Engaging All Five Senses in Your Packaging Design

Image Source: Unsplash

I've been designing all kinds of packaging and marketing giveaways for over 20 years, and I'm here to tell you - no detail is too small. Every little element in your product box makes a difference. These details engage the five senses: sight, touch, smell, hearing, and even taste! (Yes, there are more senses, but that's a topic for another day - let's keep it simple for now.)

This is where 'senses-based packaging' comes in.

Senses-based packaging activates multiple senses to enhance the customer's unboxing experience. This strategy helps customers connect with a product on a deeper level. Think about a time when you felt an emotional connection to packaging - that moment was likely triggered by sensory elements designed to elevate the experience.

Creating a luxurious feel through packaging

Luxury isn’t just about fancy materials—it’s about the full experience. Every sense plays a part in how your brand is seen, felt, and remembered. Let’s break it down…

👁 Visual

A feast for your eyes!

The visual aspect of your packaging is the most important one. It is the first thing that catches the buyer's attention, the one that makes your product stand out. You can leverage this through UV coatings for a high-gloss finish, pearlescent coatings for luxurious shimmer, glitter coatings for a bold look, metallic sheens, and holographic foils. As well as amazing design layouts and openings.

🖐️ Tactile

Get touchy feely!

Once they see your box, they’ll reach for it, making their secondary purchasing decision. The packaging should create a tactile experience - does the box feel sturdy and pleasant, or does it feel flimsy? You can enhance the sense of touch with various coatings, finishes, and press effects, such as soft-touch coatings for a velvety texture, raised UV coatings for added dimension, grit and sandpaper finishes for a coarse, rugged feel, reticulation effects for unique patterns, or multi-level embossing/debossing for depth.

Image Source: Pinterest

🌬️ Olfactory

Breathe in the quality!

The sense of smell plays a key role, as it is directly tied to memory and emotions. Adding scent to your packaging can create a lasting impression. A carefully chosen scent can evoke feelings of nostalgia, relaxation, or excitement, helping to establish a stronger emotional connection with your brand. Remember the good old 'scratch n sniff'?

👂🏼 Auditory

I'm all ears!

The sense of hearing catches your attention unexpectedly. Sounds, such as the satisfying snap of closure or the rustle of textured material, add an extra layer to the unboxing experience. Auditory cues can signal quality and precision, enhancing the perceived value of your product. But sounds should be subtle and well-balanced to avoid irritating customers.

👅 Gustatory

Too good to eat!

And would you believe that even adding gustatory effects can be added to packaging? But not in the way you’d imagine - people don’t need to lick the boxes! You incorporate through the use of words like “tastes good” or “looks good”. Or adding pictures of food items scrumptiously prepared.

Incorporating multiple senses into your packaging engages your customers on a deeper level. It turns an ordinary unboxing into a memorable brand experience. From the texture of the materials to the subtle scent when opened, each sensory detail reinforces your identity and builds emotional connection.

Want your packaging to do more than just hold a product?

ME BRAND can help create an experience that engages all five senses.

Get in touch today >