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If the packaging designs on store shelves can give you a quick glimpse into current trends, then the case studies of packaging design awards winners can offer you a deeper understanding of the sales logic behind those designs.
If you evaluate packaging purely through best-seller lists, it’s easy to be drawn in by surface-level elements like shape, color palette, or copywriting—yet it’s much harder to decipher the strategic reasoning behind those visual decisions. Why this color combination rather than another? Why highlight the product name while shrinking the brand logo? Why invest in an unconventional structure that adds to production costs? Sales figures won’t give you the answers, but award-winning design concepts can.
To help more brand owners, procurement professionals, and designers uncover the value embedded in outstanding packaging design awards, we have compiled a review of eight major awards in the global packaging design landscape.
Through representative winning cases from each award, we will examine their distinctive strengths across multiple dimensions—aesthetic expression, trend forecasting, brand storytelling, and emotional resonance. We will also explore how these designs, beyond delivering visual appeal, create added convenience and emotional connection for consumers. We hope these cases can serve as tangible sources of inspiration for your next packaging iteration.
1. iF Design Award – Modular Packaging Design
The iF Design Award was established in 1953 and boasts a history of over 70 years, earning it the reputation as the “Oscar of the design world” among many. Organized by the Hannover Industrial Design Forum, it was originally founded to support Germany’s post-war industrial recovery and to highlight outstanding industrial design. Today, it has grown into one of the most influential and largest-scale design competitions globally, attracting over 10,000 entries from more than 60 countries each year.
The iF Design Award comprises nine major categories, with Packaging Design standing as one of the eight independent sub-categories within them. From liquor bottles to gift boxes for snacks, from eco-friendly materials to interactive structures, iF’s packaging category covers virtually all consumer sectors—food, beverages, personal care, pharmaceuticals, and beyond. Among the many design awards that feature a packaging category, iF’s packaging winners have consistently maintained a remarkably high level of quality and reference value.
Looking back at past packaging design awards-winning entries, one particular design approach stands out as especially compelling—modular packaging design. In simple terms, this approach hands over the power of dismantling and reassembly to the consumer, elevating the unboxing experience from merely “retrieving the product” to “participating in creation.”
Take the Puzzle Makeup Compact, for example—it breaks down an eyeshadow palette into a series of small, colorful puzzle pieces, allowing users to freely combine them into a custom makeup palette, adding a playful twist to the makeup routine.
Another case is Plum Wine, whose bottle takes on a bamboo-joint form—each bottle stands alone as an individual vessel, yet when stacked vertically, multiple bottles assemble into the silhouette of a complete bamboo stalk. The product itself is plum wine, which cleverly echoes the Chinese cultural imagery of “green plums and a bamboo horse”—a classic allusion to childhood friendship and young love—allowing the packaging form and the brand story to engage in a silent intertextuality on the shelf. This layer of meaning is further elevated by the ingenuity of the packaging design.
A further example is the Petal-like Rubber-tip Interdental Brush Packaging, which reimagines the experience of retrieving interdental brushes through a bionic petal-shaped design. Each time the consumer pulls out a brush, it feels like plucking a petal from a bouquet—transforming an otherwise mundane oral care routine into a moment of everyday aesthetic ritual.
Of course, modular and interlocking design is merely one facet among the many award-winning packaging concepts at iF. Whether in food, beverages, or cosmetics, flipping through iF’s past winners of packaging design consistently reveals a wealth of unexpected design approaches—not all of which are directly transferable, but every inspiring solution you encounter adds one more reference point to draw from the next time you are faced with a packaging brief.
2. Reddot Design – Accessory Packaging Design
The Red Dot Design Award was established in 1955 and, together with the iF Design Award and the US-based IDEA Award, is recognized as one of the world’s three most prestigious design awards. Organized by Design Zentrum Nordrhein Westfalen, it comprises three competition categories: Product Design, Brands & Communication Design, and Design Concepts, each of which includes one to three packaging-related sub-categories. The Red Dot jury is widely known for its rigorous standards, making the award exceptionally difficult to win—securing a Red Dot signifies that a product’s form and finish have received an internationally recognized seal of quality.
