Packaging Design Brief: A Checklist Before Artwork

A packaging project needs two kinds of clarity: what the pack must communicate and what can actually be produced. A visual direction alone cannot settle the container dimensions, the approved product copy or the printer’s requirements.

My CITTA case study documents pack layout, type hierarchy, illustration placement and production artwork across a skincare range. This checklist turns that kind of work into a practical starting brief. It concerns design and production coordination; the brand’s designated reviewers must approve the product information and any required claims or declarations.

Confirm the physical format before designing the flat artwork

Ask the manufacturer or printer for the approved dieline or label specification. Record its version, dimensions, folds, cut lines and any restricted areas. Identify which panel is the front and how the customer first encounters the product.

A presentation mockup is useful for reviewing the direction, but it does not verify that the artwork will fit the real container. If the structural format is still being developed, make that dependency visible. Graphic design and structural packaging work should have clear owners.

Build a product and variant list

Make one row for each product, size, fragrance, flavour or other variation. Include the exact display name and which pieces of information change. Mark whether each item needs a new format or an adaptation of the same layout.

This distinction helps scope the work. Six variants sharing one structure do not necessarily require six independent concepts. Equally, a tiny label cannot always inherit the layout of a large carton without adjustment.

For a growing range, decide what stays constant and what changes: brand position, product-name hierarchy, variant identifier, image placement and information panels. A system should make related products recognisable while allowing customers to tell them apart.

Gather approved copy in one place

A simple variant register can make the missing inputs visible before artwork starts:

Product / size	Pack format	Dieline version	Copy status	Reviewer
Your product and size	Label, carton or other format	Supplier file reference	Approved / pending	Named content owner

Repeat the row for each variant. Keep this register with the brief, and identify changes after approval as new versions rather than silently replacing the original file.

Avoid collecting final copy from several message threads. Use a single document or spreadsheet with the exact text for each variant and a clear approval state. Give product information, claims, translations and machine-readable elements named reviewers.

Do not ask the designer to infer missing product facts from a competitor’s pack. If an ingredient name, instruction or declaration is awaiting approval, label it as pending. Layout can be explored with placeholders, but final artwork needs a controlled replacement and review process.

Agree on the reading order

Ask what a shopper needs to identify first: the brand, product type, variant or a particular use. Then decide which supporting information belongs next. Make the hierarchy work at the physical size, including the text-heavy panels.

Test the range as a group, not only one pack at a time. Check whether two variants become confusing when viewed from a distance or as small online images. The packaging-system playbook explains how shared layout rules can carry through a range.

Bring the printer’s requirements into the brief

Confirm the print process, substrate, colour setup, finishing options and file requirements with the production supplier. Ask how proofs will be supplied and who will approve them. Effects that look convincing on screen may need a separate production decision.

Where possible, review a physical sample or proof. Check folds, seams, registration, small text and the effect of the actual material. Record any changes against the approved artwork version so a later export does not reintroduce an old issue.

Define the handoff and approval chain

Before release, agree who approves each layer:

• Brand direction: identity, hierarchy and visual consistency.
• Product content: exact names, claims, instructions and other required text.
• Production: dieline, material, print specifications and finishing.
• Final artwork: the complete file after all approved changes.

Keep a file list with product name, variant, format, version and approval status. Separate editable working files, final exports and presentation mockups. A realistic mockup should not be mistaken for a photograph of a manufactured pack.

What to send when commissioning packaging design

Send the brand assets, approved dielines, product list, available copy, production contact, launch timing and examples of current packaging. Mark missing items rather than delaying the conversation until everything is complete.

I’m based in Pune and take select packaging projects alongside brand and website work. Review my packaging design service, the CITTA range and Eatovito work to assess fit, then share your brief.