The Language of Packaging Design: Terms Every Designer Should Know
Wet proof.
Sorry, what?
No but really, one of the easiest ways to become even more confident in delivering this level of value for your next 20k client is to learn the language of CPG.
It instantly moves you into a space where you are seen as the leader who *gets it* versus the pixel pusher who moves logos around for a few hundred dollars. I’m lucky because I learnt the language of CPG inside the agencies that I worked in from age 22 (I’m 36 now) and when I left to freelance. I immediately realised that this knowledge and these words were the secret code to being seen and respected as a studio leader.
That’s why I created the Dictionary, so you can start learning the words that get you paid sooner, because once you understand the terminology, those conversations become significantly easier.
Why packaging design has its own language
Packaging sits at the intersection between brand, design, manufacturing, print, regulation and physical production.Which means you’re now not just speaking the language of design, but something way more valuable. (Hear more about this inside The 20k Brand Project Podcast.)
A manufacturer will send your client a cutter guide and you’ll need to know what that means without it meaning that you need to become a scientist, a surgeon or a printer.
You don’t need to be fluent before you start designing packaging
You do not need to memorise my dictionary before somebody gives you permission to call yourself a CPG expert. I see this far too often, where talented designers wait to learn all of the information and be granted permission to exclaim what it is they want and who they came here to be.
What you need to know how to ask intelligent questions and then allow the process itself to fill in the gaps… andddd to know when something sits beyond your expertise or in fact, isn’t something you need to concern yourself with. Very often designers who are new to leading this kind of project take on too much and say yes to things that are not theirs to own. Understanding the language is the first step in understanding what you should and shouldn’t say yes to.
Fluency happens with practice – which is exactly what we’ll do inside Studio Expansion.
From learning the language to leading the project
Get the free Packaging Design Dictionary
Because there’s a language, I made a resource to consume right away!
The Packaging Design Dictionary is a free reference guide to the terminology you will encounter as you move further into the leadership of this CPG. It’s created specifically for graphic, ecommerce and brand designers who want to establish themselves as a confident CPG creator, instead of worrying about what to say and when.
