Retail Package Design for the mass market.

[Viage]

GDF - I'm looking for suggestions on the best way to get a package designed for an Ink Pen Product that will besold in the mass retail outlets. The product will be displayed adjacent to the packages designed by large Ad Agencies with many resources which also demand many dollars.
We've searched the web and networked with professionals in the field to find professional graphic artist, only to be disappointed with their work. However, even though we choose not to use their designs, we still pay the designer for their efforts. It's like paying to fix your car but your car is still broken. This process is slow and costly and we feel like we are lost at sea.
We know there are Graphic Designers that can quickly and efficiently give us quality work at reasonable prices, but we are having terrible luck locating these people. Candidate must have package design experience. We do not have time to educate a web designer on packaging issues.Please offer any suggestions to streamline this process. Is this a potential contest project for your site?
Thanks

[3howards]

contest? maybe, but the moderators have to decide that. just as you are looking for a designer, we are always looking for new clients. i'd be happy to show you my work if it's of interest to you. there are many experienced designers on this forum who would be happy to help you out.

you could also post this as a job and select a designer from those who express interest.

Welcome!

So you need some work done and have had bad luck with designers. I think your in the best place possible right now. You can either post this as a job or a contest. I would say post it as a job, why? For the simple fact that you are looking for some consistent work and as I always say a contest won't offer that cause you'll be impressed by each design but your product line will loose it's identity. You need to have an image or an idea in mind of what you what to represent and we will make it come to life for you.

When shopping for a designer you should take into consideration what they have done and what they can do, as you stated you don't want a web designer doing your packaging cause they most likely lack the 4 color printing knowledge. So you should preview portfolios, talent and most importantly experience.

I can do any kind of 4 color print work, on the web side I'm self taught so I'm learning but eventually I want to be just as proficient in both areas.

I recommend you post this as a freelance job with 4 color experience a must. I could do anything you need just like 3howards could so it's really up to you to choose and you will get even more submissions once you post this as an opportunity.

Good luck and welcome to the GDF!

Post Edited (benjo...) : 6/22/2004 12:04:16 PM GMT

[johnrobert]

My take on your message is that your a small company trying to get the experience of design firms that work with global and large corporations. Yes, to compete you
need that type of experience. After over 30 years experience it's also true that there are a lot of people out there who call themselves 'graphics designers' just because they
have a computer at home and know a few programs. So it's people like that, that give the entire industry a bad name. I've both taught and worked in the field enough to
know there are hundreds of poorly qualified people in the marketplace and more on the way everyday. So the old phrase, 'you get what you pay for' is true. Someone like me
who has the experience you're looking for is hesitant to even work for a company like yours for freelance because you tend to not really understand the costs of getting a product
to market nor how important really good branding design is in the marketing process. I'm not trying to judge you but my experience has taught me that. What might make that work
is for both you and someone like me to set up clear expectations about what you're looking to do and how much work would be involved. You might even have to sign and agree
to a set price that if work exceeded that originially promised you'd be willing to take accept a new updated estimate to finish up the design work. I'd be glad to consult with you
or even maybe, maybe consider the project. I have over 25 years experience working on some of the largest brands in the world but know that a smaller company can sometimes
offer the freedom to do really great design work that stands out in the marketplace that larger companies are scared of producing.

Send a reply through this if interested.

[Drorain]

/emoticons/rolleyes.gif /emoticons/icon_eek.gif /emoticons/blink.gif

wow my with a breakdown on our industry such as that I'd be going to do the graphics myself. I'm certainly glad you don't represent the whole industry, he was looking for qualified help not a thesis on the industry. I respect your history in the field, and I hope you share your history with us, but what your saying John strikes me in a completely arrogant manner. Maybe its an effect of simply reading the words rather than hearing them. Please lighten up or our industry will fall prey to the desktop publishers.

- Everyday, all the time, without fail!

[PrintDriver]

I don't know Dro, he's kinda right. The dupes with the puters are giving you guys a bad name.
And the guy looking for the pen package sounds like one of those clients that will keep saying, 'can you just do this or tweak that' and expect not to have to pay for it cuz 'it only takes a moment'. I think by now you would be tired of hearing 'killer results at a <u>reasonable</u> price.' Depends on who thinks what is reasonable. You gotta eat.

If they are marketing a product they should have some kind of idea how they want to market it. While a GD might be good, not all of them know how to sell a product line.

If the pen guy doesn't want to pay ad agency prices, then I guess he gets what he pays for. The minute he suggested contest, he was fair game.

John only sounds arrogant cuz he uses the first person, I think. And he never came back.

PrintDriver is a large format digital print dude. His advice/opinions may not apply to the 4color/offset/web world of printing

[Drorain]

Looking over the post again I agree with you PD, I'm sorry John I was tired and cranky when I wrote that, I'd been up nearly 20 hours by then. But good luck with the packaging

- Everyday, all the time, without fail!

[3howards]

yeah, i agreed with what john said ... i hope he comes back and posts some more