As a design company director, I see this tendency way too often and frankly, I have a hard time understanding how entrepreneurs can so easily discount the importance of how their product LOOKS on the shelves, when they’ve put so much of themselves into building their company, and their product. They have a hard time paying a few thousand to develop their packaging design, when the numbers at stake can reach millions (or even billions if your company is all that). Every businessperson wants their product to succeed, but they don’t seem to understand that consumers are extremely scritinizing and visually oriented creatures. Your bagels could be the best thing since, well, sliced bread… but if the packaging looks like crap then nobody’s going to buy them.

Your packaging (whether you’re selling bagels, books, goggles or windex) speaks directly to the customer when you can’t – right at the point of sale. Thus, your packaging design should be a carefully tailored conversation, not an afterthought.

SO, here are a few tips to consider when developing your packaging (and obviously I would recommend hiring a design firm to facilitate the process)…

• Use the same development criteria for both the product and the packaging. This not only helps the package to work harmoniously with the product, but provides the connection between your product and your consumer.
• Your target audience should be a key element in formulating the design. Develop the package as if it were the product itself.
• The packaging should be an honest reflection of the enclosed product. If the packaging is too cheap or extravagant to support the products positioning, the consumer may be skeptical of the products quality or price.
• Depending on the product, the use of elements that allow the buyer to see the actual product can instill a level of trust. Being able to see the product’s color and construction is reassuring and will often sway the purchasing decision in your favor.
• Consider your colour palette carefully. Although bright saturated colors can be eye catching, making your packaging too colorful can confuse your message (and the result can often be like a bee sting to the eyes). By using color with purpose, your package design becomes thematic, making for a stronger message.
• Don’t cheap out. Your customers will know when you’ve cut corners, and that message will trickle down to direct judgment and assumptions about your company and your product.

Remember, package design is a critically important aspect of sales (and ultimately company) success. Treat the process with respect, and your product’s success will show the benefit.

Sage Media is an international corporate design firm based in Ottawa, Ontario.

As a general rule of thumb, you have three seconds to make an impression on those walking past your display. Your overall design that includes each trade show booth graphic and sign must be simple and meaningful enough to compel attendees to walk in and learn more.

The content on your signage should simply and very clearly communicate — in as few words as possible — the benefits of your product. It is also wise to consider the impact of other important elements such as lighting, and even smell.

If you are hiring a professional design firm to create your tradeshow graphics for you, you should look for the following:

1. A style of creativity that is both engaging and clean
2. Understanding of materials and how they are best used
3. Ability to communicate ideas clearly and precisely
4. Understanding of structure
5. Understanding of graphic techniques (typography, photography, etc.)
6. Understanding of technical requirements for large scale print
7. Awareness of marketing trends and their relations to your objectives
8. Ability to effectively research your target market for the event
9. Trade connections in the print industry always help!

Of course, if you’re doing it yourself, then you should have the above all confidently checked off in order to come away with a successful result.

Sage Media is an international corporate design firm based in Ottawa, Ontario.

Now, all business owners are familiar with the corporate brochure, but rarely is it utilized in the same way by companies in non-creative fields. Most corporate brochures end up serving either as extended ads (too obviously self-serving, unless the ad is the purpose), or dry company profiles (which are, well, dry). I often suggest a more creative approach to my clients… a “show” rather than “tell”.

The creative SPP gives prospective clients a better idea of your experience and capabilities. Think of your case study segment as a mini-portfolio of sorts – it should highlight some of your biggest successes, and serve as an example of your company’s capabilities. Who used your product/service? What did you do for them specifically, and how did it make their lives better?

A good SPP needs to serve several purposes. If you’re going to mail it, it needs to work effectively as a direct mail piece. At the same time, it should work as a well-designed brochure or packaging concept. Put as much effort and imagination into designing your SPP as you would put into delivering a product/service to your best client.

It’s not essential that you have an SPP… however, it’s good to remember that an exceptionally clever and well-designed SPP can often open doors when a cold-call or sales letter won’t.

Sage Media is an international corporate design firm based in Ottawa, Ontario.

Your materials should all send the same clear and positive message about your business. For your corporate and marketing materials, this means that every item in the “wardrobe” should match… not in terms of looking identical, but rather each item should complement the other and when placed together, it should be obvious that they are two pieces in a cohesive suite of well thought out and professionally implemented design. This includes your logo, stationery, packaging materials and labels, signage, web site, email signature, window displays and office decoration, PowerPoint presentations, giveaways and specialty items such as mugs, t-shirts or pens.

Your trademark or logo needs to be professionally developed, and used in a consistent way. Don’t be tempted to change the font or colour randomly or without obvious cause. Of course you can have several versions of your logo, but keep the number of variants low, and be sure that you have one primary version that is recognizable as the “official” logo.

Your stationery should all be the same colour, finish, and quality of material. Ideally, your basic corporate identity package (business card, letterhead and envelopes) would be developed as a set by a brand designer with experience in creating cohesive stationery systems for business. And when printing documents on your shiny new letterhead and envelopes, use the same font consistently.

Project Taste and Success

You care about your business and take a lot of pride in the quality what you offer, so make sure you show it. Use high quality stock and finishing when creating your materials… go for the thicker stock, the satin or high gloss finish, and the best design company you can afford. In designing your materials, simple is always better. Yes you can have airbrushed murals printed on your letterhead – but please, resist the temptation to go too exhuberant in this area. Look at Apple; people love clean and simple. It’s just nicer, and people will take you more seriously as a business.

And as for your business cards, again you want to avoid the temptation to purchase an Avery kit and spit them out of your deskjet printer at home. The paper is lightweight, and the printing process is far from professional, so it ends up looking cheap, the ink will smudge, and it’s not durable. Have your cards designed professionally, and opt for offset lithographic printing on at least 12pt card stock (I prefer 14 with satin, or one of the more artistic options such as plastic or metal). The end point is that your card, and all your materials, should create a positive, interesting, and lasting impression.

And remember, these items don’t just apply to your corporate materials; apply them to the way you do business in general and you’ll reach the same result: an impression of competence, and success.

Sage Media is an international corporate design firm based in Ottawa, Ontario.