How to brief a packaging designer
The eight questions a good packaging brief answers, from product and customer to budget and sign-off. This guide covers 1. The product, 2. The customer and 3. Where it will be sold. It is written by our packaging team, drawing on 15+ years of designing and printing boxes.
24 October 2026 · 5 min read
Last updated
Written by the packaging team at The World of Packaging.
A good brief is the cheapest way to get better packaging. It saves revision rounds, keeps the project on budget and gives the designer something to aim at. You do not need a long document. You need clear answers to a few questions.
1. The product
- What is it, and what does it do?
- Exact dimensions (or the product itself), weight and fragility.
- How many variants: flavours, shades, sizes?
If you are unsure how to measure, read our guide on how to measure your box size.
2. The customer
- Who buys it, and who uses it? They are not always the same person.
- What do they compare it with?
- What should they feel when they first see it, and when they open it?
3. Where it will be sold
Shelf, online, or both? Retail packaging must stand out from two metres away. E-commerce packaging must survive the post and read as a small thumbnail. Gift packaging needs a memorable unboxing.
4. Your brand
Send your logo files, colours, fonts and any guidelines. If you do not have a brand yet, say so: packaging and identity can be designed together.
5. What is fixed and what is open
Tell the designer what cannot change (a logo, a bottle shape, a regulatory panel) and what is open to ideas (structure, finishes, materials). This is where good surprises come from.
6. Must-have information
List the text that has to appear: product name, claims, ingredients, warnings, barcodes, recycling marks. Regulated wording should come from you or your adviser, approved before artwork starts.
7. Budget, quantity and deadline
Even a rough budget range helps the designer recommend the right structure and finishes. Quantity and launch date shape what is possible, especially for rigid boxes and special finishes.
8. Who signs off
Name the person who approves the design. Too many approvers is the most common cause of delays.
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Our project form walks you through all of this in a few minutes, or get a free quote if you already know the box you need. Browse our packaging design services to see how we work for your category.
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