8 Common Mistakes in Packaging Design and Production — and How to Prevent Them Effectively
Custom packaging is extremely important for business. Just as packaging optimized for your brand and product helps set your brand apart, poor packaging can seriously damage brand image and product sales. By reviewing the mistakes that commonly happen during packaging design and production, you can avoid unnecessary expenses...
Custom packaging is extremely important for business. Just as packaging optimized for your brand and product helps set your brand apart, poor packaging can seriously damage brand image and product sales. By reviewing the list of mistakes that often happen when designing and producing packaging, you can save unnecessary costs. Take a look at the following list while considering the importance of packaging as a bridge connecting customers and products.
The Most Common Mistakes in Box Design and Production
1. Typos
Source: globalvision
Some sellers do not consider spelling mistakes printed on packaging to be a serious issue. But typos can severely undermine brand credibility. Customers who see packaging that even basic spelling rules have failed to catch will question the company’s professionalism. Even if the actual product is excellent, that won’t help. That is how powerful packaging’s influence can be.
2. Hard-to-Read Text
Source: pinterest
If customers can’t read it, it doesn’t matter how good the text on the packaging is. Including essential information such as product details and the brand name and slogan in text is important, but precisely because it matters, you need to choose the printing method, font, size, and other details carefully so it stands out clearly to customers.
3. Incorrect Box Size
Source: reddit
The first purpose of packaging is still product protection. You should not overlook this function while focusing on other effects. To protect products safely, the right size matters. You need packaging that fits the product’s size and shape so it doesn’t move around inside the box and get damaged.
4. Inappropriate Packaging Materials
Source: hicaps
Just like incorrect box sizing, using inappropriate packaging materials is something you should watch out for. The right type of packaging material depends on the product’s characteristics and the shipping process. And if the wrong box is used, unexpected additional costs are likely to arise.
What should you choose, and how?
5. Packaging Waste
Source: recycling-magazine
Excessive packaging has recently been drawing attention as a serious issue in many areas. Consumers are also very aware of this problem, and it is directly tied to how customers perceive a brand. Excessive packaging creates a lot of unnecessary waste, which is not only harmful to the environment but also inconvenient for consumers who have to dispose of it.
6. Lack of Differentiation
Source: designweek
Again, every package has one goal: to catch the customer’s eye. Even if the design is attractive and clean, it will be hard to achieve results if it looks too similar to competitors’ packaging. In some cases, customers may even confuse it with a competitor’s product because the design is not distinctive enough. You need a visually differentiated design.
7. Overly Complex Design
Source: tdan
If used well, colorful designs can deliver great results. But there still needs to be order within them. It is worth reviewing whether you have pushed too far in the pursuit of too many branding effects. In the end, nothing may remain in the customer’s memory.
8. Difficult-to-Open Structure
Source: nicolas-alziari
Sometimes, in focusing too much on great design, practicality gets overlooked. Protecting the product and enhancing brand image are important, but in the end, customers must be able to open the box and take the product out. There is nothing to gain from frustrating consumers.
How to Avoid Mistakes
1. Use Eco-Friendly Packaging
thedieline
Choosing eco-friendly packaging is a good way to prevent several kinds of packaging mistakes at once. For example, it can help prevent inappropriate or excessive use of packaging materials, while also reducing unnecessary design elements and creating effective minimalism. In addition, because many consumers care about environmental issues, they tend to trust brands that use eco-friendly packaging more.
Eco-friendliness as a marketing element
2. Buy Licenses
Source: inc
Designs include more elements than you might think. That is why it is easy to unknowingly infringe on someone else’s legal rights. Or, even when people are aware that problems may arise, they often overlook this step to avoid complicated procedures. But commercially using design elements such as fonts, images, patterns, and photos without permission can lead to serious problems later. So you should carefully check and purchase the necessary licenses for intellectual property before using them.
3. Protect Products with Safe Packaging
Source: mynewsdesk
When producing packaging, keep in mind not only the design effect but also safety. If you package products with the right materials and the right box size, you can prevent damage or spoilage and avoid unnecessary costs. When you pay attention to packaging details, customers will definitely notice. And those details create differentiation for the product.
4. Avoid Overly Complex Designs
Source: thedieline
The more you try, the more likely mistakes are to happen. There are many ways to design simple yet distinctive packaging. Especially if you do not have much packaging design experience, it is better to start with simple but effective box production rather than taking risks. Removing possible sources of mistakes from the beginning is a great strategy.
The Most Efficient Way to Reduce Packaging Mistakes
Hiring an expert for packaging production and design may seem like a big expense, but it is not if you consider the cost of having to remake packaging multiple times or causing customer complaints due to preventable mistakes.
Beyond the points mentioned above, there are countless small and large mistakes that can happen during product packaging, and sellers must pay the price each time. Work with packaging experts Packative to create custom packaging perfectly suited to your product and brand. You’ll be able to turn packaging design ideas that were tangled up in your head into reality with ease.