Choosing Between Minimalism and Maximalism Packaging Design

Although both, minimalism and maximalism style of packaging design can attract consumers, the techniques are opposite to each other. The uniqueness of each of these styles is what brands leverage to differentiate themselves and stand out against the competitors.

An example of MasterCard’s logo. On the left is its minimalist logo and on the right, maximalist. Source: Media Village

Minimalist Packaging

This style of packaging is the most simplistic design. The minimalist technique consists of a variety of styles such as a flat illustration, bold typography, and transparency. Some brands lean towards this style as it gives a modern look, but recently major technology firms have adopted this style to depict innovation through clean lines. For example, Apple – not only is its logo a flat design, but also its packaging is a simple white box that contains the product with minimalistic branding. The iPods became iconic merely because of their white colour.

Examples of Minimalist logos. On the left is Apple’s logo and on the right, Nike’s. Source: Google Image Search

Maximalist Packaging

This style focuses on the details of the packaging, for example, bold design, patterns, textures, repetition, and layering. Executed well, maximalism can create a sense of luxury and richness. The detailed packaging allows a brand to highlight the unique selling points of the offering and build a connection with its audience. Chaimasala Tea leans towards this style of packaging to create a sense of status amongst its consumers. Their design not only makes it clear that they are selling teas, but also brings out the flavour of India by depicting the traditional tea kettles used to make tea. Through this, the brand is creating an experience, something that the consumer will remember.

Examples of Maximalist logos from the Chaimasala. Source: Brigade Branding

Advantages of Minimalism and Maximalism Packaging Design

Minimalist Design:

• Stand out amongst the clutter – a minimalist design portrays confidence in the brand’s product. The minimal design shows confidence on behalf of the brand to get the consumer’s attention to the product. Furthermore, when a product with a minimal design is kept among products with maximal packaging, it stands out.
• Displays the necessary information – a minimalist approach ensures that a brand shows only information that is necessary along with simple designs that also makes the brand come across as fuss-free.
• Evergreen – minimalism makes it easy to integrate across platforms and products.

Maximalist Design

• Creativity can lead to curiosity – the busy design can make the consumer curious, wanting to understand more about the product.
• Any product/brand can come to life – with an interesting design, a brand can catch attention and bring life to just about any product it wants.
• Shareable and greater visibility – an interesting design packaging can make for a successful design to be shared across digital platforms, attracting more consumers towards the brand.

Conclusion

As we can see, both types of packaging are unique in their ways and can help brands to stand out.

To choose the style for your product, there are various factors to be considered. An in-depth analysis is required to understand what makes the product unique. A brand can do this by answering some questions:

• What are the unique selling points of the product?
• How can these USPs be best represented through packaging?
• What is the voice of the brand?
• What is the messaging that the brand wants to convey to its audience? – and how does this communication integrate with the voice of the brand?
• How can your target audience best understand your company and product benefits? – in other words, a complicated message may be best conveyed via a minimalistic design so that all the key points are highlighted.
• How can you create a sense of status for the consumer? Will it be through interactive unboxing? Or simply a style statement.

Still not sure which style to go for? Connect with the team at Ideaspice, a branding agency in Dubai. You can write to them by clicking here or info@ideaspice.com. Alternatively, you can give them a call on +971 4 354 2920.