10 dazzling packaging design trends for 2021

As the year draws to a close, we’re looking forward to the new packaging design trends that 2021 has in store for us. At first glance, they look pretty different from each other—you’ve got simple geometry right alongside super-detailed ink drawings and fleshed-out characters. But there’s actually a cohesive theme here, and that’s a pivot away from packaging design that immediately reads as “commercial” and toward packaging that feels like art.

This year, we saw just how critical ecommerce is to our everyday lives. That’s not changing anytime soon. With ecommerce, you lose the experience of walking through a store and experiencing a curated brand ambience, something even the most immersive website can’t compensate for. So packaging designers and business owners are upping the ante to deliver a piece of branding right to your door.

The goal isn’t to replace the in-store experience, but to meet consumers where they are now and where they’ll be in the future. It’s all about creating a new, more immersive brand experience through the unique packaging trends of 2021.

Here are the biggest packaging design trends for 2021:

  1. Tiny illustrated patterns that reveal what’s inside
  2. Authentically vintage unboxing experience
  3. Hyper-simplistic geometry
  4. Packaging dressed in fine art
  5. Technical and anatomical ink drawings
  6. Organically shaped color blocking
  7. Product names front and center
  8. Picture-perfect symmetry
  9. Story-driven packaging featuring quirky characters
  10. Solid all-over color

1. Tiny illustrated patterns that reveal what’s inside

Patterns and illustrations can be so much more than just embellishment. They can reveal what a product is all about. In 2021, expect to see a lot of intricate patterns and tiny illustrations on packaging, and expect it to be doing one specific job: giving you a hint about what’s inside.

tiny illustrated pattern packaging design trend: tea packaging design with tiny illustrated pattern
Tea packaging design by Gamal Assy via Behance

These illustrations are often simplified or abstract, giving you more of an artistic rendering of what’s inside the package than a literal look at the product itself. For example, instead of a photo of actual tortilla chips, a chip brand might decorate its bags with a triangle pattern that’s reminiscent of tortilla chips.

In 2021, expect to see packaging design that uses small illustrations and patterns in whimsical ways just like that. Intricate patterns like Gstar’s design for Nourish or the cute, minimal popcorn pattern by Cime show you everything you’re getting without overwhelming you with a complicated, overwhelming image.

tiny pattern packaging design trend: black pizza box with gold text and pattern
Packaging design by maneka
tiny pattern packaging design trend: green pouch packaging for hot cocoa mix

Packaging design by Urukova

tiny pattern packaging design trend: tan pouch packaging for a nut snack

Packaging design by Gstars

pattern packaging design trend: white popcorn box with a black text box and yellow popcorn pattern

Packaging design by Cime

tiny illustration packaging design trend: box for whipped cream dispenser showing cupcakes and baking tools

Packaging design by FreshApple

 

2. Authentically vintage unboxing experience

Vintage-inspired packaging has been a trend for a while now, so what’s different about it this year? The fact that the whole unboxing experience looks so authentic, you’ll think you travelled through time.

In 2021, you’re not going to see a bunch of generically vintage-inspired packaging. You’re going to see packaging that has an authentically old-school look and feel that is taking things further by creating a complete immersive experience. You’ll come across packaging designs that look almost indistinguishable from something your great-grandmother would have used, transporting you to a different moment in time.

That means going beyond logos and labels and encompassing the whole brand experience, making use of vintage-inspired textures, bottle shapes, materials, outer packaging and imagery choices. It’s no longer enough to give a package a few fun retro details. Now the package itself feels like it was plucked from a shelf that was frozen in time.

vintage experience packaging design trend: three glass bottles of skin products with vintage-inspired labels
Packaging design by Giocovision
vintage experience packaging design trend: skincare product canister with a vintage-style label

Packaging design by Agi Amri

vintage experience packaging design trend: gin bottles with intricate illustrated labels

Packaging design by balsheentayo99

vintage experience packaging design trend: maple syrup bottle with illustrated label

Packaging design by G@rry

vintage experience packaging design trend: pouch-style seed packaging

Packaging design by GoodEnergy

vintage experience packaging design trend: authentic looking retro packaging design
Packaging design by CRUCE Design Group via Behance

3. Hyper-simplistic geometry

Another one of the packaging trends we’ll be seeing a lot of in 2021 is designs that make use of extremely simplistic, yet bold geometric concepts.

geometry packaging design trend: wine bottle with a sharp geometric gray and red label design

Wine label design by ed-creative

geometry packaging design trend: box for gummies designed with different geometric patterns

Packaging design by monostudio

We’ll see bold geometry with neat lines, sharp angles and expressive colors giving packaging designs an edge (literally). Much like the pattern trend, this trend gives consumers a sneak peek at what a product stands for. But unlike patterns and illustrations, which depict what’s inside the box, these designs are abstract to the extreme. ​It may seem simple at first, but it’s an incredibly impactful way for brands to make a statement and leave a lasting impression.

geometry packaging design trend: beer bottle label with abstract geometric mountains artwork
Beer label design by exsenz
geometry packaging design trend: three energy drink cans, each with a lightning bolt design

