10 Must-Know Tips to Speed Up Packaging Design Approval

The packaging design approval process is essential for any product launch. But without careful planning and optimized workflows, it can quickly become a time-consuming and error-prone endeavor.

Ready to streamline your design proofing? In this guide, you'll find our top tips for enhancing your approval process and avoiding common pitfalls.

Table of Contents

• Challenges That Slow Down Packaging Design Approval
• 10 Tips to Speed Up Packaging Design Approval

Challenges That Slow Down Packaging Design Approval

Packaging design approval often feels like a snail's race. And there are a few different challenges typically at the heart of the hold-up, including a lack of collaboration, no defined workflows, and file inconsistencies.

Lack of Team Collaboration

If your team isn't on the same page and information is scattered across emails and instant messaging apps, you're going to face setbacks. Miscommunication or missing details easily lead to errors that slow down the approval process, delaying your product launch.

No Defined Workflow

Without a defined workflow, the design approval process may seem like trying to put furniture together without instructions. Key stakeholders are left guessing what next steps to take, leading to missed deadlines and a subpar final product.

File Inconsistencies

It's difficult to approve files when each one is different in size or missing key elements. These file inconsistencies result in designs that are difficult to compare, view, and access. They also lead to misunderstandings about the design, forcing you to go back to the drawing board.

10 Tips to Speed Up Packaging Design Approval

Speeding up your packaging design approval process requires you to meet the above challenges head-on. Below, we've listed 10 tips you can use to streamline team collaboration, develop clear workflows, boost consistency across files, and more.

Tip #1: Build a Custom Workflow

Before you start working toward a successful approval, planning is crucial. This is the only way to move designs through the pipeline without costly mistakes and setbacks. Establishing a packaging design approval workflow should be your first step.

First, define the key stakeholders involved in the process and their responsibilities. For example, who is responsible for reviewing packaging designs? Who is responsible for final approval?

From there, you can determine the tasks necessary to complete the approval process. A tool like Mox allows you to use built-in templates to design workflows. You can also customize the templates to fit your needs and save them for use in future projects (or build a new template from scratch).

Dive deeper into workflow development in this guide: Artwork Approval Process: Best Practices & Workflow Examples

Tip #2: Set Clear Deadlines for Stakeholders

In packaging design approval, timing is everything. Once you determine stakeholder responsibilities, keep them on track by setting clear deadlines.

Using a tool like Mox, you can create tasks and determine when they're due in one step. Plus, stakeholders will receive email notifications to ensure they follow through.

After setting due dates for your project, you can save them as a template. Mox then calculates the durations for each task based on the start and due date so you can easily repurpose those dates in your next project.

Tip #3: Collect Feedback in One Place

You should no longer be storing feedback in email threads, chat messages, or sticky notes. These feedback collection methods result in serious mistakes and a difficult approval process.

Instead, collect all design feedback in one place, such as inside a packaging and artwork management tool. These tools enable you to leave feedback within the design, preventing lost ideas and comments.

Tip #4: Streamline Communication Between Internal & External Stakeholders

The packaging design approval process requires several stakeholders, ranging from design experts to those tasked with compliance. You'll want to ensure these individuals can easily communicate and collaborate on artwork approval.

You can easily implement management software to do this. For example, with Mox, you can allow internal and external stakeholders to access all design files in one centralized location. All stakeholders can leave feedback and discuss changes inside the software—no complicated email threads required.

Plus, an artwork management tool enables you to view internal and external reference files such as copy decks, marketing collateral, and more right next to your artwork. This helps you ensure consistency across your assets.

Tip #5: Organize Your File Versions

Organization is important throughout the packaging design approval process. After all, there are a lot of moving parts, including various file versions.

It's best to organize file versions by keeping them in the same place. This way, your team can review versions in chronological order. Plus, you'll always know which file version is the latest and greatest.

Another key aspect of file organization is file tagging. Through tagging, you can easily identify files based on the attributes you set. These attribute tags make it easy to locate files based on specific criteria, including product name, file type, and date.

Tip #6: Implement Automated Workflow Notifications

Automated workflow notifications can speed up packaging design approval. Set up automated notifications in your packaging design approval software or project management system.

As a result, relevant stakeholders can receive timely notifications about their pending approvals. This eliminates the need for manual follow-ups and keeps everyone informed and accountable, moving projects forward seamlessly.

Tip #7: Conduct Regular Status Check-Ins

Maintaining regular status checks with all stakeholders involved can help keep the packaging design approval process on track and avoid unnecessary delays.

Check-ins can be brief meetings, virtual updates, or even shared progress reports. The objective is to provide stakeholders with an opportunity to discuss challenges and roadblocks, address questions and concerns, and ensure that everyone is aligned on goals.

Tip #8: Foster Effective Communication & Collaboration

The packaging design approval process can be sped up through effective communication and collaboration. Allow team members and stakeholders to share feedback, ask questions, and provide input through open and transparent communication channels.

A simple way to improve communication is to implement packaging and artwork management software. For example, with Mox, users can easily leave comments and feedback within files.

Plus, as mentioned before, Mox enables you to communicate with both internal and external stakeholders in one place. As a result, you can ensure everyone is on the same page and working toward swift approval.

Tip #9: Conduct Mock Approvals for Complex Designs

Conducting mock approvals can significantly accelerate the final approval process for packaging designs that are especially intricate or involve multiple stakeholders.

By gathering relevant stakeholders in a simulated approval session, you can identify potential concerns, address them in real-time, and streamline the feedback process. You can resolve any issues or conflicting opinions before the official approval stage.

Tip #10: Implement Iterative Design Reviews

Rather than waiting until the final stages of the packaging design process to seek approval, consider iterative design reviews. Break down the design process into smaller milestones and involve stakeholders in providing feedback at each stage.

Identifying design issues and concerns early allows you to make adjustments and improvements promptly. It's possible to foster collaboration and ensure that the final design meets everyone's expectations by involving stakeholders throughout the design process.

Streamline Packaging Design Approval With Mox

From setting clear deadlines to gathering all design feedback in one place, there are a ton of steps you can take to make the approval process smoother and faster.

The above strategies can be implemented with packaging and artwork management software like Mox. Our tools streamline your workflows, keep your team aligned, and save you from the chaos of scattered files and feedback.

Ready to put all these great tips into action and see how Mox can revolutionize your packaging design approval process? Start your free trial of Mox today!