Overview:

• The Packaging Prototype (also called mockups or white comps) Process is a critical phase where the tangible representation of your product's packaging comes to life. It's a period of exploration and validation, where you can physically touch, see, and feel how your packaging will interact with consumers. This phase is crucial, especially when changing vendors, redesigning existing packaging, or launching a new product line. It serves as the ultimate test, a moment of truth that can significantly influence your brand's market perception.
• For the Brand, prototypes allow them to test the quality of the packaging and its ability to keep the product safe during transport and handling. It ensures that the functional requirements are met. It also helps to finetune the visual and even emotional impact of the packaging design, ensuring that the design and branding requirements are executed. For suppliers, packaging prototypes help them define, evaluate, and align on every nuance of the requirement including materials, adhesives, threads, tags/labeling, shipping, and more. In essence, a prototype serves as the supplier’s “unboxing” moment with the client or prospect. For Production, prototypes ensure feasibility that that packaging can be manufactured to the client’s specification and the materials are compatible with the manufacturing processes.

Challenges:

• Creating the perfect packaging prototype is a complex journey. It involves meticulous attention to detail, from size and color to materials, textures, and copy. The process demands a precise translation of design concepts into physical samples, often requiring several iterations to address design challenges, especially for intricate packaging designs.

How ManageArtworks Addresses These Challenges?

Using ManageArtworks the entire Prototype process can be mapped as a workflow within ManageArtworks. A high-level workflow may look something like this

Benefits of using ManageArtworks for Packaging Prototype process:

• Spot design challenges: Prototyping brings out any design challenges or mistakes that are not obvious in a digital form. Spotting these problems and fixing them early on can save a lot of money and brand reputation.
• Unboxing experience: Prototyping allows for the consideration of everything from how the product will be shipped to the feel of the material and the consumer experience, ensuring that your brand is fully represented in the quality of the final product.
• Examine quality: A product in a low-quality package is less likely to sell than one in high-quality packaging. A benefit of packaging prototypes and samples is that you can examine the quality of the material and design before approving anything.