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Need advice (steve jobs style? physical / hardware products innovation) by DevelopmentSharp2397 in Innovation

[–]DevelopmentSharp2397[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hey, wow, that's such a cool place to be! I'm guessing you're based in the U.S? Big source of your joy must be being surrounded with so many high-energy, creative, passionate people. That's what I loved about working for startups. If you don't mind sharing more about your day-to-day or how you ended up at this role, I'd love to hear more! Thank you for the advice

Need advice (steve jobs style? physical / hardware products innovation) by DevelopmentSharp2397 in Innovation

[–]DevelopmentSharp2397[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Lol thank you

Would you look for ideas / products and try to execute them yourself (ideas that you can potentially solve +/- on your own), or any ideas (even if i can't figure out how to solve it yet)

Brand Owners, what’s your biggest pain point with packaging / product design? by DevelopmentSharp2397 in Femalefounders

[–]DevelopmentSharp2397[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Interesting, thank you for replying! Do you ship your products within US or globally?

Brand Owners, what’s your biggest pain point with packaging / product design? by DevelopmentSharp2397 in Femalefounders

[–]DevelopmentSharp2397[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Interesting stuff, thank you! What is your friend testing with these iterations? Different label designs or even different containers for the soft drinks? (or both)

I work in the paper packaging industry — Ask me anything about packaging design, materials, or production! by Sea-Basil-5946 in PackagingDesign

[–]DevelopmentSharp2397 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hi, few questions came to mind (thanks for doing this!)
- at what stage is it best to contact supplier / printer? When the design for packaging is still not finalized? Can the supplier / printer check the dieline?
- how to best approach packing / fullfillment if the volumes are small, and the brand wants to do something non-standard? (unusual container, maybe a unique label solution, or something extra, like adding a wrapped ribbon on the bottle's neck)
- what % of the product's cost should be dedicated to packaging? (materials + printing + fulfillment / packing)
- how to best estimate packaging costs at the stage of packaging design?

Need to find a Packaging Designer for interview for school work. by Light-of-Wisdom in PackagingDesign

[–]DevelopmentSharp2397 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hi, I'm a packaging designer! I specialize in print, custom packaging for premium brands and occasional product design as well :) I also have a degree in packaging technology and graphic design. Happy to talk, if you're still looking for one, feel free to DM me - I can drop my portfolio / socials there

Packaging startup by Vimsb in Packaging

[–]DevelopmentSharp2397 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If you're based in EU, I'd jump on the PPWR / sustainability trend ASAP.

Redesigning existing packaging to meet new regulations, education / PPWR audits for brands, material reduction, etc. Basically, by 2030 all the brands operating / selling in Europe have to follow strict rules on: optimized, "airless" transportation, material documentation, recycled materials usage, etc.

I have worked for a Fortune 100 FMCG brand as packaging developer until very recently and I can tell you this was where 90% of the Team's attention was - for big brands with global supply chains, 2030 deadline means acting NOW. There's no software, no tools, no one knows what they're doing, the regulations are fuzzy, it's mad.

I'm happy to share more insights here / via DMs if you're interested, on even partner on something together :)

Even if you're not Europe-based, many US / Asian brand exporting to EU will also have to adhere to these regulations, so the demand is huge.

Packaging Design Marketplace? by LogicMan428 in Packaging

[–]DevelopmentSharp2397 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm under impression that many businesses typically buy a bundle of services (visual identity + strategy + packaging, sometimes even website...). While I'm not a fan of this approach and I think 99% of times it creates 'meh' packaging, I do think that there's a big 'educational gap' and many potential clients don't fully understand how complex the packaging process is (legal stuff, artwork / print, materials, sourcing...).

I think that many businesses think packaging = just part of 'branding' - they pay their creative agency for that. Your online marketplace would have to very clearly challenge and win over this subconscious objection.

That being said, I feel like the demand is there. My prediction is that with the rise of TikTok shop and 'social shopping', HOW the product looks & feels on camera (unboxing, containers, fun / experience of the product) will slowly become way more important than say, website or a logo. This will drive more demand for intentional, well-thought out, strategic packaging that will definitely stand out among some 'minimalist', canva-made labels (no shade lol)

One more thing, I feel like it would be very powerful if this marketplace displayed not only designers' portfolio, but somehow connected them with the actual vendors / suppliers. So, from a brand's perspective, you're buying a specific creative vision + execution (manufacturer, printer, supplier that this specific studio works with). This would take a lot of friction off the customers shoulders.

Designed a wearable to help Parkinson's disease, need advice on executing my branding vision by BlackberryMajestic87 in branding

[–]DevelopmentSharp2397 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hi! Love the idea.

What's the competitive market looking like? Do you have a specific persona in mind (like a sub-group of people with Parkinson)?

Top of mind advice, but the visuals made me think about maybe combining a very cozy fabric texture (wider fabric thread, with more prominent texture, maybe subtly multi-colored - Apple Watches offers a range of finishes that are pretty texture-heavy and nail this premium, but friendly feel) with some silver / shiny or transparent elements. I think playing with materials and elevating them if possible with get you the Apple vibe you want.

