7 Packaging Design Trends You Need To Know For 2025

As we move further into 2025, packaging design continues to evolve at incredible speed, shaped by changing consumer values, technological advancement and the growing competitiveness for standout shelf appeal. For food brands in particular, packaging has become much more than a mere container for a product. Packaging is now a key customer touchpoint, helping to elevate the profile of your brand and stand out from the competition.

Staying on top of the latest packaging design trends has never been so important. Our award-winning design team spend countless hours analysing emerging trends and working with global brands to deliver packaging design that truly resonates with today’s consumer market. The most successful studios aren’t just following trends; they are pioneering them, and we are proud to be at the forefront of packaging design innovation.

In this article, we’ll explore the seven defining packaging design trends reshaping the industry in 2025 and beyond.

1. Sustainability As Standard
2. Keepsake Packaging
3. Multi-Sensory Experiences
4. Nostalgic & Playful Design
5. Storytelling Through Design
6. Sometimes Less Is More…
7. Chaos Packaging

1. Sustainability As Standard

Sustainability was once viewed as a nice-to-have, but it is now a non-negotiable factor that is driving consumer behaviour. A recent study by McKinsey has shown that 43% of US consumers consider sustainable packaging as an extremely or very important factor to consider when making a purchase. We’re seeing a decisive shift away from single-use plastics, with brands embracing right-sizing principles that eliminate unnecessary packaging. Consider lightweight yet durable packaging materials that will protect your product, but not at the expense of excessive transport costs, which require more energy and emissions to deliver to market.

Tin has emerged as a frontrunner when it comes to sustainable packaging materials. For food brands in particular, tin offers the perfect combination of product protection, premium shelf appeal, and genuine sustainability credentials that today’s environmentally conscious consumers demand. Many beauty and cosmetics brands are also adopting tin in their packaging due to the overwhelming environmental and commercial benefits.

2. Keepsake Packaging

Longevity is fast becoming a key trend in packaging design. Rather than designing packaging purely for the journey from retailer to consumer, forward-thinking brands are creating containers with further purpose. Think collectable tins, refillable containers and beautifully designed packaging that consumers just don’t want to throw away. This isn’t just stemming from the sustainability angle – it’s about sentiment as well. When packaging creates an emotional connection to the consumer, it turns from being disposable to valuable. This creates a lasting physical touchpoint that keeps your brand ever-present in your consumers’ daily lives, long after the product has been consumed.

Whether it is a limited-edition biscuit tin that doubles as a desk tidy, or a spice container that is destined to live permanently on the kitchen counter, purposeful design extends the lifecycle of your packaging and brand in the most meaningful way.

3. Multi-Sensory Experiences

Touch it, feel it, hear it – packaging design in 2025 is engaging far more than just our visual sense. Expect to see more textures, finishes, and other sensory simulating elements worked into packaging design. Embossed tins, soft-touch coatings, unexpected opening mechanisms – these details create small moments of joy that consumers remember.

Beyond this, multi-sensory packaging design deepens emotional engagement, transforming everyday interactions into memorable brand touchpoints. We have been known to experiment with light in recent award-winning packaging design projects. Think light projection technology combined with stunning tin design, to create an almost theatrical experience that captures attention and creates a memorable experience for your consumer. The best packaging design engages multiple senses to elevate the overall product experience.

4. Nostalgic & Playful Design

In today’s uncertain times, people often seek comfort in familiarity. In a world that often feels overwhelming, packaging design that evokes nostalgia or delivers a smile offers much-needed escapism. Here are some of the popular design approaches we are seeing in nostalgic and playful packaging:

• Vibrant retro typography that references nostalgic decades gone by
• Bold colour blocks that create lasting visual impact and increase shelf appeal
• Hand-drawn elements that add a personal, authentic, yet fun touch
• Playful packaging shapes that are out of the ordinary and inspire delight

When well-executed, nostalgic and playful design elements can establish powerful emotional connections with consumers that purely functional packaging just can’t match.

5. Storytelling Through Design

In the age of the attention economy, packaging design in 2025 will continue to use storytelling elements to form deeper connections between the brand and user. What makes design-driven storytelling particularly effective is its ability to communicate instantly. Unlike written content that requires time and attention to consume, well-executed visual narratives can convey complex brand messages in moments – crucial in fast-paced retail environments where purchase decisions are made in seconds.

From heritage-inspired elements to origin stories and brand values, visual storytelling through packaging creates stronger emotional bonds with consumers than traditional marketing channels ever could. We’re seeing food brands in particular embrace this trend, using packaging to highlight where the product comes from, production methods, and founder stories. The transparency inherent in this approach builds trust while satisfying consumers’ growing interest in the origins of what they consume.

6. Sometimes Less Is More…

Another significant trend in packaging design for 2025 and beyond is the ‘less is more’ approach, which has been gaining traction in recent years. Stripped back aesthetics with reduced design elements are proving to be more popular with consumers, with clean lines and simple compositions cutting through the visual noise on crowded shelves.

Many brands are finding that removing unnecessary elements can actually strengthen their identity, with negative space and impactful typography making a more powerful statement, compared to busy and cluttered designs. Carefully selected colour palettes and clean, legible fonts can help to evoke clarity and calmness, creating an immediate visual impact whilst elevating shelf appeal.

This trend is even more apparent with luxury brands, who are embracing minimalist design to convey quality and confidence. In a busy retail landscape full of products vying for attention, the subtle authority of restrained design signals a brand confident enough to let its product speak for itself.

7. Chaos Packaging

They say the best things come in small packages, but chaos packaging refers to the theory that the best things come in unexpected packages. This emerging trend deliberately flips convention on its head by offering products in packaging formats traditionally associated with entirely different offerings. We’re conditioned to expect certain products in certain containers. Chaos packaging intentionally disrupts these expectations, creating intrigue.

What makes this approach so effective is the immediate pattern disruption it creates, helping to dramatically increase shelf appeal. When consumers scan aisles of similar products, unexpected packaging formats catch the eye, forcing attention and consideration. In retail environments where capturing attention is increasingly difficult, this moment of surprise can be invaluable. For brands looking to completely differentiate from the competition, chaos packaging offers a powerful opportunity to challenge conventions and create memorable brand touchpoints that extend far beyond simple product containment.

Your Partner For Mastering Packaging Trends In 2025

Packaging design trends are perpetually evolving, presenting exciting opportunities for brands that want to embrace innovation and surpass consumer expectations. Our studio specialises in designing tin packaging solutions that leverage the trends covered in this article and much more. Not only do we create beautifully designed tin packaging, but we also have unrivalled experience in sourcing the most delicious fills as trusted private label food and snack suppliers. Our comprehensive service spans from concept design to delivery, whether you need filled, retail-ready tins or empty packaging solutions.

Ready to explore how these packaging design trends can enhance your brand experience? Contact our team today.