Designing great cardboard packaging is not overly complicated, but it helps when you have plenty of industry experience like us. To help you avoid disaster – here are 5 of the most common packaging design mistakes, plus advice on how to avoid them.
1. Placing beauty before function
Certain box styles were made for certain uses. While you might like the look and feel of a corner cut folder, it may not be the box you need for the job. When you place the beauty of your packaging above the function – you can quickly find yourself in hot water and have a packaging design mistake on your hands.
Our style gallery explains the main uses of our boxes to help you find the perfect one for your needs. If you’re still not sure – we recommend asking our team for advice.
2. Wasted space in box
When it comes to box sizing, there is a sweet spot. You want just enough space to allow your products to breathe – but not so much that they end up knocking against each other in transit. Boxes that are too big end up wasting space, costing you more in manufacturing and possibly damaging your products. While you can use inserts and padding to fill out your box, the most cost-effective solution is designing the right size in the first place.
With both stock size boxes and custom design options, we can find an ideal box size for every budget. We work closely with clients to understand how their boxes will be used, which allows us to recommend the best box size and style.
3. Not enough branding on box packaging
The ideal amount of branding really depends on the purpose of your box. For example, if your box is going straight to a retailer only to be unpacked – you don’t need much beyond a logo and contact details. But, if your box is going to feature on retail shelves or be unpacked directly by a customer – you’ll want to dress it up and make it memorable. Either way, branded boxes help people quickly identify what’s inside and build brand recognition.
We’ve helped many clients avoid packaging design mistakes and design branded boxes featuring their logos, taglines and even use internal printing to make the most of every surface.
4. Ignoring retailer specifications
Did you know that every retailer has their own box size and style specifications? Your boxes won’t make it to shelves if they don’t fit these needs. This is a common mistake for new businesses who aren’t familiar with shelf-ready packaging, but it can even affect older businesses when they partner with a new retailer.
With 20+ years’ experience manufacturing great boxes, our team can lead you through the process for shelf-ready packaging to meet every major retailer’s expectations.
5. Hard to open boxes
At the end of the day, your box is just a delivery method. What’s inside is the real prize. A box that is hard to open might annoy your customer enough to make them swap brands. How can you avoid this?
Design efficient boxes. This means thinking about your end consumers’ needs. Whether that means perforated edges for shelf-ready packaging or user-friendly flap closures for online retail – a box that is easy to open is hard to forget.
Trust Echo Cartons for designs that tick every box
Echo Cartons are Australian box manufacturers based in Melbourne. We pride ourselves on our fast turnaround times, great customer service and competitive pricing. We’ve helped hundreds of clients design the perfect cardboard packaging solutions – and we’ll be happy to help you too. To get started, request a quote.
