Packaging design
Design that works on the shelf, in a marketplace card and in the printing house: structure and graphics together, as a series.
03 05 service 3 of 5 in Digital Design
What’s included
- Structure and surface designed together, not one after the other
- Dielines prepared for the printer and checked against the real production line
- Shelf test: how it reads at two metres and in a phone photo
- Legal content — barcodes, weight, ingredients — placed without wrecking the layout
- Series design, so the next flavour or size needs no new concept
- Print supervision until the first run comes out right
Who it’s for
- Brands whose product is better than the box it ships in
- Producers moving from private label to their own name
- Companies redrawing packaging from scratch for every new SKU
In short
Packaging design has to work on a shelf, in a tiny marketplace card and in a printing house — all at once. We design the structure and the graphics together, prepare dielines for the printer and check them against the real production line, test the pack from two metres away and in a phone photo, place barcodes, weight and composition without breaking the layout, and design it as a series so the next flavour or size does not need a new concept. We stay with the job until the first print run comes out right. The price is counted in hours.
What packaging has to do
A pack has a few seconds on the shelf and a thumbnail on a marketplace. In that time it has to do several jobs.
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01
Stop the eye
Stand out among neighbours on the shelf without falling out of the category.
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02
Say what it is
The product, the flavour or the size are read in a second.
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03
Hold the price
Look worth the price on the tag — premium, mid-range or a good deal.
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04
Inform
Composition, weight, dates and barcodes — readable and in their place.
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05
Survive the road
Transport, warehouses and courier boxes without losing its look.
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06
Grow into a series
The next flavour or size is added by the system, not by a new concept.
The shelf and the marketplace: different tasks
The same pack is seen in a shop and as a thumbnail on a phone. It has to work in both.
| Criterion | Shelf in a shop | Marketplace card |
|---|---|---|
| How it is seen | from two metres, among neighbours | a few centimetres on a phone screen |
| What reads | colour, shape, the name | one big sign and the contrast |
| Details | studied in the hand | shown in the extra photos of the card |
| The main risk | to merge with the shelf | to turn into a blur in the list |
How we design packaging
From the shelf and the audience to a print run that came out right.
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Category and audience
What stands on the shelf next to you, the codes of the category and the price segment.
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Structure and graphics together
The shape, the material and the image are designed as one, not one after the other.
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Shelf test
How it reads from two metres and in a phone photo — before printing.
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Mandatory information
Barcodes, weight, composition and dates are placed without breaking the layout.
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Dielines for the printer
Prepared for the real production line and agreed with the printer.
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Print supervision
Proofs and colour checks until the first print run comes out right.
Common packaging mistakes
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Designed on a monitor only
On paper the colours shift, and on the shelf the small details disappear.
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Mandatory information last
When the composition and barcode are squeezed in at the end, the layout falls apart.
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Premium look for a budget product
The buyer decides it is expensive and walks past — the price segment has to match.
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Every item from scratch
Without a series system the line looks like products of different brands.
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Forgetting the marketplace
A pack that is beautiful in the hand turns into a blur in a small card.
Questions about packaging design
How much does packaging design cost?
The price is counted in hours and depends on the structure, the number of items in the series and print supervision. The sum is fixed before the start; the estimate is free.
Do you design the structure or only the graphics?
Both together: shape, material and image are designed as one, and dielines are agreed with the printer.
Who is responsible for the mandatory information?
The list of what must be on the pack is set by the law of the country and the category — you provide it, and we place it so it is readable and does not break the design.
Will the pack work on marketplaces?
Yes, it is checked in the size of a card on a phone. If needed, we also prepare the images for the card.
Do you work with printers?
Yes: we prepare the files for your printer and supervise proofs until the first run is right.
Online form
Discuss
packaging
Tell us about the product, where it is sold, the price segment and the format — we will suggest an approach and estimate the work. The consultation is free.