Packaging ideation workshops with AI visualizations – advantages and concrete examples from our agency
Artificial intelligence: Many revere it, others are critical of it. Our packaging design agency appreciates the fantastic possibilities that AI offers in the idea generation process, but also knows its limitations and that it cannot replace the creative excellence of professional packaging designers. In this article, we discuss the advantages of AI visualizations in packaging design and describe how we use them. The article is rounded off with some visual examples that were created during our workshops with various clients.
Fundamental advantages of AI visualizations in packaging design
AI visualizations ensure a quick start to the design work, as they provide initial visual drafts in a very short time, which can then be evaluated and either discarded completely or further refined. They help packaging designers to orient themselves in the right direction early on in the design process. This makes visualizations generated with artificial intelligence ideal for creative exploration at the beginning of a project, for mood boards, and for workshops with customers.
A particularly big advantage of using AI in packaging design is the extremely efficient generation of ideas through so-called prompts. These are simple text inputs that can be used to quickly generate meaningful variations in terms of shapes, colors, materials, or styles. Previously, manual sketches or renderings were required for this purpose, which cost a lot of time and therefore money. In this sense, artificial intelligence greatly expands the creative horizon with little effort.
From the advantages described above, it is easy to see that AI visualizations enable tremendous variety and comparability at the touch of a button. Regardless of whether a minimalist and ecological or a striking and luxurious approach is desired for a specific product, artificial intelligence delivers different design options within minutes that can be directly compared and ranked in terms of quality. This supports informed design decisions early on in a project.
Potential and limitations of AI for designing creative packaging
The advantages described above are particularly evident in internal collaboration and in dialogue with customers. Visualizations generated by AI immediately create a common picture and thus an excellent basis for discussion. They promote exchange and facilitate coordination. In addition, they pave the way for faster feedback, which can positively influence the quality of the final result and significantly shorten the overall design process. AI visualizations therefore offer real added value, especially in international projects with many stakeholders.
However, despite all the simplifications that artificial intelligence brings to the design process, it is not a solution provider. It lacks the sophistication, the expertise in detail, and the emotional creativity that is needed to succeed in a competitive market, i.e., to reflect the individual brand philosophy and satisfy consumer needs across the board. AI therefore functions more as an idea accelerator in packaging design. It inspires, opens up new ways of thinking, and makes even unconventional approaches visually tangible. Artificial intelligence is thus a powerful tool for generating ideas—but humans remain the curators and designers.
How we use AI visualizations at BPC
At BPC, we take a hybrid approach. Our comprehensive design processes combine AI-generated visualizations with extensive market knowledge gained through store checks, haptic samples, material analyses, and category insights from international markets. This allows us to connect vision with reality.
In our design sprints, we filter AI ideas, critically examine them, develop them further, and tailor them to specific brands based on experience, brand strategy, and current market requirements. We focus on a holistic approach.
Our principle is that AI does not replace creativity – it enhances it. We see artificial intelligence in packaging design as a catalyst for new ways of thinking, an extremely valuable tool that enables us to make faster, visually informed decisions, which is very important in an increasingly dynamic market environment.
Specific examples from our AI workshops with various customers
The following images show examples of what AI visualizations can look like. They are taken from our AI workshops with various customers and illustrate the enormous potential and advantages of artificial intelligence in packaging design discussed above.
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