Lorem Ipsum
A designer who uses Lorem Ipsum without understanding what they're doing creates layouts that lie.
Placeholder text exists to simulate the presence of content in a layout before the real text is available. It is a process tool, not a shortcut. The problem starts when it's used without size criteria, without attention to reading rhythm, and without considering how the real text will behave in that space.
The first concern is volume. A Lorem Ipsum paragraph of 80 words in a layout that will receive a 5-word headline is a visual lie. The designer approves, the client approves, the real text comes in, and the project falls apart.
The second is context. For packaging, Lorem Ipsum serves to position ingredient blocks, usage instructions, nutritional information, and legal text before the final content is approved. Each block has a characteristic size that must be respected even in placeholder form.
The third is the client. Presenting a layout with Lorem Ipsum to someone without design experience frequently causes confusion. They try to read the text instead of evaluating the project. In that case, using generic placeholder sentences in the project's actual language solves the problem without needing the final copy approved first.