Packaging design is an art. A wonderful art that lets you express all of your thoughts and ideas in a nonverbal manner. It is a packaging design that marks the identity of any product for the company. In order to achieve success and excel in this wonderful art of packaging design brands spend a considerable amount on professionals.
Now coming to the forms of this packaging design there are many of them and in cases are just countless. And this number changes from time to time. As any new trend emerges in the market and is accepted positively by the people it becomes the next thing in the packaging design. On a side note, if you want to look over the packaging trends for this year then check this out (link to the previous blog on packaging design trends in 2020).
Apart from those number of packaging designs one type of design that is always readily accepted by the consumers is minimalism. The basic idea of minimalism lies in the fact of being simple and clean. And who does not want to be clean and simple?
On the other hand, in recent times, minimalism got a promising contender which is exactly the opposite. Yes, you guessed it right, Maximalism. Maximalism is nothing but mentioning every possible detail on the packaging design.
Now the question that has to be asked and raised is which one is better and why. And even more specifically an ultimate comparison between minimalism and maximalism. Also, which type of packaging design is for whom.
What are Minimalism and Maximalism?
Minimalism, if observed, is just derived from the word minimum. As the actual word goes, it simply stands for having only the most important ones with you. In this process, you end up eliminating all the stuff that turns out to be excess. So overall, it is having strictly those things which you need.
And the same principle shows up in the world of packaging design. Minimalistic packaging designs often carry a subtle look with cool and satisfying colors. Moreover, they reflect in soft shades with clean and neat fonts.
In the contrast, maximalism is from the maximum. It means to maximize every possible detail available in the room. Consider this as your room. If you were a person who likes maximalism then you would fill your room with tons of details. Your chair, table, wall stickers, photos, and so on.
Now coming to the implementation of maximalism in packaging design it goes in the same manner. Here the company features all of the possible details with bold font and bright colors. By and far, maximalism design feels like as it is loudly speaking to you about itself.
To summarize, minimalism is everything you need and maximalism is everything you have regarding the given product.
Limits of Minimalism and Maximalism:
Now, before drawing any conclusion regarding the ideas of minimalism and maximalism here is a thing that you need to know. To begin with, everything, in general, has a limit below which it has to be clearly understood. So, the same holds equally true for the minimalistic and maximalist packaging design.
If you adopt minimalism then it does not mean to eliminate most of the things. In this elimination, you may end up losing all those important details of your product. In the same way, if you go with maximalism then it does not imply you put up unnecessary or irrelevant details of your product.
So, in either way, you end up losing the sole purpose of a packaging design that is there to represent your actual product. This is why always remember to showcase the details and features of the product in the best possible manner no matter whichever design you choose.
Understand the Product:
Now boiling down to one of the most important points in choosing the type of packaging design. The first step in the process of any packaging design is to take a moment and understand the product.
It is always not recommended to go with a particular packaging design blindly. To start with, you need to understand the basics of your product. Like for whom it is made for, which category does it lie in, what it signifies, and other such questions.
So, once you have figured out all of those questions then it is time for you to pick a suitable packaging design for your product. Now here, again you should not make decisions among both based on just the looks or color combination.
In my opinion, you should consult a professional to get the choice in the true sense. Additionally, if required you can get designed a prototype of both designs or in general a set of designs that you feel appealing for your product. After this, you can ask for a review within your company or colleagues, get feedback, and rework the packaging design to get better output.
As an instance, if your product falls under the category which emphasizes productivity then minimalism is a great choice. On the other side, if your product focuses on the fact of being broadly creative then maximalism will serve you better in that case.
Typography and Colours:
Another important aspect and the face of any packaging design is its font and colors. If you look at minimalistic packaging design they mostly follow or possess a certain pattern that reflects in common. The packaging design of minimalism has a plain white or relatively lighter tinted box with the brand and product name.
Also, if observed to even more detailed it follows a clean and small font with the branding found at the middle or geometric central part. Lastly followed by all of these there are small circles, diamonds, or any other small shapes in the background.
Coming to maximalism, it has everything covered and filled with details. Be it colors, font, shapes or other graphics maximalism stays right up there. The products with maximalist packaging design have bold and vivid fonts, covered with bright shades of colors and a high graphical interface in the background.
For example, you can imagine a rectangular box with bright blue, red, and green colors with bold capital text. And not just one there are several such text boxes in different sizes and shapes. So, this what a maximalist packaging design looks like. In a nutshell, it can be treated as the busiest packaging design of the product.
Now, the story does not end there, there is even more to it. In recent times, there has been the development of these standard minimalism and maximalism designs. Gradient, black and white, etc. are a few of the iterations of minimalism. On that side, we have bold typography, vintage and bright shaded as the noteworthy innovations in the field of maximalism designs.
Be True to your Company:
Well, this point is straightforward and well understood. After all, one product is just a part of the entire and large-scale company when compared. So, with that in mind, always go for such packaging designs which also hold true for your company’s ideology and aims.
Just give it a thought. For a company that showcases itself as believing in simplicity goes for a busy and well-crowded maximalism is not appreciated. In that case, your sole company is at the loss and you are the true reason for such a situation to come in the very first place.
All in all, just have a closer look at your final packaging design and analyze whether it goes hand in hand with the company. In case of a no, invest some research and time to develop in the right direction.
Closing Words:
Finally, after going through all of these points in a detailed way, it brings back the same earlier question whether which type to choose from. Frankly speaking, there is not a single sure-shot answer to this question. In light of trends, both of these designs shine in their own way. Indeed, these are those points which will help you head over to the better decision.
In either of the cases you choose, you ultimately need a professional graphic designer who can understand your ideas and transform them into a beautiful design. On that note, check out my studio www.dezineden.com and my work profile here (your Upwork profile) to know better. With that out of the way, looking forward to working with you. So, let’s design something great together:)
Description:
Looking for a new packaging design company for your product and stuck between minimalism and maximalism. Well, now both these criteria are on the different lanes. This is why here is the comparison between them to help you choose the right one.
Instagram Story:
Do you also feel that minimalism is the best…? Well, it is not always true and, in fact, nowadays maximalism is on the rise. Not getting my point then check this out.
