Packaging Podcast

What do you need to include in a packaging design proposal? We discuss the dicovery phase of your packaging proposal in this episode, everything that is required and everything you need to consider before sharing with a potential packaging design client.

How to consider timelines, budgets, quantities, and create a visual language for your client to communicate with you regarding their design desires. Packaging design requires many considerations and the tighter the parameters you set up for your packaging design project, the better your design will be.

Listen and drop us a line with any thoughts, questions, or anything you'd like to learn more about.

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Support our sponsor IDPdirect and download their sustainable packaging guide.

How do you design packaging? Before you can design packaging you need to have a usable dieline and template. This episode explains how to easily create a packaging dieline without the need for expensive software. 

It's so easy that you can actually create professional templates from your phone and have the files in seconds. 

With over 700 packaging design templates, DiecutTemplates.com/UNBOXD offers you not only a fast way to create dielines but also a cheap way to do it. 

So what are you waiting for? Go to DiecutTemplates.com/UNBOXD right now!

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Download your own sustainable packaging guide here

Packaging Designers looking for new materials are inundated with new technologies and materials with fantastic claims. But what happens to these materials when the infrastructure doesn't exist to process them and make those claims a reality? Find out how to consider the materials you choose and ask the questions that matter.

Find out more about compostable plastics.

Connect with Evelio on LinkedIn.

Download the Free Sustainability Guide here.

Packaging Design is a key part of viral brands, brands that launch online with no brick and mortar and scale quickly due to demand, limited edition drops, and a great product. Last Crumb is just that brand!

Last Crumb launched with beautiful product photography and an irreverent attitude, quickly selling out of their cookie drops weekly. Packaging is the only physical contact anyone will have with the brand besides the cookies, so the packaging has to be perfect.

After unboxing the Last Crumb cookie packaging, I share what works what doesn't and how I would consider making edits.

If you're a packaging designer and love cookies, you gotta listen.

If you're a startup and want your packaging to build your brand beyond protecting your product, you need to listen.

Connect with Evelio Mattos on LinkedIn to watch the actual unboxing, here.

Interested in sustainable packaging design? Download this free sustainable packaging starter guide, here.

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How do you design packaging for end of life? You begin at the end and back into the design that delivers the most sustainable solution for each brand. Let's understand why Design Matters as well as why asking the right questions are as important as creating a clear sustainable packaging communication strategy is not just clever, but necessary.

Packaging designer Evelio Mattos shares his experiences working with brands ranging from start-ups to global brands over 15 years, and how he continues to innovate and educate. 

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Send questions or comments via our site.

Download your own Sustainable Packaging Guide.

How do you select a packaging material for your packaging design? 

You get the facts and ask questions.

In this episode we discuss how certain materials may be recyclable in their country of origin but not necessarily recyclable in their country of deplyment. 

Unknowingly selecting materials delivers packaging that is not desired by the local recycling centers and weakens the brand's sustainability story.

If you want to learn more reach out to Evelio Mattos on LinkedIn

Or download the Free Sustainable Packaging Guide Here

Our first listener question!!

Ok, so how do you bring value to a brand when you sell packaging? Focus on the brand's biggest pain points not your packaging. How is their packaging being fulfilled? Is it an automated process, in-line, semi-automated, find out and understand that process to learn the fillers biggest pain points. Speak to the packaging distributor or the product distributor and find their biggest pain points!

It's all about uncovering everyone's pain points at different phases of the supply chain, then determining the way you can solve the top three pain points. It may actually mean you sell less packaging sometimes, but that's a good partner. Focus on them first, and selling packaging second. 

You'll develop a great relationship and reputation in the industry and soon your client list will grow beyond your own thoughts.

Reach out to Evelio on linked to leave him a recorded question.

Or leave a voice memo on the anchor website.

How do you compete on shelf? Follow the old saying, all is fair in love and war.

On shelf competition is a war, it's a battle, and the unboxing process is a matter of making the consumer fall in love with the experience. 

Packaging design without either of these fails on several key brand building moments, listen to how different brands approach this concept. 

Apply these lessons to your packaging design process today!

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Download your free sustainability guide here.

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Developing Innovative Packaging concepts

I love the project, one the brand, love how bluesky everything is at this stage.

At this stage I can take the red pill or the blue pill:

RED pill: I can design bluesky packaging that isn’t based in reality and takes into account manufacture, budgets, timelines and all of those parameters and deliver something the client will fall in love with instantly…

Or the Blue Pill, I can design something that pushes the bounds of the parameters we’re locked into because of manufacturing, budgets, timelines and everything else that compresses your creativity.

Here’s why I wanted to talk, because at this stage I don’t do either.

I actually don’t do anything at all.

I have ideas that roam between 1 and 2 running through my mind

I see the potential and fall in love with an idea, but I also see the limitations which deflate the concepts

But what I don’t do is I don’t begin to sketch or create anything tangible.

WHY? Because I am afraid. I am so afraid that my concepts won’t work when I put them down on paper, I worry that I will sketch them out and see their flaws of how they won’t be able to be produced because of a particular fold, material, position, whatever.

And this fear is paralyzing. I mean I can’t get myself to get started on paper.

It’s a 48 hour process that I go through each and almost every time I work on a big project. Small ones no fear, big ones, lots of doubt.

After 48 hours I make myself sit down and begin sketching out concepts whether it’s what I had in mind or some lateral idea that will get me to where I want to go.

I have a conversation with myself about how these bluesy ideas will make the client love me and I settle on only delivering what is possible within the specified parameters. But ultimately I never take either the red pill or the blue pill. I take them both.

I allow myself the freedom to sketch beyond the parameters but through the lens of what is possible. What can we push past, a concept that may take a little more budget, or take a little more time, something that may deliver an unexpected unboxing providing a moment of pause. Whatever the idea is it is always something that is possible, but not easy. It’s going to require the right partner or sets of partners to achieve.

And when pitching these concepts to the client it’s important to explain where the difficulties lie. What concerns you, what creates the anxiety, and even explain the areas of your concept that you haven’t completely figured out.

The point of this stage is to share ideas, be open, listen to feedback and realize the client doesn’t have to love your ideas. Concepts are a talking point to further the discussion to uncover what will deliver a memorable experience.

If you’re not uncomfortable or a little fearful, you’r not doing it right. Stop playing it safe and share your fears with your client.

If you’ve ever felt this way or have a different process for innovation let me know on linkedin or twitter. I’d love to hear from you.

Connect with Evelio Mattos on Linkedin

Download your Sustainable Packaging Guide

It's always packaging design awards season. Either you're entering The Dieline Wards or you're waiting to see who won. But how much does winning an award really matter to the longevity of your career? Will the title of "Award Winning Packaging Designer" get you the next big gig?

Listen to what it means to win a packaging award and consider if you should enter the next one.

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Support our sponsor : Intl Direct Packaging

If you do decide to enter a packaging competition I recommend starting with these 2:

GDUSA

Pentawards