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Last Updated on June 27, 2023 by Packoi Team
Hiring freelance packaging designers or graphic design agencies will cost you. Make sure you check the potential ROI that you can get from the new packaging before you hire someone to design it for you.
In this article, you’ll be able to figure out if you need a packaging designer and how you can maximize the returns of hiring a professional to design the best packaging for your product.
What Can Packaging Designers Do?
A packaging designer is someone trained in graphic design. They have a talent for the arts and are well-versed in using digital tools to help them bring your packaging design ideas to life. These tools include Adobe Photoshop, InDesign, Canva, etc.
Sometimes, these professionals are referred to as graphic designers. But if you’re specific about designing product packaging, you can look for someone with experience in packaging design.
Packaging design types include graphics, color, style, font, size, and materials used to package your product. A packaging designer can also create logos and container designs for your product.
It’s important to note that a packaging designer will rely on their taste when it comes to designing your packaging. So if you have specific ideas in mind, you have to be clear about what you want them to create for you.
Benefits of Hiring a Professional to Create A Packaging Design
Your product packaging is a powerful marketing tool. It can attract the attention of your customers so they’ll be encouraged to check out your product.
That means the right packaging design can increase your online sales. At the same time, having the wrong one can repel customers from buying your product.
But what does it take to choose the right graphic design for your packaging?
Hiring a professional packaging designer may be the key. You’ll get 3 important benefits.
Expertise
A packaging designer is a trained professional. They can either be employed by a creative design agency or market themselves as freelance packaging designers.
Some of them are trained in schools or have attended special courses to hone their graphic design skills. Some are naturally talented in creating artistic designs and have taught themselves how to use different design tools.
The bottom line is they have spent time learning the technical side of design, specifically packaging design. Most of them can design for all types of product packaging, but some have concentrated on a specific one like food, retail, or cosmetic packaging – among others.
If you’re looking for a specific design to fit your brand identity, make sure you check the expertise of the packaging designer you’ll hire for the job.
Experience
The longer a packaging designer practices their craft, the more experience is accumulated over time. They get better at creating a packaging design that balances product requirements, customer preferences, and brand identity.
Even if you’re not sure what you want for your product design, a graphic designer will know what your product needs. They can make suggestions based on the previous products they’ve designed for.
This can help you find the right options for your product packaging.
Artistry
The artistic skills of a packaging designer will help you create custom packaging design to get ahead of your competition. They know what color, font, and design go well together. They can find the right combinations that’ll ensure your product will stand out.
Some are so used to packaging design projects that they only have to look at your product brief and brand identity to figure out what you need. Combined with their expertise and experience, they can give the right suggestions that fit your vision for your product.
Reasons Why Hiring Packaging Designers Are Unnecessary
Although there are many benefits to hiring a professional packaging designer, there are also reasons why they may be unnecessary. You need to identify if you need professional help with the packaging design because this will cost you extra money.
You want to ensure that the graphic design you’ll get is worth the money.
Here are 4 reasons why you should think twice about getting a professional designer for your packaging.
You Only Want to Improve an Existing Packaging
No matter how effective your current product packaging is, it needs to be improved over time. But the question is, how much of your current packaging design needs to change?
If it’s something big like the logo design or the overall illustration and graphic design, you might need a professional for that. But if you only have to improve a small part, like the color or font, you can let your packaging supplier do a mock-up for you.
There’s no need to hire a packaging designer and pay them to do it for you.
You Have an In-House Graphic Designer
Some companies have an in-house graphic designer who does several design tasks for the business. It could be for marketing materials or even the company website design.
If someone is good at graphic design, they may be able to design your product packaging. While getting an expert packaging designer has its merits, your in-house designer knows your brand well. They may be able to create a design that fits your brand identity.
Consider letting your in-house designer create an initial design first. If things work out, you don’t need to pay extra for a new packaging design.
You Don’t Need an Elaborate Design
Hiring a packaging designer is a good idea if you want an elaborate design for your product. But if your idea for the packaging is a simple design with one color and just your branding, then you don’t need to hire a professional for that.
Just make sure the packaging fits your product.
You should also create a mock-up so you can see how it’ll look. Your packaging supplier can also create a mock-up for you. Even if you have to pay for that sample, it won’t be as expensive as hiring someone to do the design for you.
You Don’t Have A Budget for It
As mentioned, hiring a packaging designer will cost you. If you know that you don’t have the budget for it, you might want to just use the talent that you have available in your workplace.
Don’t look for a low-fee professional and expect that they’ll give you quality work. Top packaging designers will cost you money. Only senior designer has a wealth of expertise and experience that usually makes them easy to work with.
They can create an effective packaging design for you with just a few instructions. That convenience and having well-designed packaging come with a price.
Where to Find Packaging Designers
If you’ve decided to hire a graphic designer, the next question is where can you find them? There are specific places and platforms that you can approach to find qualified individuals to create the best packaging design for you.
You don’t want to send out a job ad that’ll attract all sorts of designers that are ill-fitted for your project. It’ll be a huge waste of your time sifting through all the applications.
Filter your search by searching for package design exports in these three places.
Through a Design Agency
There are creative design agencies that you can approach to help you with your package design requirements. You can search for nearby agencies so you can meet with them. Or you can work with them online.
The great thing about working with a graphic designer is that everything can be done digitally. You can communicate through email and send your packaging design specification without seeing each other face to face.
If you decide to hire a packaging designer from an agency, get references from them. Read reviews about the agency and focus on the experience of previous clients.
