7 Steps to Create Your Own Custom Box Design

As a packaging expert and a designer who has been in the industry for quite some time now,

I have the privilege to see how great efficiently custom-designed boxes contribute to product success.

I am the author of this blog and I will walk you through the process of creating a custom packaging boxes of your own which is a field where I have much experience to speak of.

Through the following seven stages, you will create the best one for you which is both creative and functional from protective materials to product details.

1. Define Your Purpose and Target Audience

The initial phase of a custom box design involves deciding its main use and zeroing in on the clients you are after.

I always begin by answering these questions to myself:

1. What product will the box contain?
2. Who is the intended consumer?
3. What is the primary function of the packaging (protection, promotion, etc.)?
4. Where will the product be sold (retail stores, online, etc.)?

Knowing this stuff earlier should guide you through the aesthetic choices you will have to make.

For example, the more exclusive the product you want to appeal to, the more concentrating you might be in the use of refined and more intricate features.

2. Research and Gather Inspiration

Prior to starting the design phase, researchers should go through a comprehensive literature review and obtain pieces of inspirational materials.

I have some of the most significant suggestions to this end:

• Evaluate competitor packaging to find out industry patterns and standards
• Examine packaging designs from different fields as they may present innovative ideas
• Develop a mood board showing colours, textures, and styles that reflect your brand
• Check design sources and magazines for current packaging trends

The original period of browsing the net is going to groom your own style which will differentiate you from the others and that will make you accepted as an industry expert even if you are still at the learning stage.

3. Choose the Right Box Style and Materials

The box type and materials that you will choose for your packaging will have functions and provide aesthetical advantages also.

Technological progress allows the production of the boxes to be in a variety of styles such as:

• No-glue/hand-erected cartons
• Rigid boxes & candle packaging boxes
• Corrugated boxes
• Telescoping boxes

Each one of these types delivers its unique features, and in the industry, they are known to be used in accordance with the purpose of the product, as for the presentation, the protection, storage, postage, etc.

For instance, folding boxes are a great solution money-wise and are very universally used but in contrast, the boxes from rigid materials have a modern look and they feel of high quality.

While choosing materials, see if the following items would be relevant enough to be taken into account:

• Durability needs of the item packed
• The impact of the environment
• Budget limitations
• Print on this finishing and other options

When you are searching for materials, I always advise picking up the ones which resonate with your brand and meet the requisites of your product!

4. Develop Your Box Structure

After determining the box type and the materials you will use, the next step will be to build on the structure of your custom box.

This part will constitute:

• Establishing the exact measures of your product
• Creating a box template or the dyeline boxes
• Considering if internal packaging elements (inserts, dividers, etc.) are to be used
• Checking if the box is easy to assemble and use

To create roll-perfect models and finally, visualize the actual products I often use special packaging design software.

If you are familiar with these tools yourself, it would not hurt either to consult with a packaging engineer or designer for the matter.

5. Design the Graphics and Branding Elements

The perfect visual design of your custom box is the key to receiving customer attention and conveying your brand message.

These items are crucial to the design to be considered include:

• Size and position of the logo
• The set of colours that make up the main colour scheme
• The type styles
• There are features and pictures
• Product information and legal requirements

While working on the designs, I make sure I understand the printing process and how the design will look on the selected materials.

The point here is that the design of the package should be both very nice to the eye and functional in terms of how it will be produced at the printers.

6. Create a Prototype and Test

Before completing your custom box design, it is very important to make a prototype and run quality and stress tests.

In this section you will:

• Check that the box is not prone to damaged
• See if the package fits right and is safe from damage
• Look at the box's visual impact
• The test of the box's performance in many situations such as (shipping , storage, display, etc.)

Upon testing a number of dummy models then maybe, if possible, ask several other colleagues, and particularly your customer target group,

For their comments and feedback on them so that you could improve the design further.

7. Finalize and Prepare for Production

The key steps after the testing and editing the prototype version of your custom box design is now to prepare it for production.

Normally this a process of:

• Publishing the final files
• Selecting a packaging producer
• Comparing costs and getting quotations from different companies
• Reviewing proofs and samples
• Approving the final design for mass production

It is essential that you closely cooperate with your production partner to ensure that your product is properly realized and that it complies with all the quality standards.

Conclusion

Box designing is a project that is very diverse and at the same time thrilling in the sense that it changes the whole direction of how one may look at a product launch.

Try following these steps like drawing from my own experiences in the field, and you will reach the desired goal eventually.

Cherish your knowledge that customization printed boxes designing is a process that requires you to reiterate several times and to find the perfect one.

However, you must be flexible to criticisms and heartily bring in the solutions.

Just keep in mind that if you are punctual and mindful of each stage, you will be more likely to increase the value of your product and its consumers will be more satisfied.