How to brief a packaging designer

Edara Akpan · Oct 13, 2026 · 4 min read

Packaging projects go wrong in predictable ways. The design is finished before anyone checks the box size, the text is changed after artwork is approved, or a gorgeous finish turns out to cost more per unit than the product earns. Nearly all of it can be prevented with a good brief.

This guide covers what to prepare before you speak to a packaging designer.

1. The product and the people

Describe the product, who it is for and the price level you are aiming at. A premium product at a premium price needs a different pack from an everyday product in a multipack. Include what makes you different from competitors and the single most important thing the pack must communicate.

2. Where it will be sold

Say whether the pack will sit on a shelf, travel in a delivery box, or both. A pack seen on a shelf is judged from a distance. A pack sold online is judged first as a small image, then in the hand (see packaging and first impressions).

3. Your brand assets

Send your logo files, colour values, fonts and any guidelines. If you do not have these yet, an identity should come first, because packaging built on an unfinished brand usually needs to be redone (how brand identity projects work).

4. Examples you admire and ones to avoid

Collect three packs you like and three you do not, and write a sentence on why for each. This is one of the fastest ways to communicate taste.

5. Format and production details

This is the part most briefs miss. Gather:

• Pack type: box, pouch, bottle label, jar, sleeve or bag
• Dimensions: the exact size and shape
• The dieline: a flat template showing folds, cuts and glue areas, which your manufacturer or printer supplies. Design should always be built on it
• Material: paper type, plastic, glass or metal
• Print method and number of colours: which affects cost and colour accuracy (see RGB and CMYK)
• Finishes: matte, gloss, foil, embossing and so on, each of which raises unit cost
• Minimum order quantity and lead times: so the schedule is realistic

6. Required text and marks

List every piece of mandatory information: ingredients or materials, net quantity, barcode, batch information, safety statements, certifications, recycling marks and the manufacturer’s details. Requirements vary by country and product category, so confirm them for every market you plan to sell in, before design starts. Give the designer final, approved wording. Changing text after artwork is approved is one of the commonest causes of delay and extra cost.

7. The range plan

If you will sell several flavours, sizes or variants, say so now. A pack designed as a system, with a clear way to tell variants apart, is much easier to extend than a one-off design.

8. Budget, timeline and deliverables

Share your budget for design and for production, including the cost per unit you can afford. Set realistic dates that allow for proofs and printing. Agree what you will receive: print-ready files with bleed (the extra artwork beyond the trim line that stops white edges appearing), mockups for online listings, and the dieline with the final artwork. Ask the printer how much bleed they need.

Common mistakes

• Designing before choosing a manufacturer
• Starting without a dieline
• Changing wording late
• Choosing finishes before checking unit cost
• Forgetting required text, then squeezing it in at the end
• Not planning for variants
• Skipping a printed proof

A brief you can copy

1. Product, audience and price level
2. The one thing the pack must say
3. Sales channels: shelf, online or both
4. Brand assets and guidelines attached
5. Three examples you like and three you do not, with a reason for each
6. Pack type, dimensions, dieline, material, print method and finishes
7. Required text, marks and approvals, with final wording
8. Range plan: variants and sizes
9. Budget, cost per unit and timeline
10. Deliverables and who approves what

If you are considering changing existing packaging, read what Tropicana’s redesigns teach small brands before you brief anyone.