Packaging design by Senchy

geometry packaging design trend: three beer bottles side by side, each with a gray and colorful label

Beer label design by lliiaa

geometry packaging design trend: chocolate packaging design in a soft palette with abstract imagery

Packaging design by 01001101

geometry packaging design trend: pink pouch package

Product packaging design by Nubia Design

4. Packaging dressed in fine art

In 2021, expect to see lots of packaging designs where the packaging itself is a piece of art. This trend is mostly gaining momentum with high-end products, but you could see it on mid-range products too. Designers are drawing inspiration from paintings and paint textures, either playfully integrating them into their designs or making them the focal point. The goal here is to blur the line between packaging design and fine art, demonstrating that anything, even a bottle of wine that will eventually end up in the recycling, is beautiful and unique.

fine art packaging design trend: painting inspired beer can design

Beer can design by Ostecx Creative via Behance

fine art packaging design trend: mostly red album cover with yellow and blue blobs

Album cover design by _Ossobuko_

fine art packaging design trend: wine label in purple, gold, pink and white with gold text

Wine label design by Windmill Designer™

fine art packaging design trend: cheese packaging inspired by still life painting
Still life painting inspired cheese packaging by The Clients Agency via Behance

While some designers like to draw inspiration from the old masters (like the cheese packaging above), this trend largely draws from abstract paintings and fluid painting techniques. Texture is key here, and packaging designers are emulating the kinds of textures and effects you’d see on a long-dried oil painting or a freshly-poured resin painting.

fine art packaging design trend: abstract art poured painting can design
Can design by Andrea León via Behance
fine art packaging design trend: packaging with a painting-inspired image of a dancer and an abstract box

Packaging design by Tatiana Ilina

fine art packaging design trend: two chocolate bar packagings, one brown and white and the other multicolored, side by side

Packaging design by Emir Alcic

5. Technical and anatomical ink drawings

Seeing the theme yet? Overall, 2021’s upcoming packaging trends feel way more “art gallery” than “commercial graphic design.” Alongside bold geometry and tactile textures, you’re also going to see a lot of your favorite (and soon-to-be favorite) products packed up in designs that feel like they were pulled right out of an anatomical illustration or engineering blueprint.

anatomical drawing packaging design trend: three cans side by side, each with a lobster illustration
Product packaging design by Emir Alcic
anatomical drawing packaging design trend: can showing a bumblebee and mountain range on its label

Product packaging design by Footstep

technical drawing packaging design trend: wine bottle with a label showing an airship

Packaging design by Sonia Maggi

Perhaps it’s because 2020 forced us to slow down and reevaluate what’s really worth doing, or maybe it’s a response to the years that minimalism reigned supreme in packaging designs. In any case, prepare to see more designs with incredible detail that look and feel like they were sketched and inked by hand for an ancient (and sometimes surreal) science publication.

technical drawing packaging design trend: coffee bean packaging showing illustrations of airships

Product packaging design by Martis Lupus

anatomical drawing packaging design trend: white pouch packaging showing illustrations of flowers

Packaging design by LizYee

anatomical drawing packaging design trend: box showing illustrations of fish wearing goggles

Product packaging design by G@rry

technical drawing packaging design trend: ink drawing design showing a gazebo and a bee

Product packaging design by GOOSEBUMPS

6. Organically shaped color blocking

Color blocking is nothing new. But color blocking in blobs and blips and spirals and dips? So 2021.

organic color blocking packaging design trend: coffee packaging in gray and shades of green
Packaging design by monostudio

What separates 2021’s organic color blocking from previous color blocking trends are the textures, the unique color combinations and how much the blocks vary in shape and weight. These aren’t clear, straight-edged boxes of color that make perfect grids and clean lines; they’re uneven, unbalanced, freckled and dappled collages that feel inspired by an eclectic flower garden or a dalmatian’s coat. They feel real, they feel organic.

organic color blocking packaging design trend: chocolate packaging in soft color-blocked colors
Packaging design by monostudio
organic color blocking packaging design trend: can in pastel color-blocked design

Packaging design by Eva Hilla

organic color blocking packaging design trend: coffee packaging in different colors

Packaging design by gromovnik

Patterns are blocked on top of colors, designers play with unexpected color palettes and shapes like spirals and squiggles find their way into these packaging designs, like JianBranding™’s design for Little Rituals.

organic color blocking packaging design trend: box with organic color blocking pattern

Packaging design by JianBranding™

organic color blocking packaging design trend: box in shades of green

Packaging design by Jelena M.

