What is STRUCTURAL Packaging Design?

When one thinks of packaging design, they often think of the graphic side of it.  But before you can begin with the graphics, the structure of the package is needed.

This element is called "structural packaging design".  It is the construction of the package itself.  It is the engineering side of the development of the packaging.

There are technical aspects to the structural packaging design such as:
• Design conceptualization (Will the package protect the product? Is it consumer friendly? Does it follow the retailers' packaging specifications/requirements?)
• Materials (What are the properties of the material? Is the material biodegradable/recyclable?  Is the material's strength adequate?)
• Manufacturing processes (Is the manufacturer capable of producing the package?)
• Shipping logistics (Will the package withstand shipping conditions? i.e. humidity, vibration, drops, stacking, etc.)
• Assembly & fulfillment (Will the package be assembled & fulfilled correctly?)
• Marketing (Will the package sell the product?)
• Purchasing (What is the cost to produce the package?)

Being cost efficient in all aspects of the design process is also very important with packaging development.

So the next time you think of packaging design, know that there is a science to it.  It is the "behind the scenes" factors that are often overlooked when developing a package.