How to Choose the Right Packaging Designer for Your Food or Beverage Startup

Once you know your brand identity, the next step is finding a packaging designer that aligns with your vision. The right designer will help you bring your product to life on the shelf, capture consumer attention, and set your food business up for long-term growth. Here are three essential things to consider when hiring a designer for your CPG brand.

1. Keep Costs Low

Your first design will not be perfect — and that’s okay. Early packaging design is all about making educated guesses about what consumers want. Once you launch, real feedback from customers will show you what’s working and what needs to change. Maybe your callout isn’t resonating, your colors don’t pop, or your font size isn’t easy to read.

Because design is an iterative process, don’t overspend at the beginning. You should budget no more than $1,500 for brand and packaging design: about $500 for a logo and $1,000 for three SKUs of unit packaging. Keep it simple and cost-effective until you’ve validated your product in the market.

2. Choose Designers With Packaging Experience

Packaging is different from other types of design. Beyond looking good, it needs to print correctly, stand out on the shelf, and align with consumer expectations for your category. For example, certain colors and styles are strongly associated with specific food types.

Whenever possible, work with a designer who has past experience with food and beverage packaging design. This will save you time, money, and headaches down the road.

💡 Pro Tip: We’ve compiled a Packaging Design Checklist in our Launch Workbook to help you make sure your design includes everything required for a successful launch.

3. Prioritize Responsiveness & Speed

Until you’re in the market, you’re still making educated guesses about consumer preferences. The faster you launch, the faster you’ll learn what works and how to iterate toward product-market fit.

That means your brand and packaging design shouldn’t drag on for months. Aim for a one-month turnaround at most. A responsive designer who works quickly will help you get on shelves faster and start the feedback loop that drives real growth.

Real-World Example: Snacklins

“We are always in search of self-improvement and innovation. Part of this is elaborating on our story and when your brand is a snack chip in a noisy chip aisle, you have to find a way to tell your story and differentiate from the crowd. I don’t think we’ll ever be done evolving.”
– Samy K, Snacklins Founder

Snacklins is a perfect example of packaging iteration in action. Over time, they refined their design to better stand out in a crowded chip aisle while staying true to their brand story.

Key Takeaways for Food Packaging Design

• Budget wisely: $1,500 or less for logo + initial SKUs

• Hire experience: Work with designers who understand packaging, printing, and food branding

• Move quickly: Don’t spend more than a month on design before launch

Packaging design is never “finished” — it evolves as your business grows. By keeping costs low, working with experienced designers, and moving fast, you’ll get your food or beverage product on shelves sooner and start learning what resonates with your customers.