In today’s consumer-driven environment, product labels play a crucial role in shaping our purchasing decisions. As we shop in stores or online, we see various labels designed to catch our eye and communicate key product information. The most important thing you can do for your company is ensure that the labels you use are memorable to your customers.
Trends come and go with some regularity in the design industry. While certain label designs are gone before you even have time to register them, others have greater lasting power, evolving over time to meet ongoing consumer interests. Here are eight label designs that we love and continue to see dominating the industry.
Simple & Bold
Go minimalist with a modern, sleek and simple design. Use clean lines and sans serif fonts to show off your brand’s personality. Clear labels with white text fit well into this trend, really making your content and product stand out.
Custom Lettering
Select custom lettering when you want your label to reinforce your product and brand style. You can elevate the look of your labels with meticulously hand-crafted or digitally designed custom lettering.
Pop of Color
While minimalism is in, we know that colors are tied to emotions and that can have a significant impact on a shopper’s purchasing decision, so don’t shy away from using them. You could use full color, a bold splash to make your logo or brand stand out, or use color within a family of products.
Repeating Patterns
Use visual motifs to convey your message. These themes or designs can be playful or bold and can help create a strong and recognizable alignment with your brand. Whether these are new designs or existing patterns used in new ways, they can help your product catch the consumer’s eye.
ILLUSTRATIONS
Hand-drawn illustrations add a beautiful touch to any label. Whether modern or vintage-inspired, illustrations are intended to create connections with shoppers and tell your story.
Die-Cuts
A more modern aesthetic, die-cuts are being used to create fun shapes and patterns that complement your brand identity, or to create a “peek” at your product inside the packaging. These eye-catching labels will get consumers to notice your product when compared to traditional packaging where everything is “hidden” away.
Vintage/Retro
Whether retro-inspired designs stir memories for those who lived through an era or inspire exploration in younger generations, this time-tested quality is often used to represent longevity. Right now, the 1980s and 1990s are being revived on labels and packaging through neon colors, pixelated typography and future-inspired design.
Sustainable/Eco-Friendly
Going green has been popular for quite a while and continues to go strong. Unlike the rest of the trends on this list, eco-friendly label design has largely been focused on the materials used rather than the colors, font, or typography designers select for labels. Over time, consumers have learned to associate certain fonts and colors with eco-friendly materials.
What’s Your Favorite?
We’ve outlined eight of the more prominent and interesting label design trends. What new trends do you want to try? Contact us to learn more and to discuss the many available options.
