When it comes to packaging design, luxury brands mostly prove the most challenging but also the most satisfying for designers. This is because, from research and development to design and display, a lot of things are at stake in a fast-growing industry worth nearly 6 billion pounds in the UK alone.
Not only do agencies have to contend with the sustainability of materials and production expenses, but they also have to make something that looks appealing, feels luxurious, and stands out in a highly competitive field. And if that was not enough to deal with, designers also have to consider fashion trends, the present economic climate, and several other external factors that might make or break a product on the shelf.
Keeping this in mind, India’s top packaging company for luxury brands Packman Packaging is revealing luxury packaging design trends that will be huge in 2023.
Maximalism
As the world continues to emerge post-pandemic, one trend that is amazingly making waves is maximalism and all its glorious madness. A burst of color, pattern, and things that do not quite go together but somewhat work, this is a joyful response to the lockdowns and gloomy period of recent years. A burst of energy, it has found itself seeping into the luxury category more than ever.
Embrace your inner magpie to find comfort amongst the clutter, making a cocoon of visual chaos who believes contrasting unique styles and eras will be huge news in 2023. No longer do things have to match and be found in neatly ordered sets – there is more personality from products with a heart that have had earlier lives of their own. It is about blending themes along with playful irreverence.
Essentialism
But not all luxury brands are going big and bold, as some choose for a more minimalist approach. Whether that is a sensitive response to harder economic times or a recognition of our frazzled souls, essentialism is certainly on the rise in packaging design.
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Seeing several luxury names lean into the “less is more” way as the “ordinary every day is uplifted with meaning”, providing a “sense of delicious tactility, having considered timeless materials that are perfectly finished, where every element feels valuable and thoughtfully made – these are investment products to treasure and to care for.
Surrealism
Considering the recent events, it is no surprise that several of us are seeking escape. This is why surrealism is making big waves in luxury packaging with imaginative, awe-inspiring designs that spark the imagination.
As the pandemic, the climate crisis, and endless more polarizing stories fill up the newsfeeds, design appetites are turning to something a lot more fantastical. A joyous out-of-this-world escapism that presents a slice of wonder and surprising delight.
To assist with that escapism, luxury brands are introducing sensorial facets to touchpoints that immerse each sense further, whether smell, touch, or taste. It is all considered at the same level, and the design blurs and mixes them all in an eclectic and creative manner.
Naturalism
Once again, we are looking for homely comforts and a return to nature, probably in search of easier and calmer times. It is this urge for peace that is forcing our next important trend in luxury packaging, and this is naturalism.
Creatively considerate, to anchor ourselves, we are searching for the grounded quality of mother nature, embracing its earthy honesty that is full of warmth, abundance, and richness. From luxury beauty products and perfumes to costly candles and high-end beverages there is a “holistic, balanced method to design, having an authenticity of material that displays care and attention has purposeful meaning.
A few recent examples include a top-notch perfume encased within a recycled fiberglass material. Or perhaps a top shoe, designed with a circular mindset, knitted from “space waste yarn”, which is a cent percent recycled material.
Informatism
Having an economic crisis looming, buyers are undoubtedly watching their money. It is this sense of control over purchase choices that are driving this next luxury packaging trend. Informatism is regarding the design revealing all the details, giving every bit of data, numbers, and diagrams.
Mostly text-heavy and informative, those designs describe the experiments and spell out the hypothesis. The packaging takes one on the creative journey, making one appreciate the product they see before us today. It is innovation with a passion for sharing the spirit of the invention. Even though restrained, these designs are never dull; they ensure the focus stays on the vision realized.
Let’s accept it, if one spends hard-earned cash on luxury products right now, that added layer of credibility, transparency, and reassurance will assist convince you that you have made a wise investment.
One instance of this trend is the recent redesign of healthcare brands in China. Targeting to appeal to health-conscious buyers, it created a bespoke bottle and experiential packaging inspired by the medicine cabinets used by traditional Chinese medicine masters. This bold statement does not just serve to highlight the incredible health benefits of the product, but also the meticulous manner its precious ingredients have been sourced and blended.
Anarchism
How can any designer abandon the routine and create original packaging for luxury brands? One possible way is to throw out the rulebook completely. And that is perhaps why 2023 is set to be a year of anarchy in this segment.
There is a real swaggering attitude at play: The world is witnessing an explosion of anarchic, subversive luxury brands that are provocatively hacking the set rules and regulations. Disrespectful of conventions, they are mercurially rebelling and giving an irreverent, humorous take on prestige to cut through the expected. This is no secret that anarchy is mostly when the best creativity emerges – specifically, following too many years of “playing it safe”. The coming year is the time to go “all-out” and conquer new territories for clients.
Virtualism
How can the huge advancement in AI and VR not inspire luxury packaging design next year? Everyone has seen so much progression over the last year that designers will have to be living in a cave not to appreciate their dominance. Metaverse will present much inspiration, not only for luxury packaging design in 2023 but also for new methods of marketing.
The barriers of physicality will be abolished giving rise to exclusively digital luxury collections. Digital status symbols will be seen in photographs, satisfying experimentalists who look to stretch perceptions of reality. This trend will be particularly praised in luxury fashion and beyond as the most sustainable, accessible, and inclusive dimension of our future.
(Article by Mr. Gaurav Jalan, Founder, Packman Packaging)
