Interesting 2021 Trends in Packaging Design

Consumer interests are always changing, along with our sense of art and fashion. To stay competitive, businesses are always looking to improve the appeal of their marketing and packaging by modernizing their designs.

Unsurprisingly, in an increasingly complex reality, many interesting 2021 trends in packaging have emerged that reflect this mood. Simplistic patterns, modern art styles, and retro text-focused designs are beginning to crop up in many different industries and goods across the nation.

Thematic Vector Patterns

Perhaps the cutest new trend is the application of simple icon-style art arranged in repeating patterns. Vector art is computer-generated, allowing for pixel-free detail that’s ultra-smooth. Combine this clean look with the nearly lost art of endless looping patterns, and you have quite an attractive package.

The idea is to capture the essence of a product through related ideas or a highly simplified depiction of the item, then rotate and repeat the image. Typically, patterns are laid in a section of the package’s design, often subtly hidden inside the main color palette.

Movement-Centric Abstract Art

Any art student will happily tell you that form has a unique psychological property. The line or curve draws the eye in a specific direction. Strategically placing series of lines and shapes direct the eye to look at a piece in a certain order. Abstract art takes this a step further by negating subject-oriented storytelling and breaking the barrier of linear observation.

Rather than searching an image in an organized way, the eye flicks to and fro among the broken polygons and swirls of color and texture. In short, raw kinetic energy is captured in an experiential way, making packaging look lively and fun. It’s not only attractive but also highly effective.

The package itself often reflects these values as well, as many manufacturers are moving away from unusual shapes and towards more traditional materials that reflect the essence of the labels design. Among the advantages of glass packaging is also the ability to convey geometric and organic flow with the hidden perks of a retro feel and environmental consciousness.

Font Focused Design

Another interesting 2021 trend in packaging design is an emphasis on product and brand names. Previously, labeling was heavily image and shape-centric. Every can, bottle, and bag had to depict something—often a scene or character that was somehow connected to the brand. The recent decline in mascots is bringing the focus back to fonts as design.

Drawn letters richly fill up logo space in word art that’s reminiscent of 60s album art and earlier label designs. It’s a minimalist yet highly expressive way to confer a finite idea using written text, form, and color rather than simply and blandly showing exactly what’s intended.