3 Things You Need to Know Before Starting Your Packaging Project

Packaging is often the first physical interaction someone has with your brand. Whether it’s a box, pouch, or bottle, great packaging does more than look good—it protects your product, complies with regulations, and communicates your story. But before you dive into design, here are three essential things you need to consider:

1. Know Your Dimensions & Your Vendor

Before opening a design file, make sure you’re crystal clear on what you're actually designing for. This means knowing the exact dimensions of the final packaging and confirming them with your chosen supplier or manufacturer. A beautifully designed box won’t help you if it doesn’t fit your product—or worse, can’t be produced.

📝 Tip: Ask your vendor for a die line or template. Many packaging vendors will provide a custom dieline once you confirm sizing. This ensures everything from folds to bleed areas is perfectly aligned.

2. Understand Industry Regulations

Depending on your product and market, your packaging may need to follow specific legal requirements. From barcodes and expiration dates to recycling symbols, and country-specific labels—there might be mandatory elements that need to appear on your box.

For example, cosmetics may require INCI ingredients and batch numbers. Food products often need nutritional info and compliance stamps. Not including these might lead to delays—or worse, product recalls.

📍 Tip: Always check your country’s packaging laws and requirements, especially if you’re shipping internationally.

3. Define the Content of Your Packaging

What actually needs to be on your packaging? Before jumping into the visual moodboard, list out all the content: logos, taglines, product descriptions, instructions, ingredients, social handles, etc.

You’ll also want to define what goes on the outside (to attract the customer) versus what might go inside (like inserts or thank-you notes). A clear content map helps your designer balance storytelling with legibility.

🎯 Tip: Keep only what’s essential on the front—less is more. Use side panels or the inside of the box for supportive information.

Final Thoughts

Starting a packaging project can feel exciting—and a little overwhelming. But getting these three pieces in place from the start will save you time, money, and back-and-forth revisions. At Casa Bele, we design packaging that’s not only beautiful but functional and compliant, too.