Write the product in one sentence
Describe what is being sold, who it is for and how it will be used. Keep the sentence concrete. A protein sachet carried to a gym has different opening and reading conditions from a gift carton kept on a dressing table. The brief should make that situation easy for the designer and supplier to picture.
Decide where it will be seen first
An online thumbnail, a crowded shelf and a market stall reward different visual choices. Pick the main setting and test the design there. If online sales matter, inspect a small front-facing image. If the product sits on a shelf, compare its outline and name at a realistic viewing distance. Avoid giving every channel equal priority by default.
Separate fixed facts from creative choices
Record the product dimensions, required copy, barcode area, supplier template and material constraints. Then list what can change: colour, illustration, hierarchy and finish. Keeping these groups separate gives the design room to develop without accidentally turning a fixed production requirement into an aesthetic preference.
Use mockups to resolve a decision
Build two directions in CraftyWand using the same structure and roughly the same camera angle. Ask a specific question: which makes the flavour clearer, or which makes the range easier to recognise? A vague request for opinions tends to collect favourite colours rather than useful evidence.
Close the brief with acceptance criteria
Write down what must be true before the design moves to production: the product fits, the name reads at the intended size, every panel is approved, and the supplier accepts the output. Assign somebody to approve the copy and somebody to approve the structure. Even a small team benefits from knowing which decision is still open.
Put the idea to work.
Choose a model, bring your own artwork and start building in CraftyWand.
Open CraftyWand free ↗Useful starting points
CraftyWand: current tools and free account access · Dieline library · Pacdora: current plans and features
