How to Choose the Right Brand or Packaging Designer for Your Brand
If you’re here, you probably already know branding and packaging matter. But choosing the right designer is where most founders freeze. There are a million options out there, from Fiverr to full agencies, and it’s easy to wonder:
“How do I know who’s actually right for my brand?”
Let’s break it down from the work I’ve done at Aarzoo Design across food & beverage brands, cultural brands, and small-but-mighty businesses.
1. Your mindset determines the match
The best clients I’ve ever worked with all shared a few traits:
They value design because they know it shapes perception
They care deeply about what they’re offering
They care about their customers
They’re willing to invest if the result is worth it — not buy the cheapest thing
If this sounds like you, you’re already halfway to choosing the right designer. You’re looking for impact, and not just aesthetics, which is the only way branding actually works.
2. Designers who prioritize strategy
If someone jumps straight into visuals without asking about:
Your audience
Your competitors
Your goals
Your values
Where the brand is heading
…they’re designing based on personal preference, not strategy. Your designer should have a process. You should know exactly how they work, when they’ll involve you, and how each step connects back to your business goals.
At Aarzoo Design, everything I create comes from The SPICE Method™. Learn more about the process here.
3. Difference between brand designers and graphic designers
This is where many founders get confused.
Graphic Designers are the builders. They execute an already-established visual identity by creating assets such as social media graphics, presentations, ads, etc.
Brand Designers are the architects. They build the foundation of your brand by developing brand strategy and creating the core visual system (logo, typography, color palette, icons, patterns).Brand designers can also create the same deliverables graphic designers do.
If you already have a strong brand and simply need assets, hire a graphic designer. If you need a strong foundation, hire a brand designer.
4. Questions to ask
Process: Get a clear overview of how they work from concept to launch, including how many revisions are included.
Deliverables: Get clear on exactly what you’ll receive (logos, fonts, color palettes, patterns, templates, brand guidelines, etc.)
Timeline: Confirm how long each phase takes and when you can expect concepts, revisions, and final files.
Logistics: Understand what’s included versus what might cost extra (additional revisions, new assets, packaging add-ons). Make sure there’s a contract. Ask what they’ll need from you (eg. copy, feedback, product photos, etc.)
5. When comparing two designers
Look at:
1. Process: Do they tie decisions to audience + goals?
2. Deliverables: Do you know exactly what you’re getting? File types? Logo variations? Guidelines? Packaging-ready files?
3. Organization: Do they show up professionally? Do they send clear timelines, notes, updates?
4. Portfolio: Not “do they match the look in my head.” But: “Do they show range + thoughtfulness?” A good brand designer will never copy a reference if it doesn’t align with your audience or goals. If you want to get a sense of what a brand/packaging portfolio usually includes, browse Aarzoo Design’s portfolio.
6. If you sell a product, choose someone who understands packaging
Packaging is a marketing tool. Founders shouldn’t underestimate:
Shelf competition
Hierarchy of information
Clarity (what is this? who’s it for?)
Function (how does it open?)
Future retail needs
Pricing power
Great packaging can literally raise your perceived value. A great packaging designer understands all of this. You want someone who can navigate those creative and technical constraints strategically, because packaging has a direct impact on how customers perceive value, make decisions, and ultimately buy.
7. What happens when you hire the wrong designer
I’ve seen brands deal with:
Inconsistent visuals
Poor user experience
Messaging confusion
Lost credibility
Lost sales
Expensive reprints
Total rebrands within a year
Frustration because nothing “feels like us”
Branding done wrong gets expensive. Branding done right pays pays off significantly in the long run.
8. Work with someone whose energy matches yours
Some of the strongest branding outcomes happen when the designer is genuinely interested in what you’re building — your product, your mission, your audience, your story. You can usually feel this in the questions they ask, the ideas they bring up, and the advice they offer during your conversations.
A designer who’s curious, excited, and invested will push the work further. If you want a partnership, look for the designer who lights up when you talk about your business and seems eager to build something meaningful with you.
Final Thoughts: The right brand or packaging designer shape your brand’s future.
Choosing the right brand or packaging designer is about so much more than visuals. It’s about partnering with someone who understands your audience, builds strategy before aesthetics, helps you clarify your story, and creates a visual identity that actually works long-term.
If you're looking for a brand and packaging designer whose process is grounded in strategy, then The SPICE Method™ is for you. If you’d like to learn what it’s like to work together and explore whether we’re the right match, you can book a free discovery call.