Cultures and Packaging Design

 There are many things one needs to bear in mind when building packaging. A factor not as many focus on is culture. Culture plays an integral role in the packaging design, and some can even influence the ultimate customer preferences one is going for. The right cultural awareness and packaging, the greater the success it can be when adapting and building the ideal packaging for your needs. 

Here, we’ll go over the packaging and designs that will change the overall factors and look at the packaging you offer. 

Regional Packaging differences 

There are different packaging preferences used in different parts of the world. 

For example, in China, red is a powerful color, and used in lots of packaging. In Japan, the use of pastels and more cartoony graphics is the name of the game.   The use of black isn’t a good idea in China, because it symbolizes death. 

Many global brands take this into consideration. When marketing towards more eastern cultures, they will use larger graphics, and other means to really stand out.   Some brands as well will also change packaging to be specific to various cultures and areas, and for better success. 

Colors and Symbolism 

Colors and symbolism also play a part in the design of packaging. 

For instance, in Asia, there are more golds and reds in China as this will show property. The designs might incorporate patterns that are more intricate, along with floral and dragon motifs. 

Japan uses more natural beauty, and wabi-sabi, which is finding beauty in imperfection and simplicity. 

Whereas in Europe, there are more sophisticated types of design. France for example utilizes more elegant types of typography and patterns. Italy uses more artistic heritage, and materials that are high in quality, with more vibrant colors. Then there is Germany, where functionality and precision comes, and geometric lines along with minimalism is a big part. 

America uses more eye-catching sorts of graphics, with a more personalized touch to it.  

Finally, you have the middle east, where the use of richer colors such as purple, gold, and emerald, green with more elaborate forms of details are the key here. 

The best thing to do is to look at the packaging.   Golds and reds symbolize power, whereas black might mean death, and blue means luxury. Make sure you keep these in mind to avoid faux pas. 

Seasonal and Festive types of Packaging 

You should also consider the festive packaging types. Many times, this is based on what lots of cultures and markets are like. Having more traditional and sophisticated packaging for those European cultures may be a good place to start.   You might want to avoid too much religious symbolism in this packaging, so that people aren’t turned off by this. reds, greens, and golds also are good ones, especially for international packaging. 

Tap into the Customers 

You want to make sure that the packaging hits the right psyche points for customers. If you do this right, they’ll buy these items right away.

Remember that a buyer only uses a few seconds to make a decision. Time is critical, so you want to make sure that you tailor these to audiences. Bear in mind however, that you don’t want to create packaging that’s insensitive to others and conveys the wrong ideas. 

Ultimately, you want to make sure that cultural sensitivity occurs in your packaging, and make sure that, if you do plan to use this, you research and then further adapt the packaging, in order to hit the right markets, and help build a brand awareness, without being culturally insensitive as well.