By using well thought out, authentic design choices, brands can convey a clear, genuine message, avoiding overpromising or trend-chasing that doesn’t reflect their core identity.
Mommy's Bliss, via Truly Creative
Key takeaways:
· Consider your users' motivations, challenges, and desires, and then identify the top 1-2 emotional associations you want consumers to connect to your brand.
· With over 70 million adults living with some type of disability in the U.S., designing for inclusivity opens up your brand to a wider audience.
· Younger generations are prioritizing sustainability, self-care, and unique experiences.
To determine what makes a wellness product like OTC medicines, deodorant, and pediatric care items stand out on shelves (and screens), we spoke with Carrie Dufour, Founder and Creative Director at Truly Creative, a brand strategy and package design agency in Petaluma, CA. She shared the tried-and-true best practices for package design and talked about how wellness brands need to grow with changing demographics, while building trust and designing with sustainability in mind.
HCP: Great design is about more than the graphics. What other considerations should wellness brands consider?
Dufour: You’re right, there’s a lot to consider leading up to the visual elements. Great design caters to the wants and needs of its intended users, so it’s important to start with a deep understanding of the target audience and then think about how your design will connect and resonate with them on a personal level.
We believe that empathy-driven design is key to creating truly meaningful connections. With that in mind, wellness brands can start by thinking of their users' motivations, challenges, and desires, and then identify the top 1-2 emotional associations they want consumers to connect to their brand. Is it relaxation, vitality, or trust? These associations should guide the graphics, messaging, and overall brand experience.
What are the tried & true best practices for a great design?
That’s a big question! Here are four foundational elements that help brands stand out, remain memorable, and get talked about…
Be Authentic: Let your mission and core values steer the ship. Being consistently authentic leads to trust and loyalty.
Be Different: Do the work to position your brand uniquely and then express that through your visuals, tone-of-voice, and product offerings that stand out.
Keep it Simple: In today’s world, you will rarely have your consumer’s full attention. Narrowing down the messages, then expressing them in a clear and concise way makes it easier for people to understand and repeat.
Connect Emotionally: Feelings are remembered longer than words or even actions, so you want to make sure you convey and reinforce the emotions you want to leave your consumers with.
These principles focus on human-centered design, which is relevant across both B2C and B2B, as each involves connecting with and appealing to real people who make decisions based on trust, clarity, and emotional impact.
In the wellness space, brand trust is paramount. How can design elements help build trust?
While trust is typically established through consistent reliability over time, brands can optimize that journey in a few ways.
The first is by being thoughtful about the first impression they are making. A brand’s design is like its wardrobe—it communicates identity at a glance. The right choices in logo, color palette, packaging, and tone of voice should create a strong initial impression that aligns with the brand’s values. By using well thought out, authentic design choices, brands can convey a clear, genuine message, avoiding overpromising or trend-chasing that doesn’t reflect their core identity. This honest approach forms a good foundation for a trusting relationship.
Displaying third-party endorsements, certifications, and customer reviews can also provide a type of social proof that is more likely to build trust.
Mommy’s Bliss is a great example of a brand that has built trust through a high-quality ingredient promise, transparency, and consumer validation. These types of messages establish credibility and are reinforced throughout their package design via a “#1 selling brand” seal (providing social proof), and certifications from reputable organizations like Environmental Working Group (EWG), which assesses product safety and ingredient transparency.
They also have a heartfelt founder’s story conveyed on their packaging and other marketing touchpoints. Consumers much prefer to buy from a relatable person rather than a faceless company. An impactful founder’s story can humanize your brand and create a stronger sense of trust and loyalty.
An impactful founder’s story can humanize your brand and create a stronger sense of trust and loyalty.Mommy's Bliss, via Truly CreativeIs it important for a package’s design to showcase that it is sustainable? What’s the benefit?
I do think it’s beneficial to showcase sustainability efforts, but how and where should be carefully thought out. From the consumer’s perspective, there are “reasons to buy”, and “reasons to love”. Typically, “reasons to buy” are more immediate and self-centered (this will help me lose weight, increase my energy, improve my mood, taste delicious, etc.). Sustainability typically falls under “reasons to love”, adding depth to the brand’s story, creating a deeper connection and loyalty among consumers. A brand needs both, but when you put yourself in the consumers shoes you realize that those immediate needs (reasons to buy) are the ones that need to be up front and while sustainability messaging often plays a supporting role.
How can brands make packaging more inclusive? How important is this?
With an aging population and more than 1 in 4—over 70 million adults (according to the CDC) living with some type of disability in the U.S., not only is it helpful for society, it opens up your brand to a wider audience. We are seeing a trend with brands taking a more proactive approach with accessibility and inclusivity in their packaging. We’re seeing braille and QR codes being incorporated to support people with visual impairments, and packaging developed to be easier to open and close—an advantage for individuals with disabilities and those experiencing age-related challenges like arthritis. Inclusivity in packaging is both meaningful and increasingly essential in today’s society, where people with disabilities are a large part of every community and population. Examples:
What’s changed in the last 10 years that directly impacts your work?
The first thing that comes to mind is the shift in demographics and societal changes that influence our brand positioning work and shape the design trends we’re seeing.
Younger generations are prioritizing sustainability, self-care, and unique experiences. They’re choosing purchases that offer an escape from daily stress, providing a self-indulgent “treat” that feels restorative or luxurious. This desire for escape also drives the nostalgia trend, inspiring throwback products and retro design styles. Additionally, their demand for convenience and tech integration has spurred growth in online shopping, making it crucial for brands to shine on small screens as well as on shelves. All the more reason for designs to be simple, impactful, and distinct.
On the flip side, with Millennials having fewer children and the Baby Boomer generation aging, we have more people over 65 than ever before. Today’s older adults are more determined than ever to stay healthy, active and independent all the way through life. We’re seeing more clients, like Synbiotic Health, helping people achieve this through probiotics that support longevity and healthy aging. Even younger generations are embracing practices like ice baths and other wellness hacks geared toward long-term health. Over the next decade, I believe we’ll see a rise in brands focused on enhancing healthspan and promoting healthier aging.
Are you seeing AI change the way designers work?
Definitely. It’s been a useful tool in our research work, developing better messaging, analyzing a target audience, etc. We’ve also used it for product innovation brainstorming to generate images of new product or recipe ideas. As of now, our process remains largely the same, but it’s layered with some of the benefits that AI brings.
Carrie is the Founder and Creative Director at Truly Creative, a brand strategy and package design agency in Petaluma, CA.Carrie Dufour is the Founder and Creative Director at Truly Creative, a brand strategy and package design agency in Petaluma, CA. With 25 years in food, beverage, and wellness branding, Dufour leads Truly's award-winning team, helping brands stand out on shelf and get brought home. When she’s not browsing the aisles of her favorite markets, she brings her creative problem-solving skills to parenting, painting, gardening, and playing soccer.
Hiring remains a major challenge in packaging, with 78% struggling to fill unskilled roles and 84% lacking experienced workers. As automation grows, companies must rethink hiring and training. Download the full report for key insights.