Get a Freelancer
If you don’t want to work with an agency, you can go straight to hiring a freelance packaging designer. Outsourcing platforms like Upwork and Guru can connect you to a graphic designer.
You can create an account with them so you’ll be allowed to post a job ad. Ensure your ad contains information about the package design requirements. Some platforms allow you to invite specific designers so they can bid on your projects.
This will expedite the application process and lead you to the right candidate for your design project.
With the Packaging Supplier
Some packaging suppliers offer design as part of their services. What’s great about this option is that the packaging designer has the expertise specific to creating different packages.
They are aware of how packaging is constructed and the equipment used to create them. That means they can help create a unique package design. They can push the boundaries to accommodate your ideas and you can create one-of-a-kind packaging that’ll make your brand stand out in the market.
Tips When Choosing the Right Designer to Work with
Choosing the right graphic designer isn’t about hiring from an agency or freelance packaging designers. It’s not about finding a packaging supplier offering packaging design services.
It starts with how you search for them. You need to ask yourself – how will you attract the right graphic designer to help you with your packaging requirements?
Here are tips to help you find an ideal packaging designer to meet your graphic design needs.
Identify Your Graphic Design Requirements
Before you create a job ad that’ll help you look for the right packaging designer, you have to first identify what you need from the professional.
Do you need them to create the complete packaging design? That includes the inner and outer packaging as well as the graphic and even label design that the product would need.
Do you need to improve your brand identity by changing the logo design? These important details will help you look for the right person with the right skills for what your product packaging will need.
Set a Reasonable Budget
Once you’ve identified what you need from a packaging designer, it’s time to set a reasonable budget. Note that this budget will come from the overall packaging design budget.
Consider how much you’ll be spending to have the actual packaging created. Then whatever is left will be your budget for the graphic designer that you’ll hire.
When setting this budget, keep in mind the scope and design requirements that the designer has to meet. You don’t need to hire a senior designer if it’s a simple design. That can help lower the professional fee that you have to pay.
Research Possible Agencies or Platforms to Approach
With your budget and design brief, it’s time to approach agencies, scout outsourcing platforms, or inquire with packaging suppliers.
See which of them can provide you with a qualified professional to create the packaging design you need. Check if the packaging designer is someone that you can afford.
Doing these will help you narrow your options so you can find the right person to design your product packaging.
Be Specific with Your Job Ad
When you know where you’ll post your job ad, it should be easier to write it in a way that’ll attract the right packaging design professionals.
When you’re crafting your job ad, don’t just say that you’re looking for a professional graphic designer.
Provide the specific expectations that you need. For instance, you do want to launch your new brand identity through your packaging design? You will probably need a new logo design for that.
Maybe you need a senior designer. You need to specify that in your job ad.
The more details you provide, the more chances you’ll attract the right person for the job.
Understand the Skills Needed to Complete the Job
In your job ad, you must be specific with the skills you require from a professional packaging designer. This will help applicants understand what kind of experienced packaging designer is needed for the project.
You can specify that you specifically need someone with experience in packaging design. If you need a logo design, you can specify that as well.
Include the tools that you expect the designer to know. Do you want them to be proficient in using Photoshop? These should be listed clearly so people won’t waste their time applying for a job they’re not suited for.
Thoroughly Question the Experience of Job Applicants
As you get applications from different designers, you need to thoroughly question them to ensure that the information they provided is correct.
Ask the graphic designer about their experience and the industries they worked with. Focus on the type of packaging design they’ve done in the past. Feel free to get in touch with their previous clients if you can.
You should also discuss the details of the project. If you plan to improve your brand identity, ask the designer how they plan to help you do that.
Scrutinize their answers and try to find out what their character is. See if that’s the type of person you want to work with on your package design.
Best Practices When Working with a Packaging Designer
Even if you find a talented graphic designer for your product packaging, you need to be able to set up the right working relationship with them. This will ensure that you get the package design according to your specifications.
Here are important tips and practices that’ll help you work with the packaging designer so they can meet your expectations.
Provide a Clear Description of the Packaging Expectations
What packaging design do you want the designer to give you? You need a detailed description of the package design – from what the customer will see on the display shelf up to what they’ll experience as they unbox it.
Give a clear description of the logo design that you want the packaging to have. Include the colors, fonts, layout, and specific elements that you want to see in the packaging design.
The more detailed you are, the more the designer will know your taste and preference for your packaging.
Agree to a Definite Timeline
Don’t just set a timeline for the graphic designer. It has to be an agreed timeline. Although you’re the client, you need to respect that the freelance packaging designer needs adequate time to meet your packaging design requirements.
The more complicated the design, the longer it’ll take for them to create it. Don’t rush them through it if you want to get the best output.
Have a Clear Platform for Communicating and Tracking Work
When working with a freelance packaging designer, you must set up a platform where you can communicate clearly. This platform can be used to track the progress of the packaging design. It can serve as a venue for questions, corrections, and other comments about the package design.
It’s ideal to have one chat platform to make communication convenient. But you should send emails for final agreements.
Do You Need a Packaging Designer?
Packoi Printing offers design services at an affordable price.
Using the expertise of a graphic designer is important if you have a complicated packaging design. It’s not always necessary, but having the package design you’ve always wanted will be easier.
If you need an experienced packaging designer, we at Packoi Printing offer design services. Our designers are trained in the latest trends and innovations in packaging designs.
Let’s discuss your options so you can get started. Give us a call and we’ll get back to you with a fair quotation.
