Packaging Design

Three seconds. That’s how long your packaging has to make someone stop, look and reach.

Most packaging looks great in a design review. Far fewer hold up on a crowded shelf. We design packaging that answers to your brand first, then earns its place in the aisle.

Packaging is a brand’s most honest moment. It’s where everything you’ve promised ends up in someone’s hand. If the brand behind it is clear, the pack is easy to design. If it isn’t, we’ll help you get there first. Either way, nothing goes on a box without a reason.

What we design

If it holds a product, we can design it.

We design retail boxes and cartons, product labels, pouches and bags, bottles and jars, tubes, tins, sleeves, and shipping and e-commerce packaging. That covers food and beverage, health and wellness, supplements, personal care, pet products and consumer products.

One SKU or a full range, we design the system so every variation looks like it belongs together. For The Brickhouse Smokery that meant black bags with a colour band for every flavour; for Olay, a family of facial cloth tubs.

Great packaging starts with a clear brand. If yours isn’t there yet, we start with branding and identity design. Selling online too? See e-commerce websites.

OSH Pops popped corn chip bags in white cheddar and sour cream flavours
OSH Pops · Popped corn chips.
Foin du Pinacle Botanical Bites pouch with floral illustration
Foin du Pinacle · Botanical bites.
Brickhouse hot pepperoni bag front and back with a red flavour band
Brickhouse Smokery hot pepperoni bag.
Olay Daily Facials deeply purifying clean tub with teal watercolour, water droplets and vitamin icon
Olay Daily Facials tub.

Every format, one family.

Packaging types we design, for single products and full ranges.

Boxes & cartonsRetail boxes, gift boxes and cartons that open as well as they look.
LabelsProduct labels for bottles, jars, cans and containers.
Pouches & bagsStand-up pouches, bags and flexible packaging.
Bottles & jarsLabels and decoration for bottles, jars and tubes.
Tins & sleevesTins, sleeves and specialty formats.
Shipping & e-commerceMailers and unboxing experiences for online orders.

Your product is ready. Is its pack?

Olay Daily Facials tubs in pink, teal and green

Everything between the idea and the pallet.

From your product and your shelf to print-ready files your manufacturer can trust.

  1. 01
    01

    Discovery

    We start with your product, your buyer and the shelf you’re competing on. What makes your product different, who reaches for it and what’s sitting right beside it all shape the packaging design brief.

    If your brand is already in place, we work within it. If it isn’t, we’ll help you get there first, because packaging works best when it’s built on a clear brand identity. With the brief set, we move into concepts.

    Brickhouse Smokery packaging discovery board with the family homestead archive photo, brand colours and research notes
  2. 02
    02

    Concepts

    We present two distinct directions for your pack, each with the thought behind it. You’ll see how each one could stand out on shelf, say what’s inside at a glance and appeal to the buyer we defined in discovery.

    You pick the one that feels right, and we refine it with you, adjusting colour, type, imagery and hierarchy until it’s ready. With the concept approved, it’s time to fit the design to the real structure.

    Kunaferia Brand Guidelines cover with a purple script wordmark on a deep violet patterned background
  3. 03
    03

    Dieline and Artwork

    We take the dieline from your manufacturer and design every panel to fit it. You supply the regulatory content, like nutrition panels, legal copy and barcodes, and we design it into the pack so it sits naturally within the artwork.

    For a range, we build one system so every flavour and size looks like part of the same family. That makes your products easier to spot together on shelf and new additions easier to roll out.

    Olay Daily Facials gentle sensitive clean tub with green watercolour and aloe leaf extract callout
  4. 04
    04

    Mockups

    Before anything goes to print, you see the pack in context, with realistic mockups showing how it looks from every side and next to the rest of the range.

    This is the last chance to make changes while they’re still easy. A problem spotted on screen is a quick fix; the same problem spotted on a pallet of printed boxes is a much worse afternoon. Once you’re happy with the mockups, we prepare the production files.

    Esme + Sita organic honey seed bar wrappers in turmeric, moringa and ginger flavours
  5. 05
    05

    Print-Ready and Handoff

    We prepare the files to your printer’s specifications, with the dieline, colour settings and finishes clearly set up, so production has everything it needs.

    We also talk directly with your manufacturer and printer to make sure everything lands as designed, answering technical questions and reviewing proofs along the way. You get packaging that looks as good on the shelf as it did in the mockups, with fewer surprises when the first run arrives.

    Five Brickhouse Smokery pepperoni and jerky bags in black with blue, orange, green and red flavour bands

Brand first. Shelf ready.

Packaging works because the brand behind it does. We start with who you are and who you’re selling to, then design packs that stand out on a crowded shelf, hold together across your whole range and go to production ready in English and French.

Brand-first

Your pack answers to your brand, so it builds recognition every time it’s picked up. Shoppers learn to spot you from across the aisle, which makes repeat purchases and new launches easier.

Range systems

One system for every flavour, size and SKU. Colour, layout and hierarchy are planned so new products slot in easily and the whole range reads clearly on the shelf.

Production-ready

We work from your dieline and talk directly to your printer. Finishes, colour and proofs are checked before anything runs, so the packaging that arrives matches the design you approved.

