7 Product Packaging Design Mistakes You Don’t Want to Make

Did you know that 30,000 new products are introduced each year, and 95% of them fail? If you’re in the business of launching new products, this statistic is enough to scare the pants off you.

However, there are some things you can do to set yourself up for success. One of the most important is nailing your product packaging. As they say, you never get a second chance to make a first impression – and bad packaging can keep consumers from ever trying your products!

Make sure this doesn’t happen to you by avoiding these major product packaging design mistakes.

1. Waste

We’ve all had an experience where we opened an item and marveled at how much excess packaging the manufacturer used. If you’re a marketer, it’s easy to understand why this happens. After all, the more space you have to deliver your message, the better off you are – right?

Wrong!

Now, more than ever, consumers are environmentally conscious. They’re also using their purchasing power to influence a Packaging Design Agency. If you make the mistake of over-packaging your products, you’re likely to experience a pushback.

On the other hand, consciously reducing waste by using smaller product packaging boxes and position you as a company that cares. Letting your customers know the environment is important to you can generate loyalty and trust.

2. Misrepresentation

One of the worst things you can do is imply that your product does more than it actually does. This “bait-and-switch” method of advertising won’t just make customers angry, it could leave you open to a lawsuit.

Avoid packaging that tries to make the product look larger than it is, copy that promises benefits your product isn’t equipped to deliver, or anything that can be perceived as being otherwise dishonest. It’s totally acceptable to highlight the benefits of your product, but make sure you never over-promise.

3. Proofing Errors

Errors like misspellings, poor design layouts, and typos are embarrassing and will raise questions about your company’s professionalism and the quality of your products. Even worse, in today’s digital world, your mistake can quickly go viral.

Don’t rush the proofing process and take the chance of becoming the butt of the world’s jokes! It’s always a good idea to have at least two to three people check and recheck every element of your packaging before you give the final okay. Read all of your copy out loud to make sure it makes sense, verify spelling, and look at the design in relation to the packaging it will be printed on.

4. Poor User Experience

If a package is impossible to open, there’s a good chance that customers will choose a different brand next time they’re ready to make a purchase. People like things to be easy and your packaging should give them what they want.

A good rule of thumb is that if someone needs a knife or scissors to open a package, it’s not consumer-friendly. To avoid this mistake, keep the customer experience at the forefront of your mind through every stage of the design process. Once you’ve got a prototype, put it through rigorous package design testing and take the feedback you get seriously.

5. Insufficient Protection

While you don’t want to go crazy with excess packaging, it’s also important to protect your products. It’s critical that items can get from your factory to the consumer’s hands without being damaged. Otherwise, you can guarantee that you won’t get many repeat customers.

Properly protecting your items will also have an environmental impact. Even if you use reusable, recyclable, and/or biodegradable product packaging supplies, it won’t offset the carbon footprint of an item that’s damaged and needs to be thrown away. Keep packaging to a minimum where you can, but don’t make the mistake of under protecting your product.

6. Lack of Differentiation

If you want consumers to choose your product over your competitors, you need to catch their eye. If your packaging looks just like everybody else’s, you’ll have a hard time attracting new buyers. Even worse, a consumer may mean to purchase your product and grab your competitor’s by mistake.

Always pay close attention to what your competitors are doing and make sure your design isn’t too similar.

The best products stand out on the shelves and are memorable to customers. Often, custom product packaging can work to your benefit, especially if you have many competitors.

7. Overdesigning

While it’s a great idea to experiment with product packaging ideas, it’s important not to go too far overboard. If your package is exploding with colors, fonts, logos, and copy it will overwhelm your potential customers.

Packaging that is simple, straightforward, and easy to understand tends to do best. If your packaging has too much going on, people won’t know where to focus their attention. You only have a few seconds to make an impression, so don’t waste it with a message that’s muddled or confusing.

Don’t Underestimate the Importance of Product Packaging

Many companies spend a lot of time and money developing their products but don’t put enough effort into perfecting their product packaging. Now that you know how important it is – and how to avoid the most common mistakes – you’re a giant step ahead of your competitors.

Before you head out to work on your packaging design, stick around and take a look through a few more of our blog posts. We’ve got all the information you need to take your business to the next level in 2021 and beyond!