Redesigning existing product packaging is fast becoming one of the most requested projects in graphic design. While at first glance packaging refreshes may seem like no-brainers, they can often turn out to be trickier and more anxiety-provoking than designing a consumer package from scratch.

That’s because when you redesign an existing, recognized package, you walk a fine line between selling more of the product to a broader audience and alienating your long-standing consumer base. Even when there’s evidence that a design is holding back a product’s potential on the shelf, it can be difficult for a company to let go of its beloved heritage.

Why change?
Companies resistant to change can quickly get left behind, which is why the packaging redesign business is so hot these days. Product managers find their packaging out of date or floundering because of major shifts in the marketplace. Retail channels and customer demographics are changing before manufacturers’ eyes.

It’s all business
A package design can begin to fail in its duty to sell because it’s so outdated it no longer feels fresh. Or it can miss the mark due to a change in target audience or consumer needs. It may simply pale in comparison to a competitor’s new approach. Or it may need to be updated because the manufacturer has decided to change the focus of the product itself.

Determining the business reason behind the need for a redesign largely drives the approach for the project. “A well-defined problem is half the solution,” says Michael Osborne of Michael Osborne Design, a firm that has tackled high-profile redesigns for products such as Clos du Bois wine, Gymboree, and Jack Daniels.

If a manufacturer is relaunching a product, for example, the packaging designer may choose something that can stand the test of time, rather than a “trendy” solution. On the other hand, for a product that faces fierce competition, a designer may need to go out on a limb and risk a more radical, groundbreaking approach to help the product stand out and shake up the category.

Determining the approach
After determining the business reason for redesign, designers must analyze the current situation before embarking on the project.

Many packaging designers rely on a scale, usually ranging from 1 to 10, to determine how dramatically the redesign will stray from the original. The 1 ranking may indicate a more evolutionary approach—a small, discreet step forward—while 10 represents a revolutionary redesign, or a completely new look.

Where the design project falls on the scale indicates how much of a packaging’s existing equity must be retained in the redesign. Equity in package design includes familiar elements that communicate the brand: colors, logo, type, images, words. A company can become attached to equity that, research might show, doesn’t need to remain. One example was when Lipton tea shed the red box and 90-year-old etching of founder Thomas Lipton, which had long characterized the brand. Every piece of equity is up for examination, even when a client insists at first that it’s sacred.

Asking the questions
Focus groups and other kinds of research help designers determine what must stay and what can be refreshed. As designers explore how far a redesign should go, they should ask the following questions:

• Who are the consumers of the product? How are their needs different from what the current package is communicating?
• How crowded is the product category? Who are the competitors—new or longstanding brands?
• Where is the product primarily sold? Are there new merchandising trends, category shifts, or retail focuses that are relevant?
• How long has the current package design been in place? How long does the client, for business reasons, need the redesign to last?