Why Faces Don’t Help Your Packaging Stand Out in E-Commerce
Faces are powerful in real life. Walk down a supermarket aisle and you will notice packaging with a human face almost instantly. Our brains are wired to pay attention to people. But in e-commerce, especially on crowded grocery sites, faces lose that advantage.
When products shrink down to small thumbnails, the detail of a face disappears. A smile or expression that might catch your eye in-store becomes an unrecognizable blur at 100 pixels. That means packs with faces are no easier to find online than any other design.
The Problem With Faces in Online Shopping
On e-commerce grocery platforms, products are displayed in tightly packed grids. Each thumbnail competes for attention in a sea of dozens or even hundreds of items.
Faces fail here for two reasons:
Loss of detail at small scale: A human face looks strong in a physical aisle but often turns into a vague shape online.
No visibility advantage: Studies show people do not find products with faces any faster when browsing online thumbnails.
This makes faces a poor use of precious packaging real estate when your primary sales channel is digital.
What Actually Works in E-Commerce Packaging Design
If you want your product to stand out on a scroll-heavy grocery site, focus on elements that retain impact even at the smallest sizes:
Bold, contrasting colors that separate your pack from the background and neighboring items
Strong, simple shapes that stay recognizable even when shrunk
Clear typography that is legible without zooming in
Distinct layouts or patterns that create instant recognition in a crowded grid
The goal is to design packaging that “pops” even at 100 pixels. Think of it as billboard design for thumbnails: minimal detail, maximum clarity.
Rethinking Packaging for the Digital Shelf
Many brands still design for the physical shelf first and then simply upload the same pack to e-commerce. This misses a huge opportunity. With more consumers shopping online every year, the “digital shelf” is now just as important as the supermarket aisle.
If e-commerce is a major channel for your brand, your packaging should be tested not only on a physical mockup but also as a 100-pixel thumbnail. If the key design elements vanish when scaled down, you need to refine.
Final Thoughts
Faces can be eye-catching in the real world, but in the online grocery environment they lose their edge. E-commerce packaging design demands a different approach. Instead of wasting space on a face that disappears at small scale, double down on bold colors, strong shapes, and layouts that cut through the clutter.
The brands that win online are not the ones with smiling faces. They are the ones whose packs remain instantly recognizable no matter how small the screen.