Bilingual ready

English and French packaging designed in from the start. Both languages get proper space and hierarchy, so bilingual panels look intentional rather than cramped or squeezed in at the end.

We’ve earned some good company. Recognize anyone?

  • Deloitte
  • Zillow
  • SmartCentres
  • Visa
  • Vital Proteins
  • Johnson & Johnson
  • Mary Kay
  • Bally
  • Thumbtack
  • Quiznos
1000+projects for 200+ clients
44+awards received
5.0rating on Clutch
#1ranked in Canada

They demonstrated strong creative vision while still incorporating our feedback, ensuring the final logo, website, and visual style truly represented our company.

Michelle-Lea SivanesanMichelle-Lea SivanesanSales Executive, Consolidated Packaging Group Inc.

Beyond their technical expertise, what truly stood out was how personally invested the team was in our success. They took the time to understand our business priorities and consistently aligned their work to meet those objectives.

Suzanne CoblentzSuzanne CoblentzChief Marketing Officer, Trust Insurance

We had an incredibly short and aggressive timeline that Envy Design Co. met, delivering an incredible website. After the websites were launched, leads continued to come in.

Alexandra FrickerAlexandra FrickerVP Marketing, Right Time Group of Companies

Ready to build something worth envying?

Tell us a bit about your goals and we’ll be in touch as soon as we’re able to explore how we can help bring your vision to life.

Required

What do you need help with?

Your information is secure and will never be shared.

Frequently asked questions.

How much does packaging design cost?

Packaging design at Envy starts at $7,500 for a single SKU. Multi-SKU projects are quoted individually, based on the number of SKUs and variations. Fill out our project form for a clear, itemized quote.

Several things shape the cost of packaging design: how many products, flavours or sizes you need, whether the pack is a box, bag, label or something more unusual, bilingual requirements, and whether you also need brand identity work before packaging begins. A product range designed as one system is usually more efficient than designing each pack separately. We'll talk through your products, retail plans and timeline, then send a quote that shows exactly what's included. Printing and production are separate costs from design.

Do you work from my manufacturer’s dieline?

Yes. We take the dieline from your manufacturer and design every panel to fit it.

The dieline is the flat template that shows your package's exact shape, folds, cuts, glue areas and safe zones. Working from your manufacturer's version ensures the finished design fits the real package, not just a mockup. We plan each panel for how it will be seen on shelf, including the front, sides, top and back, and make sure important details don't land on a fold or seam. If your manufacturer hasn't provided a dieline yet, we'll help you ask for the right information so packaging design can start on solid ground.

Will you talk to my manufacturer and printer directly?

Yes. We prepare files to your printer's specifications and talk directly with your manufacturer and printer so everything lands as designed.

Packaging production has plenty of technical details: colour profiles, special inks, varnishes, foils, material types and printing methods that differ from one supplier to the next. Talking directly with your manufacturer and printer helps catch issues early, before they turn into costly reprints. We'll confirm specifications, answer technical questions and review proofs with you. You stay in the loop and approve every key decision, but you don't have to translate design questions back and forth. It's one of the most practical parts of our packaging design service.

Who is responsible for nutrition panels, legal copy and barcodes?

You supply the regulatory content, like nutrition panels, legal copy and barcodes, and we design it into the pack.

Regulatory content is your responsibility because it depends on your product, ingredients, claims and the markets you sell in, and it often requires input from a food scientist, regulatory consultant or your manufacturer. Once you provide the approved information, we lay it out clearly and accurately, following the format you supply and making sure it fits within the space available. We plan room for it from the start so it doesn't feel squeezed in at the end. If anything looks unclear or incomplete, we'll flag it for you to confirm.

Can you design bilingual English and French packaging?

Yes. Our Brickhouse Smokery packaging, for example, carries English and French on every bag.

Bilingual packaging design in Canada takes careful planning, because you're fitting two languages into the same space without making the pack feel cluttered. French text often runs longer than English, so we design layouts with room for both and give each language equal care. We think about hierarchy, so shoppers can find the product name, flavour and key details quickly in either language. You provide approved translations and regulatory content, and we design it all into a pack that still looks clean, appetizing and on brand.

Can you design packaging for a full product range?

Yes. We design one system so every flavour, size and SKU looks like part of the same family.

A packaging system makes your whole range recognizable on shelf while still letting shoppers tell products apart quickly. We define what stays consistent, like your logo placement, typography and layout, and what changes from product to product, such as colour, illustration or photography. That makes it easier to add new flavours or sizes later without redesigning from scratch. A strong system also creates a bigger brand presence when several products sit side by side, which helps your range stand out in a busy aisle.

Do I need a finished brand before I start on packaging?

No. If your brand is already in place, we work within it. If it isn't, we'll help you get there first.

Packaging is often the first place customers meet your brand, so it needs a solid foundation: a logo, colours, typography and a clear sense of personality. If you already have that, we'll design packaging that fits and extends it. If you're starting from scratch, we'll recommend building the brand identity first, often as part of the same project, so your packaging and brand develop together. That approach saves time later, because your website, social media and sales materials can all draw from the same system.

Related

From shelf to screen

Packaging works best alongside branding, e-commerce websites and trade show design. See more of our food and beverage work, and read a design refresh for a craft soda.