The KISS method of designing is one of our favorites. It stands for “Keep It Simple Stupid,” but around here, it’s “Keep It Simple… Seriously.”

The point is, “less is more”—and this design rule especially applies to product packaging design for food and beverage.

Successful packaging should be easy to understand, but also aesthetically unique enough to be appreciated by the shopper. After all, your end goal is to have the value in your packaging transfer to your product. For example, strategic color coding should only highlight what changes—not overflow into messaging that is the same across SKUs. Short and sweet romance copy can be smoother and more memorable than extra words. In a nutshell, focus on having the right content rather than all of it. Tease a little. Give it some air. This will have better impact than crowded designs that say too much and muddle the message.

In the average 4 seconds a shopper takes to consider your product, they should be able to answer these key questions by your package design alone:

What is this product?

How is it to be used?

What are the emotional benefits of this brand and product?

What are the rational reasons I should purchase?

If these questions aren’t being answered by your package design in a compelling, impactful way, those 4 seconds of confusion are causing you to lose sales big time!

The right silent visual presentation delivered at the decision point is the strongest marketing effort you can make for your food brands. So, remember to “keep it simple” and you’ll be on your way to make a 4-second emotional impact with your package design.

See you at the store shelves!