Where are All the Packaging Designers? Here's Where to Look
Are you looking to hire a packaging designer for your product business? You might feel like hiring a designer is an overwhelming challenge. There are many people and agencies out there who claim to be designers. Knowing how to get started can be tricky. Here are four places you can look to find a packaging designer for your product-based business.
Ask Your Network
Talk with your network of friends, family, or colleagues to see if they know or have worked with a packaging designer. Referrals are a great way to find someone you can trust. If you know someone who has worked with a packaging designer before, ask them about their experience. Ask what went well, what didn't go well, and whether they would recommend who they hired. Another good question to ask is whether they knew the designer personally or had been referred there by someone else.
The advantage of finding a packaging designer through your network is that you will know the quality of work you can expect beforehand. The people in your network will be able to tell you about their personal experiences working with the designer and give advice on how best to approach them for your project needs. The disadvantage is finding someone who meets all of your needs may take longer than searching online because there may be fewer people within your close circle who have worked with a packaging designer.
Look on Social Media
Looking for packaging designers on social media can be overwhelming. It's a little like the wild, wild west out there. There's no shortage of designers sharing their work, and it's not always clear who to trust when looking for your next packaging design partner. Our top three social media sites for finding a packaging designer are Instagram, Pinterest, and LinkedIn.
Instagram is a good platform for finding designers because it's super visual. To find specific people who post about packaging design, search hashtags related to your interests, like #packagingdesign or #packaginginspiration. Just remember to dig deeper and look at the designer's website and customer reviews.
Pinterest might seem like an unexpected place to look for packaging designers, but it is full of design inspiration. And it also has a search function where you can find complete lists of designers with a particular specialty!
LinkedIn isn't the first place that comes to mind when thinking about finding packaging design talent—but it should be! Think about it: LinkedIn is full of professionals actively looking for work. And LinkedIn has an entire section dedicated to helping companies find the right employees or contractors for their projects.
Use a Freelance Marketplace
You can find packaging designers on popular freelance marketplaces, like Upwork and Behance, where designers post their portfolios. On these sites, you can see a packaging designer's work, read reviews from past clients, and get a feel for their expertise. Finding a designer on your own using these marketplaces gives you more control over the process. You can search for a packaging designer that fits your unique needs and specifications. Want someone who has experience in beauty packaging, you can search for that! The downside: it can be time-consuming to scroll through dozens of portfolios to find the perfect candidate.
Connect with a Creative Staffing Agency
Examples of agencies you can use to find a packaging designer include Aquent and Creative Circle. The main advantage of working with an agency is that they do the work for you. Instead of spending time combing through profiles and portfolios on websites like Behance and Upwork, you give the agency some parameters about what you're looking for, and they'll send over profiles of people who fit your description. Working with a staffing agency can make finding a packaging designer super convenient.
The disadvantage is that it's costly—agencies will charge you more than if you found someone on your own. Before hiring any agency, make sure that the cost is worth not spending time searching for a design partner yourself. If saving time isn't as important to you as saving money, then it may be worth doing the legwork yourself to find someone who fits your budget better.
Takeaway: You Have Options When Looking to Hire a Packaging Designer
Finding the right packaging designer for your product business can be easier than you might think. Many independent designers have experience working with large and small businesses and are looking for new clients. And this list above is just a short snippet of where to find them. So, if you want your product to stand out on the shelf, take the time to research, find, and hire someone great.
If you're looking for more tips on working with a packaging designer, check out our blog, 10 Tips for Working With a Packaging Designer.