Looking back at Red Dot’s past packaging design awards winners, we have observed a recurring design approach within the packaging sector—accessory-style packaging.
The resurgence of this trend can be traced, in part, to a product popularized by Rhode Skin founder Hailey Bieber: a lip balm designed as a flat accessory that fits into the back of a phone case. This marked one of the first instances where a skincare product was integrated into everyday carry items, much like a tech accessory—transforming portability from a mere “capacity specification” into a tangible, consumer-visible notion of “designed to be carried.”
Among Red Dot’s recent winners, similar packaging concepts are not uncommon. Rather than pursuing a disposable aesthetic, these designs transform product containers into forms that can be hung, clipped, or otherwise carried along, allowing the packaging to continue serving as an accessory in the consumer’s daily life even after fulfilling its primary role of product protection.
Take, for example, the Medicated Patches case—a reusable portable patch dispenser from which users can easily pull out single patches. The case features a built-in carabiner-style clip, making it equally convenient to carry inside a bag or attach to the outside. The lavender color palette, combined with a rounded, adorable form, offers female users a decorative bag charm that goes beyond mere functionality.
The clip-on design approach appears to have developed particularly maturely in the sunscreen category, with a relatively wide variety of forms. Take the Chando Polar Portable Sunscreen Lotion as an example—it also adopts a hangable design, but its distinctive feature lies in the combination of a lightweight aluminum canister and an outer anti-slip sleeve made of recycled material. This pairing preserves the premium texture of metal while avoiding the greasy, slippery grip that often plagues metal containers, while also visually setting it apart from the vast number of plastic sunscreen accessories on the market.
In the children’s skincare segment, clip-on packaging takes on an even more vibrant visual expression. The brand Giving has developed a three-piece rainbow stick set for children, integrating sunscreen, insect repellent, and anti-itch care—three of the most commonly used personal care products for outdoor kids—into a set of compact, playful accessories that can be easily clipped onto a child’s backpack. The contrasting color scheme, paired with cheerful emoji-style printing, infuses the packaging with childlike charm and approachability, while also encouraging children to take a more active role in their own skincare routine—covering practicality, fun, and portability in one well-considered design.
Of course, accessory-style packaging is not the only direction among Red Dot’s winning entries, nor is it confined to the beauty and personal care sector. Browsing through the packaging award winners across other Red Dot categories reveals a wealth of unconventional solutions—perspectives that would be hard to come by merely browsing e-commerce shelves or offline supermarket aisles. What Red Dot offers is not just a list of winners, but a window that allows us to step outside the habitual thinking of our own product categories and reconsider the question: “What else can packaging be?”
3. IDEA Award – Accessible and Inclusive Design
The IDEA Award, full name International Design Excellence Awards, was established in 1980 by the Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA). Slightly different from iF and Red Dot, the IDEA Award was originally created specifically to honor outstanding achievements in industrial design, with its judging criteria placing a stronger emphasis on innovation, user value, and commercial viability. Additionally, compared to the two aforementioned awards, the entry cost for IDEA is relatively more accessible, making it a worthwhile starting point for brands or design teams looking to test the waters with international design competitions.
Currently, while the number of IDEA award-winning entries specifically in the packaging category is not particularly large, the selected works generally demonstrate a high level of design sophistication and conceptual depth. Among past winners, we have observed a design direction that stands in stark contrast to modular interlocking and accessory-style packaging— accessible and inclusive design.
The Liquid Medicine Assistant is a medication bottle designed for visually impaired users. Braille labels on the bottle body help users identify the type of medication, while the rotating cap allows for selecting the corresponding Braille dosage marking, enabling consumers to measure accurately without the need for a measuring cup, even in low-visibility conditions. This packaging does not pursue visual spectacle, nor does it attempt to become a portable accessory—instead, it returns to the most essential function of packaging: information communication. Only here, when the visual pathway is closed off, the designer reopens it through tactile means.
