Product Packaging Design for Beginners
A course by AfterGraphic Designer
A course by After, Graphic Designer
Learn to make a packaging proposal by understanding the needs of a brand, the environment, materials, and formats
Want to design high-value product packaging for brands? Get started in the world of packaging alongside Alfonso Fernández, branding and advertising veteran with 25 years of experience. Founder of studio After, his client list includes brands such as Inca Kola, Maria Almenara, and América Televisión.
In this course, Alfonso teaches you how to develop a packaging proposal from concept to final design. Do some preliminary research to understand your client and the market, discover the different paths you can take to reach a concept, and see how to transform your ideas into graphic content for a presentation you can use to sell your proposal.
What will you learn in this online course?
14 lessons & 12 downloads
Brief history of packaging
5 minutes, 12 seconds
Audit
5 minutes, 13 seconds
Radiography 1
15 minutes, 10 seconds
Radiography 2
13 minutes, 17 seconds
Territory
4 minutes, 48 seconds
Materials and types of printing
13 minutes, 30 seconds
What's included in this course?
Begin the course by getting to know Alfonso Fernández, founder of the Peruvian studio After. He tells you about his experience in advertising and branding and shares his biggest influences.
Get an introduction to the topic by taking a journey through the history of packaging. Then, see why research is crucial to understanding a brand and its competitors. Analyze several examples of product packaging to see their individual components and help you determine what path you're going to take for your design.
Pick out the materials you need and put your pencil to the page until you come up with a solid concept. Now it's time to get designing! Draw a sketch of your proposal and digitize it. Continue developing it by choosing a color palette, typefaces, and sizes, and decide if you want to include photos or illustrations.
Once your proposal is ready, Alfonso shows you how to create a compelling presentation and a mock-up so your client can see what the final product will look like. To round out your packaging experience, learn how to document and present your project on your website.
What is this course's project?
Develop a packaging proposal for a real client of your choice.
Projects by course students
Who is this online course for?
Anybody who believes in the power of packaging as a tool to add value and convey a brand's identity as well as anyone interested in design and packaging who wants to learn more about them.
Requirements and materials
Basic notions of Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop are needed for this course. For materials, you need a pencil, a notebook to capture your creative ideas, a computer, and a cell phone where you can compile images to help you make decisions.
Reviews
- 4 months ago
oh top, merci
- 5 months ago
curso 10 de 10!!! el mejor!
- 8 months ago
Me parece un muy buen curso.
- 1 year ago
Un curso muy claro que otorga las herramientas necesarias para emprender el camino hacia el Packaging de manera estratégica y coherente
- 1 year ago
Es uno de los mejores cursos que he llevado, tiene mucha claridad y capacidad de analisis de cada elemento grafico utilizado en el empaque, me gustó mucho!
At After, he has worked with brands like Inca Kola, Maria Almenara, and América Televisión. The studio has also won two Dieline Awards for their projects with Andea and adidas.
Content
- U1
Introduction
- Presentation
- Influences
- U2
The investigation
- Brief history of packaging
- Audit
- Radiography 1
- Radiography 2
- Territory
- U3
The execution
- Materials and types of printing
- Concept
- Proposals
- Packaging design
- U4
Be sellers
- Mock-ups
- Client presentation
- How to document your project
- FP
Final project
- Product packaging design from scratch
What to expect from a Domestika course
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FAQs
You’ll learn how to analyze and create packaging that strengthens brand identity—from concept development to final presentation—including material selection, brand auditing, graphic design, mockups, and professional proposal delivery.
This course is designed for those with basic graphic design knowledge, perfect for anyone looking to deepen their skills in packaging and branding at an intermediate level.
You need basic graphic design skills and access to digital tools like Photoshop or Illustrator. A keen interest in branding, visual creativity, and willingness to work with sketches and digital mockups is recommended.
The course covers brand auditing, color analysis, material selection, layout, typography in packaging, concept development, mockup creation, product photography, and effective packaging proposal presentations.
Yes, the tools and processes you’ll learn can be adapted to various industries and products—from food to merchandise and gifts—focusing on visual identity and packaging functionality.
Yes, having basic skills in digital design programs like Photoshop or Illustrator is recommended to digitize sketches and create packaging mockups.
Packaging plays a crucial role in grabbing attention, communicating values, and differentiating a brand at the point of sale. Great design boosts brand positioning and customer loyalty.