You know the saying, "don't judge a book by its cover"? Well, sometimes, that's not always the best philosophy. Now WAIT, before you grab your pitchforks and head to Pipsnacks HQ- please, hear us out!

While we do truly believe, it's what's on the inside that counts, when it comes to judging this "book cover" (cough cough, Pipcorn bag) we have to admit, looks totally matter. 

The truth is, most people don't think about the amount of effort that goes into designing the snack bag they hold in their hands. I mean, I wouldn't either if I was snacking on some delicious mini popcorn ;) ... Imagine customers knew just how many times a file was labeled "Final Packaging" only to be edited, revised and renamed, Final Packaging Version 2, Version 4, Version 6... you get my point. And while consumers may not acknowledge the design process, they do appreciate the final result. Which is why packaging design is HUGE. It is a tool that makes brands tangible to consumers, and a chance to introduce and connect your product to the world before consumers actually taste it.

So where does great packaging begin? Well, at the drawing board of course! It takes research, patience, and an open mind to create a design that will influence an audience's decision to engage with your product.

Some things to consider:

What message do you want to convey to your audience? What do you want to say about your product? Is it fun and wild with lots of colors, clean and artisanal (like Pipcorn kraft packaging), or is it bold and fierce (Death Valley Corn). Whether it's color, size, typography, images or material- some factor on the packaging must speak to the customer's emotions and differentiate your brand from the rest on the shelf. 

Design time!

As with all good things, great design takes time. And because we are a small company with a small team, we have the luxury of voicing our opinions! But opinions lead to revisions, and revisions generate new opinions, and in return, you guessed it, more revisions! This means Jeff had the luxury of making dozens of edits on Adobe Illustrator until we come up with a solution that was just right!! (see photo below)

Although the process may feel a bit overwhelming, nothing compares to the feeling you get when you see your vision come alive on the shelf.