According to WHO data, at least 2.2 billion people worldwide live with some form of visual impairment, and this population faces a significantly higher risk of medication errors. Against this backdrop, a packaging design that enables visually impaired individuals to complete their medication routine independently and safely carries a social value far greater than any aesthetic breakthrough. This case reveals another dimension of packaging design: it does not have to appeal to everyone’s eyes, but it can solve a specific, real-world problem for a particular group of people.
4. German Design Award – Sensory Packaging Design
The German Design Award, formerly known as the Federal Award for Outstanding Design, was established in 1953 by the German Design Council and is one of the oldest design awards in Europe, often referred to as the “golden benchmark of the design world.” Its most distinctive feature lies in its unique nomination mechanism—entries cannot be submitted directly by brands or designers themselves, but must be nominated by the German Design Council or its jury before they can enter the official selection process.
The German Design Council is a national-level authoritative body initiated by the German Federal Parliament, and its jury is composed of experts from over 60 countries across various design disciplines. This dual-screening process of “nomination plus evaluation” ensures that every shortlisted entry has undergone rigorous professional vetting, lending the award a high level of credibility and recognition within the industry.
The German Design Award has consistently focused on the driving force of innovative design in promoting sustainable economic development, striving to empower sustained brand growth through design. Among its past winners, we have identified a design approach in the packaging sector that deserves particular attention in recent years—sensory packaging design.
One of the most intuitive examples is Liqueur Tropézienne. The label design of this spirit bottle serves as a quintessential example of synesthetic design: the primary color palette features a soft coastal blue, paired with horizontally extended wave lines, which, set against the white liquid, instantly conjure an image of a leisurely, relaxed Mediterranean seaside getaway.
A small red label at the neck adds an even more subtle touch—against the blue-and-white backdrop, this hint of warm color seems to allow the viewer to almost sense the warmth of the sun. Despite the absence of an unusual bottle shape or intricate decorative patterns, this packaging successfully evokes vivid associations of pristine sandy beaches, warm sunlight, and gentle waves rolling in with a summer breeze.
Within the German Design Award, packaging cases employing synesthetic design language extend well beyond this example—Casa Aragão’s and HAYNES Rum, for instance, similarly use visual symbols and color combinations to translate non-visual experiences across sensory dimensions. The moment consumers lay eyes on the packaging, they almost seem to anticipate the taste on the palate, the temperature against the skin, or the atmosphere of a particular setting.
This design approach has now also extended into the cosmetics packaging sector. Its core logic does not rely on structural innovation or functional extension, but rather on completing a cross-sensory transmission through the two-dimensional language on the container’s surface—using color and symbolism to awaken consumer associations with texture, fragrance, and ambiance.
5. Pentawards – Visual Illusion Design
The Pentawards were established in 2007. Although they do not have as long a history as the aforementioned awards, their professionalism and authority in the field of packaging design are in no way inferior. Unlike most comprehensive design awards, Pentawards is the world’s first and only professional competition dedicated exclusively to product packaging design, and is widely regarded by the industry as the “Oscar of packaging design.” For brand owners or designers seeking cutting-edge inspiration and professional insights within this vertical sector, the Pentawards winners undoubtedly serve as an invaluable reference benchmark.
Among the various packaging design strategies shared earlier in this article, the Pentawards winners have offered abundant case studies for each. In reviewing their past entries, we have observed another particularly sophisticated design approach—visual illusion design (or visual trickery design).
Visual illusion design is a highly demanding technique that requires a designer’s comprehensive capabilities—it tests not only the depth of understanding of the product’s core selling points, but also the mastery of packaging structure and spatial relationships. The sophistication of this approach lies in the fact that it does not remain confined to the visual dimension alone; rather, it integrates 2D graphics and 3D structures into a cohesive communication system. Some more advanced packaging design strategies even incorporate user actions to complete the expression of the visual illusion.