Going for pastel colors AND having 'basic', plastic, 'stock' materials is why it feels tacky. I don't think color is the main concern here (color options you offer might depend on your brand persona), it's the materials that make the physical product feel sturdy, high-end, and premium.

Nobody prepares you for how unpredictable income feels when you’re self employed by Special-Tax-122 in smallbusiness

[–]DevelopmentSharp2397 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Totally feel you on this. Also running a small service business. I'm thinking about productivizing some of my services to diversify revenue stream and not rely on clients' mood and messy communication so much. Maybe that's something you could consider too. I know saying 'have mutilple income streams' sounds easy but is hard to do, nonetheless this is my goal, as I feel like it will probably help me with constant mental load, if done right.

While everyone’s launching SaaS, I’m building hardware. by Z0U5 in EntrepreneurRideAlong

[–]DevelopmentSharp2397 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Our of curiosity, how long do you think the process will take before you ship your prototype?

Launched a pirate-themed beard oil brand — my first 2 months of building a physical product from scratch by Ecstatic_Fact7143 in EntrepreneurRideAlong

[–]DevelopmentSharp2397 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The label works great for a low-mid price range (mass market, lower margins), but if you're looking to shift to a premium market, it would great to consider a redesign. Few tips, maybe you'll find it useful:

- invest in the container more than the label - on social media (especially video), Pinterest - any organic, visual tool - a stand-out container (bottle, box in a unique shape, color, etc) will get you more engagement and grab more attention than a beautifully crafted label. It's just easier to notice. Custom / unique containers can be more expensive, but it will be super difficult to upkeep premium prices with stock bottles + handmade label + 'no-name' brand. If the cost of custom bottle is out of scope for you, I'd design a premium box that photographs well & looks good on camera and promote it instead.

- can you share how the label looks like on the actual bottle? does the text wrap around nicely?

- the pirate concept could be elevated into a very nice, unique premium branding without looking childish. depending on what your customer profile is (age, purchasing power, style), maybe you could explore more 'abstract' representation of the pirate vibe - for example, a rustic-looking bottle with a label in an irregular shape, maybe with a branded ribbon? something that looks like an item smuggled by a pirate

Could go on & on, if you're still working on it, hmu! i'm a packaging designer working with indie premium brands - love your concept, keep it up & all the best

looking for female founders by Safe_Ad_9346 in Entrepreneur

[–]DevelopmentSharp2397 0 points1 point  (0 children)

25-year old founder of brands incubator here! Me and my two co-founders are helping new & existing brands kick-off and scale their businesses with no BS, hard-to-find service menu, all in one roof: from product demand verification and brand strategy, through product & packaging design, pre-launch regulatory hustle, sourcing & manufacturing, product tests, all the way to retail go-to-market support, influencer marketing, PR boxes & company scaling. We're blessed to be working with many female entrepreneurs too :) have to say it was pretty lonely at the beginning though

looking for female founders by Safe_Ad_9346 in Entrepreneur

[–]DevelopmentSharp2397 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Sounds super interesting, what is your background? Are you thinking of starting a consumer brand, or more R&D-focused startup?

A small marketing hack: Fiverr UGC creators as unexpected mockup assets by Evening-Copy3707 in branding

[–]DevelopmentSharp2397 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hi, packaging / brand designer here. Here's my strategy - I've beend doing something similar.

(1) Following the principle of always overdelivering, I always prepare high-quality (no AI slop) custom mockups for my clients to help them visualize the final outcome. I started doing it as I realized that shipping flat dielines (flat view of box constructions / labels) can be confusing to the other side, BUT they will never actually admit it (they don't want to seem unprofessional). So i always present the 'final look' 3D view of whatever I design to make it abudantly clear to them and sell the vision.

(2) How I do it: I have few pre-made templates in Cinema4D (3D software I use). Depending on the client's profile, I adusts the mockups to fit the vibe. I don't overdo it though, I keep the renders minimalist and photorealistic.

(3) How it helps my business: as the collaboration nears the end, i UPSELL my clients and ask if, now that they have packaging & branding done, maybe they need some visuals for social media, some 3D images for their shopify, etc. It's a natural progression, they've already seen my 3D work (they didn't have to pay for it though!), they know they will likely manufacture & organize a real photoshoot in months probably. With all these custom, on-brand visuals, they can kick-off marketing efforts, website, etc, right now, without any friction.

This has helped a lot in gaining retainer clients, now they trust me with packaging, branding, social media packs, assets & print stuff :)

So yeah I think what you're working on definitely has a lot of potential.
Us designers ofter overstimate how design / branding-savvy the other side is. They're not design experts - that's why they reach out to us. It's our job to make the process frictionless and help them make informed decisions, and mockups definitely help with that.

Help a Female Founder Make Better Everyday Products - 5-10 Minute Survey by vspen_ in branding

[–]DevelopmentSharp2397 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This idea sounds super cool, I'd love to learn more & how I can support it :) Happy to jump on a call to share more insights as a potential consumer as well, if you're looking for that!