Designing the Unboxing Experience: How Graphics Create Memorable First Impressions

A product and its packaging are inseparable, so you must give careful consideration to the visual elements to differentiate your product and drive sales. Even if you are strategic about how your product appears on store shelves, you may be missing a crucial aspect of the customer experience by overlooking the unboxing experience. 

The unboxing process represents one of the earliest impressions of your product, so it must be visually appealing and functional. Graphic design and typography play a central role in the experience. 

Why Is the Unboxing Experience Important?

Visual packaging elements directly influence purchasing decisions, according to a 2025 study from the College of Creative Arts. The graphics, colors and logos you use have a significant impact on how people perceive your products. 

Strategic design is crucial because it affects consumers’ responses. If you understand how to design packaging strategically, you can build memorable brand moments. 

Building Memorable Brand Moments

While packaging serves a predominantly functional role, it does more than protect items from damage in transit. It influences perceived value, establishes an emotional connection and triggers psychological effects. 

As more industries are becoming oversaturated with similar products, presentation is becoming increasingly important to consumers. Market research indicates that the packaging industry’s value reached $1 trillion in 2022, up from $839 billion in 2015. Custom branding and interesting graphics help differentiate your product and make the unboxing experience more memorable.

The three stages of the unboxing experience are anticipation, excitement and satisfaction. It goes beyond the instant gratification of receiving a package — you experience the thrill of retrieving and grasping a new product for the first time. This first impression is memorable. 

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Driving Positive Business Outcomes

Creative, custom graphics elevate packaging from a box customers will throw in the recycling bin to something worth displaying on a shelf. Have you ever stored a box in a closet instead of tossing it simply because it was nice? I know I have, and many consumers do the same. 

Opening a package should feel rewarding, especially if the product is of premium quality. Visual appeal and a structured layout help you savor the moment. Think of it like unwrapping a present instead of ripping open a plain cardboard box. 

Unboxing is about more than delivering a visual feast for the eyes. It is an experience — the graphics tell a story. All the elements work together to build brand recognition, drive loyalty and incentivize future purchases.

Graphic Designers’ Role in the Experience

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As a graphic designer, you play a central role in the unboxing experience. Your strategic use of color palettes, typography and illustrations determines visual appeal. Even if the team nails the packaging’s shape, your work determines whether consumers get the whole experience.  

Since your graphics play a big role in the customer experience, it is essential to understand the driving forces behind a successful unboxing moment. The internet is oversaturated with products, which can weaken brand recognition and loyalty. Focusing on the unboxing experience helps you differentiate your company. Receiving the product becomes something worth getting excited about and filming. 

Businesses have even found a way to turn this process into a marketable event. Influencers who receive PR packages often create content by recording themselves removing each item from the package. Suddenly, it’s about more than wanting the product itself — people want to experience the thrill of unboxing it.

For online stores that lack a physical storefront, a product unboxing is the primary physical brand interaction. With global e-commerce sales exceeding $5.7 trillion annually, the sheer volume of packages shipped daily is immense. In this crowded environment, your shipment is just one of millions arriving on doorsteps. A generic box is forgettable, but a deliberately designed unboxing experience becomes your most tangible brand asset and a powerful competitive advantage. 

Thus, a growing number of industries — from household goods and apparel to consumer electronics — now treat packaging as an essential part of their marketing strategy.

How to Design the Perfect Unboxing Experience

Regardless of the industry you are in, following these practical design tips will help you perfect the unboxing experience. 

Pair Custom Graphics and Packaging

Custom branding and packaging are nonnegotiable if you want to be memorable. People open plain cardboard boxes every day. What makes yours different? 

Even if you are limited to a rectangular container, you can still make an impression with custom graphics and strategically placed branding. For instance, you could enhance your product’s perceived value with a gold foil label and a stylish, monochromatic box. 

Combine Graphics and Interactive Elements 

Source: https://pprkit.com/what/f/adidas-boston-marathon-mailer?blogcategory=PPRKIT+mailers

Unboxing is an interactive experience, but you can take it one step further by making your graphics an integral part of the interaction. I recommend a slide box that reveals artwork or tells a story. PPRKIT Mailers did this for Adidas to celebrate the Boston Marathon. Opening the mailer brings the figure closer to the “finish line,” mimicking the marathon route. 