From the very first glance at the packaging to every movement of opening it, each step has the potential to become part of the design, delivering a layered and progressive experience of surprise. This sense of participation and delight often effectively enhances brand recall, deepens emotional connections with consumers, and encourages spontaneous sharing.
Take the infant formula packaging of the brand Grow Up as an example. As consumers stack the cans layer by layer, they notice the little girl illustration on the boxes seemingly “growing taller” with each tier—this visual illusion design cleverly integrates an interactive element into the packaging structure, translating the product’s core benefit of “promoting growth” into an intuitive, tangible visual experience that is both delightful and memorable.
Similar design logic can be found in works such as ensemble～kitchen tool series～ and CHIRP CHIRP SCISSORS. Their packaging appears to be nothing more than simple cardboard at first glance, but when the product is placed in alignment with the graphics on the board, the image instantly comes to life—a soup spoon is no longer just a spoon, but seems to become part of a musical instrument; a pair of scissors is no longer a cold tool, but transforms into a lively bird. This illusory technique of precisely aligning product forms with 2D graphics turns the packaging itself into a miniature visual magic show.
6. A’Design Award – Serialized Design
The A’ Design Award & Competition was established in 2010 and is currently one of the largest and most comprehensive design competitions in the world, covering the broadest range of design disciplines. The competition is officially recognized by international authoritative design organizations such as the International Council of Design (ICOGRADA) and the Bureau of European Design Associations (BEDA), and its credibility and influence within the design community are widely acknowledged.
Among the past packaging design awards winners at A’ Design, we have observed a design approach that is extremely common in commercial practice yet notoriously difficult to execute well—serialized design.
Serialized packaging, also known as family packaging, refers to multiple packages under the same brand or product line sharing a cohesive set of visual “family” traits, enabling consumers to quickly recognize their brand affiliation. The core challenge of serialized design lies in integrating “variation” within a framework of “unity.”
Brands need to subtract before they can add—identifying the three most critical pieces of information on each package: the brand identity, the product name, and the key product differentiators. Only after these three core elements are established can designers determine where flexibility lies and where consistency must be maintained, enabling them to navigate subsequent design extensions with both freedom and control.
Among A’ Design’s past packaging design awards winners, excellent examples of serialized design can be found across food, beverages, cosmetics, and many other categories. Take the premium chocolate brand Adagio, for instance. Its packaging employs a unified graphic layout structure, with different flavors distinguished by varied color palettes and illustrative elements that convey their respective taste profiles. This allows consumers to instantly recognize the product line’s overall coherence on the shelf while still clearly distinguishing each individual variant.
What is particularly clever is that Adagio incorporates piano-key-inspired side details and numeric modules into the design, allowing packages of different flavors to be seamlessly linked when displayed side by side—enriching the visual rhythm of the shelf presentation while reinforcing the holistic perception of the “series.” This approach of “accommodating rich variation within a unified framework, and connecting individual variants through thoughtful details” is a quintessential example of how serialized design achieves a win-win between brand image and product categorization.
Other notable serialized design cases worth mentioning include Mood Drop Bottle, Horse Year Scent Sticks, and Global Keepsake, among others. Each adopts a distinct design language and material selection, yet they all demonstrate a precise response to the core proposition of “unity and variation” in terms of visual integration and brand consistency.
7. IDA Design Award – Sustainable Packaging
The IDA Design Award (International Design Awards) was established in 2007 by the Farmani Group and occupies a solid “mid-tier” position among global design awards. Compared to the relatively high entry fees of Red Dot and iF, the IDA’s participation costs are more affordable, offering exceptional value—particularly for startup brands, independent designers, and students. As such, it is widely regarded within the industry as an important platform for discovering emerging design talent and is often seen as a stepping stone for designers on their way to top-tier awards.
The IDA Design Award covers a comprehensive range of categories, and among its product design winners, there is no shortage of outstanding packaging design cases. Within these, we have observed a recurring design approach—sustainable packaging.
