CPG + Packaging
Packaging is the only ad most shoppers ever see.
Structure, label, and range design for food, drink, and consumer goods. Built to earn the pick-up and hold up across a growing line.
Craft, food, and beverage brands fighting for attention on a crowded shelf or launching into one.
Packaging that looks like it belongs at a higher price point, and a system that holds up across a growing range.
- 01Pack Architecture
- 02Label + Dieline Design
- 03Range + Variant Systems
- 04Structure + Format
- 05Shelf + Category Strategy
- 06Print + Finish Direction
The Stakes
A shopper gives your pack about a second before their eyes move on. In that second the design either earns the pick-up or loses it, and no amount of marketing spend downstream buys that moment back. Most packaging fails not because it looks bad, but because it was designed to fill a shelf rather than win one. It blends in, it under-prices the product inside, or it falls apart the moment a second flavour or format arrives.
What it includes
- Pack architecture, the visual system that ties a range together and makes each SKU findable
- Label and dieline design, production-ready artwork built to your printer's spec
- Range and variant systems that scale without a redesign every time you add a flavour
- Structural and format guidance, how the physical pack carries the brand
- Shelf and category strategy, standing out against the competitive set, not just looking good in isolation
- Print and finish direction, materials, stocks, and finishes that signal the price point you want
Who it's for
- Craft, food, and beverage brands fighting for attention on a crowded shelf, or launching into one
- Established products that under-sell themselves with packaging cheaper-looking than what's inside
- Growing ranges that have outgrown a one-off label and need a system that holds
- Founders preparing for a retail or distributor pitch where the pack has to do the selling
Who it's not for
A single label knocked out overnight with no thought to the range behind it. Packaging that has to scale is a system, not a one-off. If you need a quick label and nothing more, we are not the fit, and we will say so.
How it works
Four moves, weighted to the shelf. Read the category and the competitive set to find the gap. Design the pack architecture and hero SKU. Build the range system so every variant inherits it. Deliver production-ready artwork to your printer's spec, with finish and material direction.
What you walk away with
Packaging that looks like it belongs at a higher price point, and a system that holds up as the range grows. Production-ready files your printer can run, and a visual logic your next flavour already fits into.
Questions
How long does a packaging design project take?
A typical CPG packaging project runs 6 to 12 weeks, depending on scope and the number of SKUs. A single-SKU launch with an existing brand identity is often closer to 6 weeks. A multi-SKU system built alongside a new identity can take 10 to 12 weeks or more. Clear milestones are set at kickoff so both sides know what to expect.
Can you design packaging that meets Canadian labelling requirements?
Yes. The studio designs packaging for food and beverage brands sold across Canada, including CFIA labelling requirements, bilingual English and French text, nutrition facts panel placement and allergen declarations. Serif + Gold handles design and layout integration, while final regulatory review and sign-off should always involve your compliance team or a regulatory consultant.
What files do I receive, and do you work with printers?
You receive production-ready packaging files, typically in Adobe Illustrator or InDesign, dieline templates, mockups for sales and marketing, and a packaging guidelines document. The studio can also liaise with your printer or packaging supplier on preflight checks, press proof review and technical specifications, so the printed product matches the approved design.