how to choose the right designer for your food + beverage brand and packaging
Hiring the right designer matters more than ever. Your product might be amazing, but it won’t sell itself—your branding and packaging do the heavy lifting. On crowded shelves, your packaging has to instantly communicate what you’re offering and why it’s different.
The challenge? The design world can feel like a maze for new founders—so many portfolios, price points, and processes it’s hard to know where to start. This guide cuts through the noise, showing you what really matters so you can find a designer who fits your goals, your values, and your launch timeline.
Define what you need
Before you hire anyone, clarify what kind of help you’re looking for. Do you need a full brand identity (logo, typography, color, brand voice)? Packaging design? A single SKU? Multiple SKUs? Do you need social or webstore assets, or a shopify website designed?
A lot of brands overlook brand strategy work and want to jump into design right away. Remember that amazing brands have put in the work up front to define their vision, value proposition, and positioning. Some designers will help you with brand strategy work and others do not, so this is something you will want to ask about up front.
Strategic, People-First Design
We all notice when something looks beautiful—but in retail, “pretty” isn’t enough. Great packaging is built on audience insights, brand values, and strategic positioning. The best brands put people first: they understand how customers shop, what frustrates them, and what they truly value.
A strategic designer asks thoughtful questions before diving in—about your target customer, category landscape, retail goals, and brand story. Every visual choice should support your business objectives, not just your instincts. When done right, this approach turns packaging into a tool that attracts attention and drives sales.
Agency, Studio, or Indie Designer: Which Fits Your Startup?
There are three main types of partners—each with pros, cons, and ideal fits:
Agencies are built for complexity, scale, and multi-layered collaboration. Ideal for enterprise or funded brands with marketing teams in place. You’ll get deep research, big-picture strategy, and a full suite of services—but it comes with high costs and slower timelines.
Creative Studios are small teams offering multiple services under one roof. Some are agile, some less so, and prices vary. Make sure they specialize in CPG and packaging; working with a studio that spans unrelated industries may leave you with gaps in retail knowledge.
Independent Designers are a game-changer for early-stage or fast-moving founders. You collaborate directly with one expert—no account managers, no long feedback loops—which means faster decisions, clearer communication, and stronger creative alignment. When additional expertise is needed, a good independent designer can tap into trusted networks for referrals, giving you flexibility without the complexity or cost of an agency.
Choose the Right Designer Work Style to Speed Up Your Branding and Packaging
When hiring an independent designer, most founders think hourly or fixed-project rates. Hourly can feel flexible, but costs can spiral, and timelines stretch. Fixed projects are clearer—but delays for feedback and revisions can slow things down.
A faster, cleaner approach is dedicated design days. You and your designer work live together on a pre-scheduled day, with prep done ahead of time. One day can move a project forward in leaps; a week can yield a full brand or packaging system, ready to launch.
For founders who need speed, clarity, and results, this approach reduces back-and-forth, keeps momentum, and delivers high-impact outcomes—without the overhead of traditional agencies.
How Much Should You Spend on Branding or Packaging?
Branding and packaging costs vary widely:
Independent designers: $3k–$15k
Small studios: $10k–$30k+
Agencies: $30k–$100k+
The key for early-stage founders is balance—spend enough to get a professional, strategic outcome, but avoid over-investing before the business is ready.
This is where VIP Design Days shine. Focused, pre-scheduled sessions give you strategy and execution in one package at a predictable rate. You move fast, make confident decisions, and get launch-ready results—without paying for unnecessary complexity.
Where to actually find a designer
The strongest designers usually aren’t spending their time bidding on Fiverr-style marketplaces. More often, they’re found through referrals—especially from other founders who’ve already been through the branding or packaging process. If you don’t yet have a founder network, start building one. Communities like Startup CPG and Shelfmade are great places to see who people actually trust and recommend.
You can also find designers on Instagram, LinkedIn, Behance, and Pinterest. When reviewing portfolios, don’t judge solely on polish or mockups—look for designers who can explain their choices, think about shelf impact, and approach projects strategically.
Don’t get me wrong– platforms like Upwork or Fiverr can surface hidden talent, but the tradeoff is time: you’ll sift through many generic and sloppy proposals to find someone thoughtful and aligned with your goals. When you do, connect directly—these platforms often take a cut from the designer and layer on fees for you.
Hire the partner, not just the portfolio
Great design isn’t about the prettiest mockup—it’s about finding someone who understands what you’re building and helps bring it to life with clarity, strategy, and momentum. Check out podcasts, blogs, or social media where designers share their process, and think about whether their process resonates as well. (And if you’re here—you may have already found one that does.)
Don’t wait for the “perfect moment” or a massive budget. If you have a product you’re proud of and a launch on the horizon, you can start now. With the right partner, your brand can hit the shelf retail-ready and fully aligned with your mission.