In our article “Sustainable Packaging Design Strategies,” we previously discussed that packaging sustainability does not have to be approached solely through material substitution or structural simplification—the product usage model itself can also serve as a breakthrough point for sustainable design. The IDA-winning project *1N9* is a prime example: it encapsulates a cleaning agent in powder form, paired with a reusable bottle. Consumers simply need to add 90% water to produce a modern liquid cleaning product. This approach fundamentally reduces the consumption of single-use plastic bottles at the source, while also lowering carbon emissions during transportation—offering a holistic sustainable solution rooted in the product usage model itself.
8. MUSE Design Awards – Biomimetic Design
The MUSE Design Award was established in 2015 in New York and is organized by the International Awards Associate (IAA). It has quickly become one of the most influential international awards in the global creative design landscape. The award aims to recognize design professionals with outstanding expertise and to drive the continuous advancement of the global design industry.
Similar to the IDA Design Award, the MUSE Design Award features relatively affordable entry fees with strong cost-effectiveness, making it a worthwhile option for startup teams, independent designers, and design firms looking to gain international recognition for their brands or works.
Although the MUSE Award has a shorter history compared to other established awards, the number of packaging design winners it produces is by no means inferior to that of longer-standing awards like the IDEA or Red Dot. In reviewing past winning packaging entries, we have identified one particularly prominent design approach—biomimetic design.
The core challenge of biomimetic design lies in translating abstract concepts into tangible visual imagery, and the development costs for such designs are typically high. However, an agricultural technology company in Harbin, China, when promoting its low-GI rice, achieved a clever biomimetic design at a relatively low cost—using the snail as the central visual symbol, transforming the physiological characteristic of “slow absorption and gradual release” into an intuitive visual metaphor, conveying to consumers the brand message of “this is a healthy low-GI grain.”
In terms of structure, the rice packaging similarly reflects biomimetic design’s pursuit of authenticity, allowing consumers to intuitively understand the relationship between low-GI rice and bodily energy right at the shelf. Furthermore, the packaging is made of canvas material, requiring no adhesive bonding and completely eliminating single-use plastic. It is reusable and recyclable, and can even be repurposed into a plush toy or cushion after fulfilling its primary packaging role, extending into a new lifecycle. This transformation from a “disposable container” to a “companion object” is precisely the emotional depth that biomimetic design confers upon packaging, beyond its functional value.
Among the MUSE packaging design awards’ winners, biomimetic design cases extend well beyond this example—works such as RURK Peony Luminance Pure Care Fluid, LOVE YOUR SKIN BATH SET, Happy Cat Hugging the Moon, and Innovite Children’s Graded Nutrition Product all employ biomimetic design techniques to bring product imagery to life and provide consumers with a more intuitive user experience.
Biomimetic design not only tests technical capability in structural development but also challenges brands in their choice of “imitation subject”—the selection of what vehicle to convey the product story often determines whether the design achieves more than just a superficial resemblance, reaching a deeper sense of “spiritual affinity.” This is ultimately the key to whether biomimetic design can truly resonate with consumers.
9. Conclusion
The above concludes our sharing on the eight major international design awards and their packaging design winners. For your easy reference, we have compiled the key information of each award into a table, allowing for a side-by-side comparison at a glance. We hope this information will serve as a useful reference should you consider participating in packaging design competitions in the future.
It is worth noting that the packaging cases and design approaches shared in this article are intended to provide directional inspiration and reference only. The final execution of any packaging design project must be developed through customized discussions that closely revolve around the product’s core highlights, target audience, usage scenarios, and brand positioning—rather than simply applying a particular approach or style in a one-size-fits-all manner. Truly great packaging design is never about copying forms; it is about precise strategic expression.
Whether you are in the food and beverage, beauty and personal care, or other consumer goods sectors—if you have specific needs or challenges regarding packaging design, we welcome you to reach out to us for a discussion at any time. We would be delighted to offer professional insights and suggestions from perspectives including brand strategy, structural innovation, material selection, and visual communication.
