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A Packaging Design Brief is essentially a roadmap for a design company. It lays out the dreams and desires of the client who needs creative ideas. It points you in the right direction. Those ideas are needed to propel marketing and sales by producing a catchy and unusual design. This design needs to put into the head of any potential consumer or customer that the design, product, and company go together.

The design company needs to have some direction from the client. While the designer could easily produce one of their own great ideas for mailing boxes, that idea might not fit the image of the client. Whether it is a tote bag, mailer, or any other packaging, the impression created is essential to growing a business. Let's take a look at how a Packaging Design Brief comes into being and how it meets the needs of the client.

WHY WRITE A BRIEF?

We have touched on the many reasons to write a brief. One of the reasons is the writing can produce an idea that was not previously on the mind of the customer. Another benefit is organization. The brief forces the company to focus on its objectives and needs. Many times, they do not realize what is going on. They are too busy with the day-to-day operations to plan out a path through packaging that will lead to increased sales and profitability.

Custom Print Packaging is what we do. A brief is an excellent mechanism to show us what your needs are and how we can make that specific print that makes your company special. The brief opens doors that were previously closed. There is an exciting world of custom design waiting to be unlocked.

Finally, it is a good idea to include the history of the company, particularly as it relates to design products. Once a firm does this, they begin to realize the value of the brief. Sometimes they forget when they have been. They also lose track of what has worked and not worked in product design. It is good to just relieve the history whether it is good or bad. It is then time to decide on what the future holds.

WHERE IS YOUR COMPANY HEADED

Following up on the history of the company, the Packaging Design Brief charts the future course of the business. That new design will be the defining image as time moves forward. It is not an overstatement that a logo on a bag sells products. Customers remember that design. They tell their friends and co-workers. The design becomes the company.

Sometimes a business has an excellent design. The problem is the design is old or needs to be updated. Perhaps it needs a new color scheme with a touchup to the lines. The firm may be embarking on a new advertising campaign. An updated design is just what is needed to kick off that process.

The Packaging Design Brief can include the current design along with suggestions about the proposed changes. It can leave the final decision to the design firm. In any event, it is all about the future. Most businesses need to keep evolving in order to survive in the ever-changing business world. Package design is just part and parcel of that new environment.

SET OUT THE OBJECTIVES

A Packaging Design Brief needs to state the objectives. Another way to explain this term is to ask what you want to accomplish. Where is the design going to be used? Will it have words? Do you want it simple or complex? The questions might seem endless, but it is necessary to state the obvious.

When the design is complete, where do you want to be. A firm needs to seriously consider the ramifications of the design. Put those ideas down in writing in the brief. While you want to give the design firm leeway, they need to know your objectives in a straightforward explanation.

AS you read through this post, you will come to realize that many points overlap. Objectives can be defined by several of the following items. Take time to make sure you do not skip any item believing it has already been covered. It is all about seeing the big picture when composing the Packaging Design Brief.

MUST ITEMS FOR THE BRIEF

• Objectives
• Taste
• Direction
• Goal
• Personalization

We have touched on objectives and their importance. There is flexibility in writing the Packaging Design Brief, but there are certain items that should not be left out. Objectives is one of those essential terms.

Taste might seem like a strange term. It means what are the limits of the design. Some companies prefer traditional designs and would not want something considered too outlandish. Other businesses may be searching for a new and innovative approach which pushes the limits of design. They want a tote bag that is unlike any other. Taste sets the boundaries for the design firm. It gives them the parameters. We need to know this before we proceed.

Direction is another term for how to proceed. You need to let the design firm know to start with their concept. This item overlaps with objectives and taste. Think of it as a starting point. Make it clear where you want your design to start and finish. Take some time with this point. It seems simple but it can lead to some unexpected results.

That has to be a goal in the design. It is the end point. When that new tote bag appears, does it meet the goal of the firm? The only way to ensure this result is to spell out in significant detail that goal.

The final must item is personalization. That may seem obvious, but you want your tote bag or other product to stand out in the crowd. There needs to be doubt that the product and the firm go together. When a customer sees your tote bag, it is clear that the design belongs to you. Spell out how that works. The design firm will produce the end product, but let them know you want it to be your signature item.

CREATIVE IDEAS

• Style
• Color
• Size
• Design
• Change

It is a good idea to place creative ideas in a brief. One example is style. That defines what you want it a design. It is simple or complex, does it relate to a certain time period? Is it classic or modern? There are may types of styles for a design. Think outside the box.

Many businesses are known by a certain color. Let the designer know if there are colors you do not want, or if there is specific color that is mandatory. You can be creative with color by producing an unusual shade of a certain color. Everything does not have to be a standard color.

Size is an element of any design. The brief can detail specific measurements, or it can give dimensions that can be changed by the designer to fit the end product. Be specific if size is crucial. For example, the tote bag design needs to fit reasonably within the bag. Do not underestimate how size can lead to creativity.

Design is the place for creativity. A Design Packaging Brief needs to set the limits of design imagination. This is the place to let the designer have some real freedom if you believe you can live with results. As long as you have followed all the previous advice listed in the headings herein, design can flow freely and still met objectives and goals.

Change refers to a prior design that is to be updated, or perhaps, completely redrawn. This is another area for creativity. If the change meets the other requirements, it leads to some imaginative designs that will make customers notice and increase sales.

WRAP UP THE PROCESS

It is important to write your own unique Packaging Design Brief. There are templates that are found on the internet that could make this process easier. However, you do not want to leave out any of the points described in this post.

We have gone to great lengths to spell out what a Packaging Design Brief looks like. This is not to say that when composing a brief, you may not hit on an idea not contained herein. This would fall under the category of "creative ideas."

Our discussion under each heading and bullet points only touches on some of the ideas to include in the brief. Do not be bound by a template or this blog post. Rather use this posing a jumping off place to create the best Packaging Design Brief for your firm. The success of your future endeavors depends on the brief being right.

One last final point is time. Do not be in a hurry to complete the brief. Take the time to consider all the possibilities. The extra effort will be well worth the time expended.