Packaging & Label Design
In e-commerce, your physical contact with the customer is squeezed into a single moment: when the box opens. That moment is the brand's cheapest ad space — and the most neglected.
- Group
- Brand
- First deliverable
- Packaging direction and cost range
- Ongoing
- With each product/collection launch
Who this service is for
- «Our shipping box is plain brown.»A neutral box isn't bad, but it's silent. If you have something to say, that space is sitting there for free.
- «Our product sells on shelves too.»On the shelf, packaging is the only salesperson: no ad, no description. Category, benefit and brand must read in three seconds.
- «Customers don't share our product.»What gets shared is usually not the product but the unboxing moment. If that moment wasn't designed, there's nothing worth a photo.
What's included
The box, bottle or label on the product itself. Compliant with category rules and mandatory information.
Outer box, packing tape, fill. This is where we balance cost and experience.
Inner print, cards, scent, layering order. We plan how many seconds it takes and the order in which it opens.
Ingredients, origin, warnings, barcode and QR code. Placed according to category regulations.
Dieline, bleed, color profile. Ready so the printer won't ask for extra work.
Color on screen is different in print. We don't move to the full run without seeing a proof.
How we work
Constraints first
Product dimensions, dimensional weight, the printer's capabilities and a unit cost ceiling are written down. Design starts within those limits.
Surface and experience
The visible surfaces and the unboxing sequence are designed together; think of them separately and you get a beautiful box with an empty experience.
From proof to production run
Print files are prepared, a proof is taken and the color is approved. Only then comes the full print run.
The box is the only moment the customer is alone with the brand. In the ad, their attention was divided; here, they're holding it in their hands.
What we measure
Total cost per unit. Packaging that doesn't weigh experience against cost eats into profit.
The number of customers who share the unboxing moment. Whether the packaging generates free media.
Packaging that's beautiful but doesn't protect isn't design; it's an expense.
How improvements to packaging dimensions show up on the shipping bill.
What you get
- Print-ready filesWith dieline, bleed and color profile, ready to go straight to the printer.
- Packaging guideWhich packaging for which product, at which size. The document to check when a new product arrives.
- Cost tableUnit cost comparison by quantity band.
- Unboxing scenarioThe order in which the box opens and what appears in each layer.
Which tools we use
Every account is opened in your name and the licenses are yours. When we part ways, the tools and the data stay where they are.
Adobe Illustrator
Adobe PhotoshopDieline templatesFrequently asked questions
Do you find the printer?
If you already work with a printer, we work with them; if not, we'll point you to one. Printing costs are outside the partnership fee and paid directly from your account — we take no commission through the printer.
What will the minimum print run be?
That's determined by the printer, not the design, and it varies by box type. Before we start designing, we talk about your target quantity, because the sensible production method at low volume differs from the one at high volume — a box designed on the wrong assumption can't be printed.
Are you responsible for mandatory label information?
We're responsible for the layout, you for the content. In categories like cosmetics, food and supplements, the accuracy of mandatory statements is the manufacturer's responsibility; you provide the text, and we place it with the legibility the regulations require.
Related services
This service can be booked on its own, but it works best together with these three:
Logo, typography, color system and usage rules: the visible face of the karat.
BrandBrand Strategy
Positioning, message architecture, category analysis, defining the brand's karat.
ProductionContent & Production
Product shoots, video, UGC management. Everything is checked against the brand's karat before it goes live.
Take it on its own, or as part of a partnership.
Packaging & Label Design can also be done as a standalone project: clear scope, clear timeline, no 12-month commitment. In a full partnership, it runs alongside the other work your brand needs, handled by the same team. We decide together on the discovery call which suits you.