Product Design Trends for 2021

Last year we saw how crucial eCommerce has been to our everyday lives. That’s not going anywhere anytime soon. With eCommerce, you lose the experience of juggling through multiple stores and experiencing curated brand ambiance, something that many websites just can’t compensate for. So packaging designers and business owners are taking their game up a level to deliver a piece of their branding right to your door.

The goal isn’t to replace the experience that stores have to offer but to adjust to the times and meet customers where they are now. It’s all about creating a fresh, more immersive feeling through the unique packaging trends of 2021.

Let’s go over some trends that are most probably going to shape the year 2021!

Illustrated Patterns

Patterns and illustrations can be more than just a decoration. They can expose what a product is all about. In 2021, you can expect to see a lot of intricate patterns and small illustrations on the packaging to complete one specific job: giving you a hint on what’s inside.

These Illustrations are often simplified or abstract, providing you with more of an artistic rendering of what’s inside the package. Let’s take an example of a photo of actual tortilla chips, the brand will decorate its bag with triangular patterns that are reminiscent of tortilla chips.

In 2021 you may expect to see packaging designs that use small illustrations and patterns in many different playful ways. There are only a few companies offering great product packaging design illustrations, so make sure to pick the best one.

Vintage-inspired unboxing experience

Vintage has always been a trend. You might wonder what’s different about it this year? The fact that the whole unboxing experience looks so authentic, you’ll think you’ve traveled through time.

In 2021, you’re going to see packaging that has an authentic old-school look and feel that is pushing things further by creating a complete and full experience. You’ll come across designs that look almost identical to something your grandmother would have used, teleporting you to a different era.

This means going beyond creating logos and labels, making use of vintage-inspired textures, bottle shapes, and materials. It’s no longer sufficient to give a package a few fun retro touches. Now the package itself has a feeling like it was plucked from a shelf that was frozen in time.

Packaging Dressed in Art

In 2021, expect to see various packaging designs where the packaging by itself is a piece of art. This trend is mostly gaining momentum with high-end products, but you can notice them on medium-range products as well. Creators are acquiring inspiration from paintings and paint textures by playfully integrating them into their design. The ultimate goal here is to erase the line between packaging design and fine art. Even a simple bottle of wine that will eventually be getting recycled is beautiful and unique.

While some creators love to acquire inspiration from the old masters, this trend largely draws from paintings that are abstract and fluid. The texture is the goal here!

Anatomical Drawings

Overall, 2021 is going to be greeted with packaging trends that feel way more ‘art gallery’ than commercial design that we’re used to. Alongside sharp geometry and fine textures, you’re also going to notice a lot of your favorite products wrapped up in designs that feel like they were pulled right out of an engineering blueprint.

Maybe it’s because 2020 forced us to pace down and re-consider what’s worth doing, or maybe it’s the feedback that for years, minimalism reigned supreme in packaging designs. Anyhow, get ready to see more designs with incredible detail that look and feel like they were drawn out and inked by hand for some ancient science publication.

Conclusion

If you’re planning on introducing a new product on the market or just spicing up a current product’s look - pack it up in one or more hot trends. Great packaging design excites your buyers before they even open it, so don’t miss out on the chance to astonish them from the second they place their eyes on it.