Packaging matters to consumers. According to the Enterprise League, materials and designs play a significant role in consumer purchase decisions. Hence, finding the right partner to create a packaging design that makes a long-lasting first impression on your customers is vital. And if you’re on the hunt for the ideal designer, here’s how to hire one for your business!
What Does a Packaging Designer Do?
A packaging designer is a creative professional who designs the outer appearance of a product packaging. They use graphic design skills to craft attractive and informative packaging that catches customers’ attention, promotes the brand, and protects the product. The duties of a packaging designer include:
- Selecting typefaces, colors, and illustrations for the packaging.
- Use digital layout and illustration software to draft and create designs.
- Creates prototypes and refines designs based on feedback.
- Communicating with their clients to ensure meeting client’s goals and objectives.
Hire Packaging Designers Through These 5 Options
When looking for a packaging designer, there are several avenues you can explore to find talented professionals who specialize in this field. Explore these options to find the best designer to complete your project.
Option 1: Subscribe to an Unlimited Graphic Design Service
An unlimited graphic design service works under a subscription-based model that provides businesses and individuals access to a team of expert graphic designers at a flat monthly rate. The client pays a specific amount in exchange for unlimited design requests.
Penji is an example of an on-demand and unlimited design service offering a one-stop solution for all your graphic design needs. Creating a project with us is very easy. Subscribe now and get your designs after 24-48 hours.
Enjoy agency-level service while only paying a fixed monthly fee. Try us today and work exclusively with the top 2% of design talents who understand the importance of packaging in capturing consumers’ attention and influencing purchasing decisions.
Packaging that Sells Itself
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Option 2: Hire Freelancers
Take advantage of the gig economy and hire the perfect freelancers to design new packaging or revamp your existing one. The qualities of freelancers’ outputs vary from impressive to frustrating. It is best to conduct in-depth research before choosing a freelancer. You can check freelancer portfolios like People Per Hour to find the best packaging designer for your project.
Established in 2007, PeoplePerHour connects clients to a community of experienced freelancers available to hire by the hour or project. The company aims to provide freelancers flexibility to work, depending on their availability, outside the traditional 9-to-5 job while helping businesses with their design needs.
Alternatively, you can also find specialized packaging designers on other creative freelance websites like Twine.
Twine lets you submit a project and will match you with the best freelancers for the job. You will receive personalized pitches and can browse portfolios within minutes of posting the project. Once you’ve selected the packaging designer, agree with the terms, pay upfront to secure the freelancer, and manage your freelancer in one place!
Option 3: Go to Portfolio Websites
Platforms like Behance, Dribbble, and Reddit have communities of talented creatives where you can hire a packaging designer. You can explore their portfolios, connect with them, and discuss your packaging design needs.
Behance is a social media network owned by Adobe that is dedicated to showcasing and discovering creative work. It is a portfolio website where artists, designers, photographers, illustrators, and other creative professionals can showcase their projects and gain exposure to their work.
Behance allows users to create visually rich portfolios by uploading images, videos, and interactive media to showcase their skills and creativity.
Let’s search for “beverage” packaging on Behance and apply the following filters:
- Projects
- All Creative Fields > Packaging
- Location > US
Behance also has Curated Galleries that showcase some of the best work on the site. Check out the Curated Gallery for Graphic Design and select “Packaging” to see more examples of the amazing work available on the platform.
If you find a designer you like, you can contact them directly on Behance. Most designers will have links to other social networking accounts or web pages.
Dribbble is the main competitor of Behance. They have the same models. However, Dribbble provides more options for finding packaging designers.
First, you can browse packaging designs and get in touch with designers if their work matches your branding. Next, you can post an ad on the job board. Your job ad will be seen by thousands of interested freelancers and may have 1,000+ clicks monthly. Finally, the hiring suite allows you to browse designers and reach out to them anytime. Or, if the job position is filled, and you want to contact a designer in the future, you can save a bookmark.
4. Try Crowdsourcing Sites
Crowdsourcing sites have grown in popularity over the last decade. Increasingly, businesses are turning to crowdsourcing sites because they offer a variety of work to choose from with little risk. In most cases, you’ll prepare and upload brief and other relevant information to your project, such as budget and deadline.
When you submit your project, designers compete to be the winning design. After your deadline, you can choose from many designs to see which will work best for your project.
DesignCrowd is an online marketplace that connects businesses and individuals with a global community of freelance designers. Whether you need to hire a packaging design, logo designer, or anything else, you can specify the design and narrow it down to those who can take the job. DesignCrowd is a facilitator, ensuring a secure payment process and providing a communication and project management platform.
99Designs is another crowdsourcing website for packaging designs. Like DesignCrowd, you can submit a project and let the designers come to you with their design interpretation. However, 99Designs allows more designers to submit their work, giving you more options. Additionally, 99Designs has a freelance marketplace, allowing you to reach out to a packaging designer directly.
Option 5: Hire Experts at a Freelancer Network
Upwork is one of the most established sites for finding freelancers. The platform covers various freelance services, including web development, design, writing, marketing, customer support, consulting, and more.
You’ll start by submitting information to Upwork about your project and the skills required. Freelancers on Upwork will be able to view your job and submit bids. As freelancers submit bids to your job, you can review their profile to see client ratings, portfolios, and Job Success scores.
It’s worth noting that Upwork provides features such as dispute resolution, work diaries for hourly projects, and a feedback system to ensure transparency, accountability, and fair transactions between clients and freelancers.
Things to Consider When Preparing a Packaging Design Brief
One of the easiest ways to kick off the process is to prepare a design brief. It is an excellent opportunity to clarify your design requirements and set the foundation for a successful partnership. When crafting your creative design brief, it’s essential to think critically about your requirements. Here are some of the types of questions you could include when writing a creative design brief:
- Brand Identity: Describe your brand’s personality, values, and target audience. What message do you want your packaging to convey about your brand?
- Product Details: Provide a comprehensive overview of your product, including its purpose, features, and unique selling points. What makes your product stand out in the market?
- Packaging Objectives: What specific goals do you want to achieve with your packaging design? Is it to increase brand recognition, improve shelf appeal, or communicate product benefits?
- Design Style and Aesthetics: Explore the visual direction you envision for your packaging. Are you drawn to minimalist, elegant designs or vibrant, playful ones? You can also give examples or references to help the designer understand your preferences.
- Target Market: Identify your ideal consumer demographic. Consider their preferences, lifestyle, and purchasing behavior. How can the design appeal to and engage your target audience?
- Technical Requirements: Are there any specific technical considerations for your packaging, such as dimensions, materials, printing techniques, or sustainability goals? Clearly define any requirements or restrictions.
- Competition Analysis: Research your competitors’ packaging designs. What differentiates your product from theirs? How can your packaging design stand out while staying coherent within the market?
- Budget and Timeline: This is one of the crucial aspects to consider if you want to hire a packaging designer. Define your budgetary constraints and project timeline so the designer can assess the feasibility.
Conclusion
Hiring a packaging designer is a crucial step in creating packaging that serves as a container and a powerful marketing tool. By starting with a well-defined design brief and exploring various avenues to find the right designer, you can enhance your brand’s packaging and make a lasting impression on your target audience. While there are several ways to hire a packaging designer, Penji is a service that makes it easy to get graphic design packaging.