Alternatively, you could include a small drawer, tear notch, box flaps or slit opening within the box to create an opportunity for a second unboxing within the unboxing experience. If you have multiple items in the package, separate them physically, even if they are just an inch apart. You can connect them visually with creative illustrations, borders or typography. 

Take an Especially Artistic Approach

I would rather receive a visually interesting package with art that is unique to the brand rather than a standard carton or cardboard box. For instance, if I am considering purchasing a beauty product, I may be swayed to buy from the more expensive brand that mails its product in a tray made to resemble the main ingredient. 

Consider the Packaging as a Whole

You cannot design an effective unboxing experience without considering how the graphics and packaging intersect. Tactile experiences and the ease of opening are just as meaningful as the visual appeal.

Amazing-looking colors and typography mean little if you have to tear into the container with scissors to access the item inside. Consider incorporating a handle or drawer to make the process more accessible. Depending on how you change the structure, you could make creative design decisions. 

Use Unique Packaging Materials

Source: https://pprkit.com/what/f/yttp-radiate-energy-mailer

High-quality packaging looks great and feels great. Material choice plays a huge role in whether people perceive a product as premium or sustainable. 

If you get creative, you can incentivize consumers to reuse the branded container as an everyday item, cementing your brand as a household name in their eyes. For instance, they can use a woven bag as a coin purse or a metal tin as a jewelry holder.

Tie Everything Together With Accents

People place more value on a product when it is in quality packaging. A 2024 survey of online shoppers in the United States revealed that a premium unboxing experience makes 41% of people want to purchase from the brand again. This trend is particularly prominent among young adults, with 60% of those aged 16 to 29 agreeing — a 23% increase from the previous year.

I would recommend tying everything together with high-quality features, such as colored tissue paper, transparent windows, free samples, magnetic closures or message cards. Your design may take center stage, but you must remember that these elements contribute to the overall experience by demonstrating the thought and care you put into it. 

Other Practical Tips to Consider

Going beyond the basics, you must consider the social aspects of graphic design. What will make people want to share their experience on social media? How can you incentivize purchases with just the packaging?

Encourage Sharing on Social Media

There is value in sharing unboxing videos. A 2024 study from the Sri Ramakrishna College of Arts and Science found people — primarily women aged 35 to 45 years — regularly watch unboxing videos online when considering a purchase. They agreed they prefer watching these videos over reading product reviews.

You can encourage social media sharing by promoting a branded hashtag when sending order confirmation and package delivery emails. However, the best way to encourage people to share their experience is to create packaging that is both aesthetically pleasing and captivating, making them feel compelled to post online. 

Do Seasonal or Collaborative Designs

Source: https://voluspa.com/products/cherry-blossom-bubble-reed-diffuser

Designs that are exclusive to specific seasons or brand collaborations are an excellent way to drive purchases, especially among segments that might not usually purchase your company’s product. It creates a fear of missing out, thanks to the design’s exclusivity, and consumers may be more incentivized to post on social media or keep the container, boosting brand recognition. 

Make the Experience More Personal

Personalization is an essential aspect of modern marketing. McKinsey & Company research shows it can increase revenue by as much as 15%, resulting in a return on investment of up to 30%. 

You may not be able to personalize each package, but you can create multiple variants to make unboxing feel more personal. You may even incentivize repeat purchases by making the boxes collectors’ items. A handwritten note or one created with a handwriting machine also adds a personal touch that makes people feel good about their purchase and more connected to the brand. 

Designing a Great Experience

For whatever reason, people tend to keep boxes instead of recycling them. I’ve even caught myself thinking, “But it’s such a nice box” on several occasions. People want to hold on to packaging — you can give them a reason to. 

People may not buy a product exclusively for its packaging, but it does influence their decision-making process. High-quality graphics presented in a custom format can incentivize purchases and boost brand recognition.