There’s a lot that goes into designing cannabis packaging that can influence the buyer. For instance, packaging design should have shelf appeal. It must be creative, communicative, and convenient.

You want your cannabis product to stand out on the shelf and produce a memorable experience? Here are the tips on designing cannabis packaging for your brand.

1. Do Market Research to Know What Competition is Up to

The market value of the US cannabis industry may grow up to $30 billion by 2025. This means more competition and the need to go the extra mile to stand out in the market.

Great cannabis packaging designs give you a competitive edge. Most of the time, your customers scrutinize the packaging before buying. Packaging design that brings out the value in a product usually has the upper hand in the market.

Every brand has a unique story and its target audience. The packaging design for your product must reflect your brand. This can be possible if you’re focused on custom packaging designs.

The first step to unique or custom packaging designs is usually research. You have to know what is in the market. Your packaging design ideas must be free from the common cannabis packaging issues.

Get to know the features in your competitors’ packaging and how they make you feel. Is it convenient to carry and open the products? What is the size of the packaging and is it sustainable? Look at the packaging copy and figure how you can come up with something better.

2. Consider the Target Audience When Designing Cannabis Packaging

Understanding the target audience matters a lot when designing cannabis packaging. Packaging design ideas are more effective when they focus on a particular niche. It’s also easier to figure out the tastes, preferences, habits and lifestyles of a small niche market.

Find out your customer base and their various characteristics. What are their income levels, gender, lifestyles and pain points? In-depth audience info enables the designer to include more custom tweaks.

With ever-increasing competition, packaging for cannabis should stimulate interest and trigger purchases. It needs to take the shortest time to grab the attention of your target customer. This is only possible if your packaging has the features that can compel a specific audience.

3. Make it Compliant- Clear Labeling and Transparency

Designing cannabis packaging can be tricky because of the tough marijuana packaging laws. Most state cannabis regulators are focused on protecting minors against cannabis products. One way to achieve this goal is through restrictions on labeling.

That means you must always keep up with packaging for cannabis laws. For instance, California introduced new cannabis packaging regulations in January 2020. But the regulations left many manufacturers in limbo for a lack of a grace period.

Each state has different marijuana laws. You must always be on your toes especially if you’re selling in many states. Your packaging design has to contain clear labels as required by the state regulatory bodies.

4. Customize Packaging to Show off Your Brand

Great packaging design brings out your brand and serves as an extra marketing tool. It can maximize your packaging design budget by showing off your logos and values. Think about it as your walking billboard. It must be clean to convey your message and attractive to create memories.

Besides your logos and color schemes, consider what your brand stands for. People are more likely to feel connected to your mission instead of the product itself. If you want to build a sustainable brand, you should rethink the size of the packaging and the type of materials used.

5. Embrace Sustainable Cannabis Packaging Designs

Sustainability has become a key consideration in designing cannabis packaging. Product packaging is generally a huge contributor to waste and environmental pollution. With more eco-conscious customers, your packaging design ideas must consider sustainability.

Most customers expect product packaging to be recyclable or biodegradable. As a result, most brands need to avoid plastic packaging and focus more on bio-plastics. Most bioplastics come from sugar cane bagasse that is hugely renewable.

Sustainable cannabis packaging designs may give you a leg up over competitors. Most consumers would want to associate with brands that show some environmental responsibility. Meaning, if your cannabis packaging is green, you could gain a competitive edge.

Let your packaging promote the qualities that make your design sustainable.

6. Elevate the Cannabis Product’s Effects and Experience

Designing cannabis packaging also calls for some knowledge about copywriting. Packaging copy is as important as your visual elements in influencing buyers’ decisions. The visuals may attract the buyer, but it’s the copy that elaborates your cannabis product.

Good cannabis packaging copy describes the product by elevating the benefits. It enables customers to pick out how your cannabis product would solve their pain points.

Packaging for cannabis has to focus on effects and the consumption experience. Avoid focusing on common cannabis terminologies such as THC or CBD. Instead, highlight what value the various ingredients will bring.

If your customer wants to improve sleep, talk about the relaxing impact of your product. Most cannabis users would also want to know more about flavors. You could highlight what flavors are in the various terpenes.

Also, make sure the consumption directions are clear and easy to understand. More novice cannabis users are coming into the market. It would be best if your packaging copy contains no jargon and or any other confusing terms.

7. Keep Children Safe

The rise of marijuana as a recreational product is turning weed into a daily product. Cannabis supplements and products are now everywhere. Most regulatory bodies fear an increased demand for cannabis could expose many minors.

Cannabis product packaging laws need brands to use child-resistant packaging. The packaging for cannabis must meet the Consumer Product and Safety Commission standards.

You must ensure your cannabis packaging undergoes testing before launching into the market. The expectation is that your design is strong enough to resist access from children.

Start Designing Cannabis Packaging That Converts Your Prospects

You want to attract customers and beat competitors in the fast-growing cannabis market? Start designing cannabis packaging to talk and reflect your brand. Do your homework and design with the target customer in mind.

If the designing process seems hectic or too complex, let us do the heavy work for you. We are a global provider of high-quality custom cannabis packaging products. Feel free to contact us today to start branding your cannabis products.