--- title: "Design Thinking in Product Packaging: Why it’s Vital" description: Product design is one of the most important elements of retail strategy. Discover the importance of package design in a competitive market. image: https://blog.experiencepoint.com/hubfs/Blog%20-%20Stock%20Images/AdobeStock_290793348.jpg --- Primary Menu *Design Thinking in Product Packaging: Why it’s Vital* October 29, 2019 | Design Thinking [by ExperiencePoint POSTED ON October 29, 2019](https://blog.experiencepoint.com/author/experiencepoint) [mailto:?body=https://blog.experiencepoint.com/design-thinking-and-product-packaging](mailto:?body=https://blog.experiencepoint.com/design-thinking-and-product-packaging) Product packaging is a major part of retail strategy. How can candy bar number 8 stand out from the 7 displayed before it? It’s all in the wrapping. Some companies, like the Swiss chocolate maker Toblerone, are winning the packaging game. Who isn’t familiar with Toblerone’s iconic mountain-shaped design? Other companies rely on brand awareness to a fault. Lay’s chips is a case in point; confident that consumers know their brand, the company hasn’t made new design a priority. In fact, many companies continually fail to reinvent their product packaging, adhering to the same layout for years. An article in [Packing Strategies](https://www.packagingstrategies.com/articles/94415-the-importance-of-design-thinking-for-package-design) describes an odd and recurring disconnect between product and packaging, derived from a reluctance, or refusal, to innovate. By not bothering to update their look, these companies are missing a huge opportunity to connect with new customers and rekindle the loyalty of current ones. ## **The solution? Empathizing with the consumer via design thinking.** *Packing Strategies* recommends a holistic approach to design thinking. They advocate creating a cohesive brand-look that resonates across the board by putting the consumer first. The goal is to attract new consumers without requiring that they read a single word. According to *Packing Strategies*, it’s crucial that the brand story is clear. The article points to the frequency with which companies rush the design process, focusing the bulk of their innovation efforts on the product itself. What many companies don’t take into account is that 100 percent of their customers interact with both their product and its packaging, remaining unaware of anything else that company is putting out into the world. The average customer doesn’t visit company websites, pay much attention to ads or interact with client-facing social media pages. They grab a bag off a store shelf in a transaction that lasts a few seconds. That’s why product design is one of the most important elements of retail strategy. Stay tuned for an insider’s look at Lay’s chips, coming in our next post. After years of relying on the same brand look, the company reinvented their image by leveraging our favorite problem-solving method: Design Thinking.   *Learn how to* [enable innovation skill-building at scale](https://i.experiencepoint.com/free-download-get-unstuck-ebook?_ga=2.137913139.2088107913.1562705202-709432526.1562705202) *or download our free ebook Kickstart Innovation: A Guide for Organizations.* [![E-BOOK: KICKSTART INNOVATION AND GET UNSTUCK Learn how teams use design thinking to tackle complex challenges  ](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/1604199/interactive-156669845384.png)](https://blog.experiencepoint.com/hs/cta/wi/redirect?encryptedPayload=AVxigLILjW%2Bz2lM7vgT9eVu%2FtoEGhYlWdH1cETjSDApUwsenqQCyfYf9gSj%2BZeqjhBA9MA3jl1wQqAqmY0d7ItsJ77xg7XXC%2FcU2LIvGYXb4sgK%2F8pdzEx4XW35Rr9DOsI%2FpCFm5pGD2YYnQBkrF9pH4Nq5aFCk28fTQ3La7To%2BGD2JKBa8XC5BG5H88IO8OLK5ubSBmMtwj4lAe4B0o9%2FauseY%3D&webInteractiveContentId=156669845384&portalId=1604199) #### Trending This Week [1 — ExperiencePoint Why IT Leaders Need a Different Playbook for AI Adoption](https://blog.experiencepoint.com/why-it-leaders-need-a-different-playbook-for-ai-adoption) [2 — ExperiencePoint KickstartChange™ in Practice: Building Change Capability Faster](https://blog.experiencepoint.com/kickstartchange-in-practice-joanna-kirke) [3 — ExperiencePoint 5 Ways Leaders Can Drive Better ROI from AI Adoption](https://blog.experiencepoint.com/5-ways-leaders-can-drive-better-roi-from-ai-adoption) ## Popular Posts ## [Design Thinking How Netflix Used Design Thinking to Reinvent Itself, Over and Over](https://blog.experiencepoint.com/how-netflix-uses-design-thinking) ## [Design Thinking 5 Icebreakers to Ignite Your Design Thinking Session](https://blog.experiencepoint.com/5-icebreakers-for-design-thinking) ## [Innovation KFC’s Menu Innovations](https://blog.experiencepoint.com/design-thinking-kfc-innovation) ## [Design Thinking Design Thinking in Action: Building a Low-Cost Incubator](https://blog.experiencepoint.com/2010/02/16/design-thinking-in-action-embrace-global/) ## [Change Management Why Your AI Adoption Strategy Is Failing](https://blog.experiencepoint.com/why-your-ai-adoption-strategy-is-failing) ## [Design Thinking 8 Stats That Prove Design Thinking Pays Off](https://blog.experiencepoint.com/8-stats-that-prove-design-thinking-pays-off) ## [Change New year, New Me: The Science Behind New Year's Resolutions](https://blog.experiencepoint.com/2022-new-year-new-me-why-new-years-resolutions-fail) ## [AI skills Stop Rolling Out AI. 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