Package Design

Boxes, bags, pouches, labels, bottles, jars, cans, sleeves, wraps, tubes, clamshells, and retail-ready displays. If it holds, wraps, or presents a product — whether it sits on a retail shelf, ships in an eCommerce box, or gets handed to a customer at a counter — I can design it. I work with your printer or manufacturer's dieline templates to ensure the design is production-ready, and I account for things like substrate, finish, print method, and structural constraints from the start so there are no surprises at production time.

I deliver print-ready files built to your printer or manufacturer's exact specifications — correct color profiles, bleeds, dielines, and file formats. I can also coordinate directly with your production vendor, review proofs on your behalf, and recommend packaging printers and manufacturers I've worked with if you don't already have one. I don't manufacture packaging myself, but I make sure the handoff between design and production is clean so what gets printed matches what you approved on screen.

I typically present 2 to 3 distinct concepts, each with clear reasoning behind the direction — why the layout works, how it differentiates on the shelf, and how it connects to your brand. From there, we select one direction and refine it through a structured revision process, usually 2 to 3 rounds. This approach is more effective than presenting a dozen loose ideas with no strategic foundation. Fewer, stronger concepts lead to better final outcomes because each one gets the thinking it deserves.

Yes, and this is where packaging design gets the most interesting. Designing a system across multiple products — different flavors, sizes, variants, or tiers — requires a structure that's flexible enough to differentiate each product while maintaining a cohesive family look on the shelf. That means establishing a consistent layout grid, a color coding system, a hierarchy for product names and descriptors, and clear visual cues that tie everything together. A well-designed packaging system strengthens shelf presence and makes it easier for customers to find what they're looking for across your line.

It helps significantly. If you have a logo, color palette, typography, and some sense of your brand's personality, that gives the packaging a foundation to build on — and ensures the packaging feels like it belongs to your brand rather than existing in isolation. If you don't have an established identity yet, we have two options: I can develop the core brand identity alongside the packaging, or we can start with brand strategy and identity work first and then move into packaging with a solid foundation. I'll recommend the right sequence based on your timeline and where you are in the process.

Most packaging projects take 3 to 6 weeks depending on the number of SKUs, the complexity of the dieline and structure, whether photography or illustration is involved, and any regulatory or compliance requirements (nutrition facts, ingredient lists, legal disclaimers). A single product with a straightforward label design lands on the shorter end. A full product line with multiple variants, custom dielines, and mandatory compliance information takes longer. I also build in time for proof reviews with your printer, since catching issues before production is always cheaper than fixing them after.