7. Product names front and center

Instead of making an illustration or logo the packaging’s focal point, some designers are instead choosing to make the product’s name the star of their designs. These are designs that get extremely creative with lettering to allow the product’s name to take center stage. Each name on these packaging designs feels like an artwork in itself, giving the whole design a distinctive personality.

name-focussed packaging design trend: four soda cans, each in a different color with bold text
Packaging design by Pepper Pack Design
name-focussed packaging design trend: brown packet with white text

Packaging design by domo design

name-focussed packaging design trend: beer bottles with tie-dye text labels

Label design by MANTSA

With this kind of packaging, there’s no doubt about what the product’s called or what kind of product it is, making this the perfect packaging trend for product-focussed businesses that aim to increase brand awareness. These designs rely on strong typography that can carry the brand’s whole aesthetic. Any additional design elements are just there to make the name shine.

name-focussed packaging design trend: colorful supplement packaging design with bold letters
Supplement packaging design by Igor Kovalev via Behance
name-focussed packaging design trend: three beer bottles with eclectic font designs

Packaging design by Mila Katagarova

name-focussed packaging design trend: clear water bottle with a bold label and green stripe design

Packaging design by :-DiegoGuirao

8. Picture-perfect symmetry

It’s not uncommon for a year’s top trends to contradict each other. In fact, it happens almost every year, and 2021’s packaging trends are no different. While some packaging designers play with organically imperfect shapes in their designs, others are swinging far in the opposite direction and creating pieces with perfect symmetry. These designs appeal to our sense of order, giving us a sense of grounding amid the chaos.

symmetry packaging design trend: cold brew bottles with intricate black, pink, green and yellow pattern on their labels
Packaging design by Mj.vass
symmetry packaging design trend: white coffee packaging with an intricate yellow and black pattern

Packaging design by Mj.vass

symmetry packaging design trend: black and gold line art packaging

Packaging design by merci dsgn

symmetry packaging design trend: symmetric kvass bottle design with stitching effect
Label design by Sisia Du via Behance

Not all the designs that fit into this trend are tight, intricate designs. Some, like Raluca De’s design for Yerba Mate original, are looser, more disconnected patterns that incorporate negative space for a less closed-in feel. They’re just as perfectly symmetrical as the more complex designs, though, which creates the visually satisfying sense of perfection that’s characteristic for this trend.

symmetry packaging design trend: green yerba mate packaging with a symmetrical pattern
Packaging design by Raluca De

9. Story-driven packaging featuring quirky characters

Storytelling is a key part of any effective branding, and in 2021, you’re going to see lots of brands extending their storytelling to their packaging.

2021 will bring us characters that go beyond being mascots to seemingly living their own fleshed-out stories. And instead of just being static mascots, you’ll see these characters in scenes, like you’re looking at an individual panel of a graphic novel. So instead of having to head to the brand’s website to read their story or inferring their brand story through the ads they run, you’ll have the main character delivered right to your door, telling you a story right from your buy’s package.

story-driven packaging design trend: beer can showing two pigs sitting by a campfire

Beer can design by ultrastjarna

story-driven packaging design trend: beer can showing a bear with sunglasses

Beer can design by drawziart

These characters bring their brands’ stories to life, often in a cartoonish, fun way that makes you feel like you’re reading a comic book as your eye travels through the packaging design. One example is St. Pelmeni’s stunning Peachocalypse design, which gives us a full scene of a giant peach attacking a city.

story-driven packaging design trend: multicolored beer can depicting an angry peach
Beer can design by St. Pelmeni
story-driven packaging design trend: black gin label showing an illustration of a cat in a top hat

Label design by monkey-mother

story-driven packaging design trend: label with quirky goose drawing

Label design by Wintrygrey

story-driven packaging design trend: coffee bean package showing a cat with sunglasses and a cup of coffee

Packaging design by K .art

10. Solid all-over color

Right alongside bold packaging that reads like a comic book, you’ll see products packaged in single colors. Although it’s working with a far more limited palette, this packaging trend has no less character than any of the others in this list. In 2021, expect to see packaging designs that let the copy and (often unconventional) color choices do all the talking.

solid color packaging design trend: mockup of a yellow cosmetics bottle laid against a plant, a diffuser and a block of wood

Packaging design by yand.

solid color packaging design trend: teal pouch smelling salts packaging with open eyes and a nose

Packaging design by HRSMA

solid color packaging design trend: minimalistic green solid color packaging design
Packaging design by Archangelo

One thing you’ll notice about these packaging designs is that for the most part, they’re using bright, bold colors. That’s what makes this trend feel so fresh—this isn’t the sterile all-white packaging your Macbook came in; these designs are loud, in-your-face and take a decidedly bold tone. And in the instances where they don’t, like Eva Hilla’s design for Babo, they choose an unusual shade that creates a mood and guides the buyer’s eye directly to the copy. By doing this, they build anticipation by telling the buyer about the product, rather than showing it immediately.

solid color packaging design trend: tan pouch packaging for a bubble tea kit

Packaging design by Eva Hilla

solid color packaging design trend: purple packet packaging for gummy candies

Packaging design by vitalfuerze

solid color packaging design trend: green and gray pouch packaging options
Packaging design by ANAMOLLY

Ready for the biggest 2021 packaging design trends?

If you’re planning on unleashing a new product on the market in 2021—or redesigning a current product’s look—pack it up in one (or more!) of today’s hottest trends. Great packaging design gets buyers pumped about your product before they even open it, so don’t miss the opportunity to wow them from the second they see it.

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