Package engineering is a unique field with different structural designs, material science, logistics, and finally graphic design. It involves the designing and transport of various packaging. This includes the methods, materials and structures to protect the products.
It requires a unique bit of knowledge to craft this, since you’ve got to factor in possibly having packaging protection. For example, beverage and food packaging requires vastly different kinds of packaging from jewelry and electronics. A packaging engineer is great because it allows you to consider this fragility as well.
As a consumer, you need to pay attention to the environment and sustainability, and packaging engineers also do that too, since they reduce the costs, and improve the product efficiency too.
Ideally, you want to get a packaging engineer that offers structural work for design, and in-house sample tables, so that you can get a dieline made, and sample packaging types to review and test before you commit to this.
Now that you know about this, here’s a few unique packaging mistakes you should avoid.
Improper Planning
Before you finalize the design, you’ve got to consider the intended conditions for storage, use, and handling too. This saves you a ton of headaches through thoughtful planning and avoiding ultimate challenges later on.
Using bad materials
The materials that you use for this is something that’s also important. For instance, do you have products that’ll require food-safe packaging? Does it have the correct durability to it? all of these things are important, and the wrong types of packaging lead to damaged types of products and merchandise wasted.
Not Considering sustainability
This packaging is something that isn’t just for nice looks to it, but also for the waste of products. The public as well needs to also be invested in the end result of this, which is where they toss the packaging. Whether it’s recycled or tossed and broken down, or even composted, if you don’t consider these, you will lose out on customers too.
Not Enough Testing
Conducting the right stress tests aid to determining the way that a packaging will perform during storage and shipping. Without testing this, it causes the investment to be lost, and merchandise is affected.
Not considering End Users
If you’re not thinking about the life cycle of the packaging, whether it’s shipping, disposal, or opening, then you’re going to have a problem. Consumers can dispose and open up the packaging easily, and that will impact whether they’ll be repeat buyers. If you don’t make this easy, then they will choose other ones.
Not Optimizing Packaging
The little things add up in the grand scheme of things, so if you’re not focusing on this, it can impact the overall overhead of the product as well. Proper optimization is key to success.
Inside Vs. Outside
If you haven’t really thought about it, then you’ll definitely want to consider the inner and outer dimensions. This is because the inside will be smaller depending on how thick the outside is. if it can’t fit right, it’s at risk of breaking, so bear that in mind.
Having Bad references
If you have bad references, your packaging will ultimately be affected. You want to give these engineers the proper reference points, understanding the brand needs that are there.
It also makes it better to simplify the process of design, ultimately saving time.
A packaging engineer should always avoid these mistakes, and there is a lot that can be affected if you’re smart and are able to properly manage all of this packaging for you too.