8 Packaging Design Mistakes to Avoid

8 Packaging Design Mistakes to Avoid

It's important to avoid common packaging design mistakes to keep consumers focused on what your brand does best. Sloppy execution can completely negate the impact that you want to achieve with branded packaging. You don’t want your packaging to give off a message that’s counter-intuitive to the ways in which you are hoping to empower your brand. Some of the packaging design common errors listed below can make your company look unprofessional, or worse, interfere with the user experience at the unboxing stage of their purchase. If you’re going to invest time and money into a custom box design, it’s important to be sure that your packaging distinguishes your brand from the competition in a tasteful way.

Excessive packaging is an unnecessary expense that can hinder your sustainability efforts.

2. Generic designs
Not only are generic designs unappealing and difficult to differentiate from the competition, but they seldom do a good job at representing your unique brand. One of the main purposes of packaging is to provide a platform that captivates your audience and immediately sets your products apart from competing items. Without a creative packaging design that falls in line with your brand’s image, it’s difficult to achieve the impact that you expect from your packaging. The lack of substance in a brand’s packaging will translate to a poor first impression. Branding and packaging mistakes like this one can push many potential customers away if they feel as if there's a lack of effort and originality.

3. Typographical errors
Few things create as much friction as obvious mistakes in spelling and grammar. Consider this one of the top packaging design mistakes to avoid at all costs. Typographical errors can create an impression of unprofessionalism, inattentiveness, or ignorance. There’s a reason our civilization spends so many years teaching its youth proper spelling and grammar. Clear, precise communication has always been highly valuable in a civilized society. It’s an important avenue for building trust. How can a company expect consumers to trust them if they don’t put the time and effort into communicating their knowledge, attention to detail, and value to their market? Double-check your orthograph, then check again!

4. Uneven white space
It’s important to consider the layout of the white space throughout your packaging as this element of the design is fundamental in achieving a balanced aesthetic. The neutral contrast provided by strategic white space on a package makes it a valuable asset in helping your branding message pop without coming across as overbearing. A chaotic flood of colors might seem vibrant at first but is actually a packaging design mistake to avoid. It can deter customers if too much is going on at once. Incorporate enough white space that’s evenly and symmetrically distributed. This will help achieve a balance of contrast and clarity to perpetuate your brand’s message with gusto.  

5. Illegible prints/labels
There’s very little use in including prints or labels if your customers aren’t able to read them. You’re not only removing value from the packaging but definitely opening up the shopping experience to unwanted friction and potential frustration. This is one of the packaging design mistakes to avoid at all costs. It can essentially render your product unusable if ingredient lists or important guidelines are unclear. In a similar way to typographical errors, illegible prints demonstrate a lack of attention to the details of your final product and may reflect poorly on your brand.

It shouldn’t be so strenuous for customers to read your product’s labels!

6. Poor use of the KISS principle
The well-known K.I.S.S. acronym, which stands for keep it simple stupid, is a guideline that approaches success from the most direct path. Oftentimes, we make things more complicated than they have to be and end up standing in the way of our own productivity. All of the potentially unnecessary details might distract your audience and ultimately take away from your brand's unique message. A custom box design should be original, though it should not require an engineering degree to be taken apart. The unboxing experience should be streamlined, with minimal fuss so that the boxes unfold intuitively. Keeping it simple will reduce friction at that contact point and elevate the entire purchase experience. This is especially the case with custom shipping boxes, which should protect your product during transit but also be easy to take apart when the time comes!

7. Incorrect type of box
Pay attention to the type of corrugated cardboard used in the composition of your packaging. The materials used to package your goods are meant to serve a functional purpose by preventing damage during transit. Choosing the wrong material might lead to damages before your goods arrive your customer receives them. This packaging mistake will not only cost you money but it can leave a very poor impression on your customers. There are important differences between single and double-walled corrugated cardboard. Your product’s weight, as well as how fragile it is, should determine what type of box you ultimately choose.

8. Incorrect box sizes
Choosing the correct box size serves two purposes. It ensures that the package will be adequately protected and that customers won’t be misled by an oversized package. Please don't try to trick your potential customers by making your product appear larger than it is. This will only make a fool out of your brand and is a surefire way to lose any trust you've built.

Misleading customers with oversized boxes will only lead to disappointment.

You should now be able to easily avoid common packaging design mistakes. Branding and packaging design mistakes generally reflect a lack of effort and little attention to detail. A business that allows itself to be portrayed as inattentive or unprofessional is sure to experience limited growth, ultimately struggling to reach its full potential. Make sure to give your customers good reasons to trust your brand, from superior products and customer service all the way to expertly finished packaging.

Carefully designing your packaging will help convey your brand’s professionalism and dedication to its customers.