Designing for Packaging Awards vs. designing for real life: Balancing aesthetics and functionality in FMCG packaging design

23/03/2025 | Read

Recently, I came across an impressive packaging design for the olive oil brand "Viento de Arribes Poniente"[0]. With its unexpected design for the category, premium aesthetics, and innovative finishing touches, the design immediately captured my attention. On styled photographs, it appears perfect, attracting attention, standing out from competitors, and inviting interaction... but I couldn't help but wonder: how does this meticulously crafted packaging perform in real-life conditions? Will its beauty survive production, transportation, store shelves, and everyday consumer usage? This brought me to a critical question for designers and brands in the FMCG industry: how do we balance aesthetics and innovation in "award-winning design" with the practical needs of shelf presence (and ultimately, consumers)?

Designing for Packaging Awards vs. designing for real life: Balancing aesthetics and functionality in FMCG packaging design

The Allure of Award-Focused Design

"Designing for awards" often prioritizes artistic expression and innovation, resulting in groundbreaking concepts. Such designs push boundaries, experimenting with shapes, materials, and finishes that immediately attract attention [1].

This approach offers many advantages:

Encourages innovation and sets new industry standards.
Enhances brand recognition and visibility.
Allows creative freedom, enabling designers to explore bold concepts.

However, it also has drawbacks:

Often overlooks critical factors such as cost-effectiveness, practicality, and scalability [2].
Neglects the functional aspects of packaging, compatibility with production processes, and ability to withstand transportation, storage conditions, or consumer handling.

The Real-Life Product Cycle and Practical Packaging Challenges

While beautifully designed products excel under controlled conditions, real life introduces numerous obstacles:

Manufacturing challenges: complex shapes, details, and finishing elements can increase manual labor, thus raising production costs and complexity.
Transportation and logistics: packaging must withstand stacking, handling, temperature changes, and rough conditions. Designs unable to endure these challenges quickly lose their appeal [3].
Retail environment: under fluorescent lights, crowded shelves, and intense competition, many purely aesthetic designs become less noticeable, with some losing the features that made them appealing outside controlled conditions.
Consumer interaction: the ultimate packaging test is consumer usability. Is it easy to open, use, and reseal? Does it remain attractive after repeated handling or prolonged storage?

Achieving the Perfect Balance Between Award-Winning and Functional

The best FMCG packaging combines aesthetic innovation with strong functionality. Brands excelling in both areas often:

Utilize user-centered design, incorporating extensive feedback and testing.
Adopt iterative design processes, refining packaging until it meets both artistic and practical criteria.
Develop modular or scalable solutions that remain appealing in various retail environments and consumer usage scenarios [5].

To harmonize beauty and functionality, designers should:

Clearly define objectives from the start, aligning creative, production, marketing, and sales teams.
Rigorously prototype, testing durability throughout the supply chain.
Proactively consult regulatory requirements, ensuring compliance without compromising appeal.
Strategically plan budgets, investing in materials and processes that balance appearance and practicality.
Engage real users during development to ensure the design meets authentic consumer needs.

Conclusion: Beyond the Award Stage

Returning to the olive oil packaging example, its artistic elegance is undeniable. However, the critical question remains: is this beauty sustainable under real-life conditions?

True success in FMCG packaging design lies not only in aesthetic excellence for awards but also in delivering practical, lasting, and meaningful consumer experiences. Balancing these priorities requires designers to blend creativity with practical problem-solving—creating packaging that's visually appealing, functional, and resilient throughout its lifecycle.

Do you want to ensure your packaging achieves the perfect balance between aesthetics and functionality? Contact the LA VOL team and discover how our packaging design services can elevate your brand.

References

[0] Viento de Arribes Poniente - https://packagingoftheworld.com/2025/03/viento-de-arribes-poniente.html

[1] "Aesthetic or Functionality: Which Is More Important for Your Packaging Design" - https://www.thepkglab.com/blog/31/aesthetic-or-functionality-which-is-more-important-for-your-packaging-design

[2] "Packaging Design: Aesthetics Meets Function" - https://hivo.co/blog/the-art-of-packaging-design-combining-aesthetics-and-functionality

[3] "Design Dilemma: Balancing Aesthetics and Functionality" - https://www.toptal.com/designers/ux/aesthetics-vs-functionality

[4] "Combining Functionality and Aesthetics in Design" - https://medium.com/illumination/combining-functionality-and-aesthetics-in-design-94f2dae0e2db

[5] "How to Balance Aesthetics and Functionality in Cosmetic Packaging Design" - https://apackaginggroup.com/blogs/news/how-to-balance-aesthetics-and-functionality-in-cosmetic-packaging-design

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