Packaging is the basic advertising medium for your product that can sell itself without any additional investment in advertising.
Most often, the consumer interacts with the company through the packaging of the goods. After all, a person may never visit the site, not be a subscriber in social networks, and even never see his ads. But at a merchandise rack or flipping through cards in an online store, he can become your customer if he likes the packaging.
Product packaging is not just a modern spectacular picture. When creating, we take into account the advantages of the product, collect information about competitors and the audience, and evaluate trends in the industry. This allows you to create packaging that conveys your vision and benefits.
Packaging design helps to:
stand out from your competitors
maintain brand awareness
differentiate your products
increase the convenience of consumption and transportation
create added value for your product
Work stages
Step 1. Research
Strategic research
Analyzing the brand's competitive advantages.
Conducting analysis of current trends in the category.
Identifying consumption situations.
Determining the basic characteristics of the audience.
Context and trends
Researching the product.
Studying the visuals of competitors.
Carrying out a search for best practices.
Preparation of data visualization: assessing competitors by color schemes and Tone of Voice.
Style development
Determination of company values and stylistic restrictions.
Offering visual design.
Creating a color scheme.
Description of the role model: how the chosen model reflects the company’s vision.
Offering font direction: options for typography development.
Step 2. Naming
Name
Creating a list of titles using Mind Map.
Preliminary check at the patent office according to the classes of the Nice Classification.
Step 3. Packaging design
Design concepts
Metaphor: designating the starting point of brand style development.
Color graphics: setting the mood and one of the main sources of brand emotions.
Visual system: creating a visual code - brand elements, grids and iconography, logo development.
Typography: creating a signature that reflects the character of the brand.
Visual hierarchy: identifying the main and secondary blocks, finding a general compositional solution, preparing graphic techniques that enhance accents.
Tone of Voice: setting the tone for the textual part of the packaging.
Style adaptation
Style exploration: determining the logic of transferring design to different formats.
Layout design: making visuals with up-to-date information.
Scaling: development of layouts for different sizes, taking into account technical features.
Guidelines
Systematization: setting standards for use and creating templates.
Consolidation: compiling style usage rules into a unified guide.
Development of layouts: preparing layouts in accordance with technical requirements.
Project team
creative director
Alexey Molchanov
Makes brands not only beautiful, but also fills them with meanings.
head of strategy
Valeria Tyapina
Creates a unified picture of brand development from different data.
project manager
Maria Surgutskova
Looking not for reasons, but for possibilities for solving each task.
brand designer
Julia Sukhareva
Thinks in terms of structures and questions, which creates a special order in the projects.
graphic designer
Ilya Obukhov
Creates a mood in projects, and is most immersed in SMM design.
copywriter
Maria Tashchyan
Helps brands speak the language of their audience.
Work result
based on emotion
Your visual design will convey the benefits to be better remembered and capture attention. By evoking strong emotions, you can establish a strong connection with your target audience.
modern image
Research helps understand what is currently relevant in package design within your industry, so during the concept phase, you receive solutions effective for your field.
design guideline
With well-prepared and structured layouts, you can easily transfer the design to production and achieve the expected outcome.
Why should you order a package design?
We use a research approach, studying the hidden motives of the audience, and work out in detail each stage of creation and implementation.
Features of our approach are in-depth analysis and creative thinking. Thanks to them, we unite the brand and its audience into a single organism.
Project examples
For premium seed producer Seedline, we promoted growing plants as a form of meditation and even a way of life through the look of the package. The concept was based on the theme of detailing - this is an unusual plasticity in typography, and a barely noticeable element in the form of a sprout, and design materials in the packaging itself.
When developing packaging for the new brand of lemonades "Drimus", we took into account the fact that the entire line is made from Vietnamese fruits. To make lemonade stand out on the shelf, we not only made a bright design, but also worked out the naming of each flavor in the overall line. And in order to stand out from the competition, they abandoned the image of fruits and replaced them with unusual illustrations.
In the packaging for the Prezex condom brand, we conveyed the idea of an invisible partner by foregoing graphic elements in favor of the product’s tactile sensations. We incorporated subtle embossed elements into the packaging design to reflect the different types of condoms.
The cost is determined individually based on a preliminary online/offline briefing with you.
The final cost is defined by the timing, scope, and complexity.
FAQ
How can packaging strengthen a brand?
Packaging is advertising without extra spend: an attractive visual appearance helps your product stand out on the shelf and win the customer’s attention. We take a holistic approach and develop a distinctive, recognizable brand as part of our branding service.
How many packaging design concepts do you present?
We usually present two concepts. Depending on the brief, they may be completely different in idea and execution or stylistically similar.
What criteria do you use when selecting packaging materials?
Material choices depend on many factors: client preferences, brand positioning, market trends within the product category, and whether the company follows a sustainability policy. After analyzing all relevant factors, we provide tailored material recommendations.
In what format do you deliver the final packaging design?
We provide editable digital source files (EPS, AI, PSD, IDML, INDD), so they can be adjusted for any future task. Print-ready layouts are also included.
What product categories do you design packaging for?
The ICU branding team has worked with a wide range of businesses — across B2C and B2B sectors, both in Russia and internationally, with large companies and startups. Our cross-category expertise allows us to create effective packaging design for any type of business.
Customer reviews
AdVita
Yulia Paskevich
Head of PR
Our relationship with the ICU team goes beyond partnership—we’ve been more like friends for the past five years. What matters most to us is that the agency shares AdVita Foundation’s values, and they truly listen to and understand our needs. That’s why our joint projects turn out bold, vibrant, and emotionally resonant, helping us connect with our current audience and attract new supporters.
Alfa Leasing
Evgeniya Bespalaya
Marketing Department
We’ve never had this kind of experience with agencies before. As for the result—we were impressed by how accurately the neural network handled a creative task. We really liked the outcome. Based on what we received, we can confidently say this kind of solution will become part of our brand communication.
Syrobogatov
Anna Zakharova
Lead Communications Manager
Working with ICU was a true collaboration—one we’re happy to recommend. The agency team developed a communication strategy for us, diving deep into our brand, our messaging style, and our goals in the market. The entire process was built on trust, respect, and a genuine immersion into our product. Thank you, ICU!
Aloha Browser
Bruce Kurtz
Chief Marketing Officer
Partnering with ICU Agency was a game changer for Aloha Browser. ICU's adept understanding of our brand ethos and market needs translated into a standout advertising campaign, and frankly, they stood out from the other agencies in RFP stage. They blended humor and seriousness effectively, conveying our message on online privacy. Highly recommended for their efficiency and creativity.
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