range architecture in packaging?
Range architecture is the system that organises your products on pack. It decides what stays the same across the range and what changes to signal a variant.
- Define the hierarchy: brand, product line, variant, size.
- Decide which element signals each level, such as colour for flavour or a band for fat content.
- Create a fixed grid so the brand and key information sit in the same place on every pack.
- Allow for new products, so the system can grow without breaking.
- Test the system across the smallest and largest formats.
A clear architecture helps customers and retailers alike. It also makes future packs faster to produce, because designers follow the system rather than start again.
What information must appear on packaging in Armenia?
Food and consumer goods sold in Armenia must carry mandatory consumer information, and that information must be available in Armenian. Depending on the product, this can include the product name, ingredients, net quantity, dates, storage conditions, producer details and nutrition or allergen information. Armenia is also a member of the Eurasian Economic Union, whose technical regulations may apply to labelling.
Requirements differ by product category and change over time. Check the current regulations for your category, and ask a specialist or lawyer to review the final label before printing. Plan space for this information from the start, rather than fitting it in at the end.
How do you test new packaging designs?
Before artwork is final, test the leading designs in conditions close to real life. Print mock-ups at actual size and place them on a shelf among competitors. Ask people who buy the category to find your product, to tell variants apart and to say what they think each pack contains. Watch for confusion rather than asking only which design people like. Preference is useful, but clarity on the shelf matters more.
How do print proofs work?
Packaging looks different on screen and on the actual material. Colours shift on foil, kraft paper, plastic film or glass. Small text may fill in. Always approve physical proofs before a print run.
- Agree colour references with the printer before artwork is final.
- Check proofs on the real material and, where possible, on the real press.
- Read every word of mandatory information on the proof, in every language.
- Check barcodes scan correctly.
- Look at the proof under shop lighting, not only in an office.
How should you roll out new packaging?
Plan the rollout with production, sales and retailers. Old and new packs will often sit side by side for a while, so make sure customers can see they are the same product.
- Agree a changeover plan that uses up existing packaging stock.
- Tell retailers and distributors in advance, with images of the new packs.
- Update product photos on websites, delivery apps and online shops.
- Brief your sales team on what has changed and why.
- Collect feedback from stores in the first weeks and fix problems quickly.
Our portfolio includes packaging for Marianna dairy products and Shoonch water, among others. If you are considering a redesign, we can start with an audit and tell you what we think should change and what should not.
