National Packaging Design Day
By Debbie Kerman, Assistant Director, NIU STEAM
To celebrate National Packaging Design Day, Debbie is sharing a little bit about this often overlooked STEAM career field.
May 7 is National Packaging Design Day, a day first celebrated in 2015 to recognize the work, often done behind the scenes, to bring products to market. Most of us don’t give much thought to the packaging of products we buy, but companies that produce those products spend a great deal of time and effort in creating packaging that attracts our attention and safely delivers the product to consumers.
From a marketing lens, packaging designers play an integral role in creating solutions that stand out in today’s competitive marketplace. Walk down the cereal or laundry detergent isle in your favorite grocery store and you’ll quickly take notice of the vast and growing number of brand and product options available to consumers. The diverse product explosion that has occurred in recent years has increased the need for skilled packaging designers who can capture the interest and draw consumers to their products using elements like shape, size, material, graphics and color.
Creating a pretty package is not the only job of a packaging designer, however. Designers guide the entire process of a product’s packaging from concept to finished product. To be successful, they must balance the aesthetics of a product’s packaging with the practical and functional requirements needed to protect the product, accommodate the demands of transportation, warehousing and storage, and comply with safety and quality standards and regulations. This requires a unique blend of workforce skills, as the work of packaging design evolves and becomes more complex.
At NIU STEAM, one of the ways we work to prepare students for their future careers, such as packaging designer, is by emphasizing the basic skills necessary for success in the work place as identified in Illinois Essential Employability Skills Framework. Two such skills critical to the success of a packaging designer are communication and teamwork.
Strong communication skills require active listening and clear communication. For a packaging designer, this is critical to their ability to plan and implement solutions that address product constraints and client requests. Using an iterative process like NIU STEAM’s Design Cycle, package designers expedite the process when they begin by asking good questions and then listen and respond by planning, designing and refining packaging to meet clients’ expectations.
In addition to solid communication skills, designers also need to demonstrate good teamwork. For example, designers who think critically about the best way to meet their client’s needs offer solutions that incorporate the most cost-effective resources, including materials and technology. They also offer product packaging ideas that address consumer trends and priorities such as the aging US population, active family lifestyles and concern for sustainable resources that minimize waste and don’t harm the environment.
The packaging industry offers a wide variety of careers in roles such as engineering, design, production, sales and marketing and plays an important role in a range of consumer-good industries from foods to pharmaceuticals to home goods and more. Jobs in the packaging industry will likely continue to grow and expand with the number of brands and products in our markets. Students interested in exploring the ever-growing field of packaging design should consider pursuing a post-secondary degree, as most professionals working in the industry hold at least a bachelor’s degree. Check out NIU’s majors in Industrial and Systems Engineering and Visual Communication as well as a minor in marketing to learn more about educational opportunities.
