Packaging design is part creative work, part engineering, part detective work. We’re not just making something pretty. We’re figuring out how your product should show up in the world – what it needs to say, how it needs to work, what it should cost, how it will be produced, and how it can stand out from everything sitting next to it on the shelf. I’ll guide you through the whole thing, from the first brainstorm to the final printer proof. And yes, we’ll celebrate when it’s done.

01. Creative Direction

First, we figure out what makes your product special.

Before I start pushing pixels around, we need to understand the product, the brand, the audience, and the opportunity.

We’ll dig into things like:

• What makes your product different?

• Who are we trying to reach?

• What do those people care about?

• What problem are you solving for them?

• Who are your competitors?

• What’s your “secret sauce”?

• Where is there an opportunity to stand apart?

We’ll work through a creative workshop, exercises, and visual exploration to get everyone on the same page.

I’ll also create a moodboard to start translating all those ideas into a visual direction – colors, imagery, typography, packaging references, and the overall feeling we want the brand to have.

You’ll come away with:

A clear creative direction for the project, so we’re not designing by vibes alone.

02. Packaging Strategy & System

Now we figure out how the packaging needs to work.

Great packaging isn’t just a single beautiful label. If you have multiple products or plan to expand your line, we need to think about the bigger picture.

I’ll research the competitive landscape and look at what’s already happening in your category. Then we’ll identify opportunities for your brand to occupy its own space.

From there, we’ll develop a visual language and packaging system that can work across your products and leave room for future growth.

That might include figuring out:

• Product hierarchy

• Information hierarchy

• How different products or varieties are distinguished

• Typography and color systems

• How the brand works across different package formats

• How the system can expand as you add SKUs

The goal is a packaging system that feels cohesive without making every product look exactly the same.

In other words:

We’re designing for the product you’re launching and the brand you want to build.

03. Sourcing & Budgeting

Because packaging has to exist in the real world.

Before we get too attached to an idea, we need to know what’s actually possible.

Depending on the project, I can help research packaging formats and materials, source vendors, request pricing, and compare options based on things like cost, functionality, aesthetics, sustainability, and production requirements.

We’ll look at things like:

• Packaging formats and materials

• Vendor options

• Minimum order quantities

• Estimated production costs

• Samples and prototypes

• Sustainability considerations

• Production timelines

I’ll help you understand your options and make informed decisions rather than discovering six weeks into the project that your dream packaging costs approximately seventeen million dollars.

A note on sourcing

I can coordinate with vendors and help you navigate the process, but the actual cost of packaging and printing is paid directly to the vendor and is separate from my design fee.

04. Content & Compliance

The tiny stuff matters. A lot.

Packaging has to communicate quickly, but it also has to communicate accurately.

I’ll help you think through the content your packaging needs, from the big front-of-pack messaging down to all those tiny-but-important details.

Depending on the project, that can include:

• Creative copywriting and messaging

• Information hierarchy

• Required product information

• Claims and supporting language

• Ingredient and other regulatory information

• Required warnings

• Nutrition and other panels

• Proofreading and copyediting

• Compliance considerations

I have particular experience working with regulated products and can help identify potential issues before they become expensive printing problems.

For projects subject to complex regulatory requirements, I’ll flag things that need further review. I’m a designer, not your lawyer or regulatory consultant, so an additional legal or compliance review may be recommended.

The goal:

Packaging that is compelling and responsible.

05. Design Concepts

Now we get to make the pretty stuff.

Once we’ve done the strategic groundwork, I start designing.

I’ll explore different ideas and refine the strongest directions into packaging concepts that bring the strategy to life.

This is where we start seeing things like:

• Typography

• Color

• Illustration and imagery

• Layout

• Materials and finishes

• Front-of-pack messaging

• Product hierarchy

• Brand personality

I’ll show you how the ideas could work in context, using digital mockups and visualizations to help you see the finished product before we produce it.

This isn’t a “pick a font and hope for the best” situation. There’s plenty of thinking happening behind the scenes before you see the final concepts.

06. Refinement & Physical Samples

Because packaging looks different on a screen than it does in your hand.

Once we’ve chosen a direction, we refine it.

That means reviewing the design, making revisions, checking hierarchy and details, and getting increasingly close to the final artwork.

Where appropriate, we’ll also work with physical packaging samples, prototypes, or proofs.

Seeing the actual package is incredibly useful. A label that looks perfect on your monitor can behave very differently when it’s wrapped around a jar, printed on a pouch, sitting on a shelf, or covered in a particular finish.

So we test, tweak, and refine.

07. Prepress & Production

The design is finished. Now we make sure it actually prints.

This is the part where all those little details come together.

I’ll prepare the final artwork for production and work with your printer or packaging vendor to make sure the files are set up correctly.

Depending on your project, this can include:

• Final proofreading and content checks

• Preparing production-ready artwork

• Checking dielines and specifications

• Color and print considerations

• Reviewing printer proofs

• Coordinating with vendors

• Helping troubleshoot production questions

• Reviewing final packaging before production

I’ll stay involved through the handoff so you’re not left staring at a mysterious printer email wondering what on earth a trapping adjustment is.

08. Launch!

You made a thing. A very good thing.

The files are approved. The packaging is in production. And soon you’ll be holding the actual product in your hands.

Depending on your project, we may also think about photography, ecommerce imagery, displays, or other pieces of the launch ecosystem.

Then comes the important part:

Celebrate a job well done.

You did the hard part – building the product.

I helped you give it a brand and packaging worthy of what’s inside.

What You’ll Need to Bring

I’ll take care of a lot of the process, but packaging is a collaboration.

You’ll need to bring your product knowledge, your business goals, and your opinions. You’ll also need to make time for workshops, homework, feedback, and approvals.

You don’t need to know design. That’s my job.

But you do need to know your business and your customers.

And please, please tell me what you actually think. Specific feedback makes the project better. If you’re not sure how to explain why something isn’t working, don’t worry – I’ll ask questions and help you get there.

A Few Things to Know

Keep your audience in the room.

It’s very easy to choose something because you like it.

But you aren’t necessarily your target customer.

Throughout the project, we’ll keep coming back to the people we’re actually trying to reach and ask: will this mean something to them?

Try not to crowdsource your design.

Of course you can show your work to people you trust. But too many opinions can turn a strategic design project into a group vote.

Your neighbor may have strong feelings about fonts. That doesn’t necessarily mean they understand your customer.

Give useful feedback.

“Make it pop” is a little hard to work with.

“Something about this feels too clinical for the audience we’re trying to reach” is gold.

I’ll help guide you through the feedback process so we can turn gut reactions into useful design decisions.

And please, avoid feeding the file into AI for feedback. I am interested in your human opinion, and if you feel like you need support in decision making, I am happy to offer it, and we can always do consumer surveys and analysis.

Packaging projects can involve additional costs that aren’t included in the design fee.

These may include:

• Physical packaging and printing

• Vendor production costs

• Travel

• Consumer research or interviews

• Trademark or legal services

• Additional regulatory or compliance consulting

Not every project needs these, and I’ll flag potential additional costs as early as possible.

Ready to Get Started?

You don’t need to have everything figured out before we talk.

That’s part of what I’m here for.

Tell me what you’re making, where you’re stuck, and where you want to take the brand. We’ll figure out the rest together.

Let’s make some packaging magic happen.