3 Principles for Designing Impact: Packaging That Connects, Tells, and Feels
In a marketplace crowded with products and choices, packaging remains one of the most immediate and influential brand touchpoints. But with consumer expectations rising and product categories expanding, packaging has to deliver far more than shelf appeal. For brands across sectors, from food to beauty and wellness, packaging is expected to embody purpose, express identity, and support longterm loyalty.
There’ s no one-size-fits-all approach, but certain design strategies consistently push brands further. From our experience at ARD, three strategic directions stand out for their impact:
• Embedding sustainability in a way that feels real and rooted
• Reshaping category codes to help brands lead rather than follow
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• Crafting multi-sensory experiences that build emotional connection beyond the shelf
Elevating Sustainability to the Next Level
Sustainability is no longer optional— it’ s expected. The most effective packaging strategies go beyond recyclable materials by embedding sustainability into the brand’ s DNA and expressing it through a clear, cohesive design language.
Treegether, a Swiss chocolate brand, does this differently. At its heart is a mission to highlight and honour the cocoa farmers behind each bar. Each bar introduces the people behind the cocoa, allowing consumers to support specific plantations through their purchases.
This human-centred idea shaped the design direction. The farmers’ names and their regions became central to the visual identity, adding real value and making sustainability tangible. Recyclable paper, solvent-free inks, and a custom mould further reinforce the brand’ s values through every layer of the packaging.
The brand’ s success and the consistent loyalty of its customers make a compelling case for sustainability as a strategic cornerstone— one that shapes everything from storytelling to material choice.
Shifting the Category Code
In every industry, certain visual cues become shorthand— signalling what a product is and who it’ s for. But when categories get crowded, these cues start