PACKAGING AND LABEL DESIGN
Pentawards-winning packaging, designed to sell on the shelf, not only to look good.
What packaging design at BroHouse includes
A pack has two or three seconds to be chosen. In that time, the shopper does not read. They recognise a colour, a shape, a promise. Good packaging design does not decorate the product. It makes it easy to find, easy to understand and hard to confuse with whatever sits next to it on the shelf.
At BroHouse, a packaging design project includes:
- Shelf audit and competitor analysis: what the category looks like, which conventions it follows and where there is room to stand out.
- Strategy and range architecture: how products relate to each other, from the first SKU to the fiftieth.
- Creative concept: two or three visual directions, tested in the real shelf context.
- Design across every format: label, box, pouch, can, bottle, secondary and transit packaging.
- Hierarchy for mandatory information: space, order and legibility for the legal texts supplied by the manufacturer.
- DTP and print-ready files: production artwork, print tests and supervision of the first print run.
- 3D visualisations: for presentations, retail listings and online stores, before the pack physically exists.
Master packaging for portfolios. When a brand has dozens of products, each pack cannot be a separate project. We build a concept generous enough to carry the whole portfolio: the same rules for colour, typography and composition, with clear differences between sub-categories. The result is a brand that reads as one block on the shelf, and shoppers recognise it instantly, whatever the product.
Labels that sell, not only inform. Label design is strategic: clarity, legibility and emotional impact, in that order. Every detail, from the size of the product name to the position of the main benefit, is chosen to help the shopper decide fast.
How shoppers read a pack. From two metres, they see colour and shape. From one metre, they see the name and the category. Only in their hand do they read benefits and details. That is why we build the hierarchy in this order: a strong sign recognisable from a distance, then the product name, then the main promise, then everything else. A pack that tries to say everything at the same size says nothing. We test every concept in real shelf photos, next to competitors, not only on a screen against a white background.
Materials and production, considered from the start. A beautiful design that cannot be printed correctly on the chosen material is a failed design. From the concept stage, we take into account the substrate (board, film, glass, metal), the number of colours, finishes and the limits of the production line. When a client wants to reduce plastic or move to recyclable materials, we adapt the design to the new constraints without the brand losing recognition.
Packaging applies the rules of the brand’s visual identity. When we work on both, everything is consistent from the start.
Further reading: FMCG packaging design: what the brain sees in 2 seconds and The award was the easy part. The lesson wasn’t.
Industries we work in, timelines and costs
Industries. Every category has its own shelf rules. We have worked in:
- Food: Frigane (frozen food), Pizzeta (pizza base), GoBar (protein bars), Barko, Teriani (dried mushrooms).
- Coffee and drinks: Del Conte, Turabo (coffee capsules), Sordony (fruit brandy).
- Supplements and pharma: Crida Pharm (pet supplements), SanoVita.
- Household products: Spumos (liquid detergent).
A first product or a whole portfolio. For a founder launching a first product, the pack is often the whole brand: it carries the name, the logo and the promise. That is when we work on naming, identity and packaging together, so the launch starts from a single system. For brands with large portfolios, the challenge is different: order. Dozens of products created in different years, by different teams, have to be brought under the same rules, without losing what shoppers already recognise.
Packaging for export. We design packs that work in several markets, with room for multiple languages and attention to the visual conventions of each category. We work in English with clients outside Romania, remotely or in Bucharest.
How long it takes. As a guide, 6 to 10 weeks for a product line, including print tests. A single product or label can be ready sooner. A large portfolio, with master packaging and dozens of SKUs, is delivered in stages.
How much packaging design costs. Prices vary widely, because very different work is sold under the same name. As a general market guide, in Romania in 2026:
- A simple label, with freelancers: around €300–1,000.
- Design studios: around €1,500–5,000 per product or line.
- Agencies with strategy, master packaging and DTP: from around €5,000–8,000 per line, more for large portfolios.
The price depends on the number of products (SKUs), formats, the need for strategy or naming, illustration and photography, and the volume of DTP. For an accurate estimate, write to us with a few lines about your product.
Why BroHouse. Our packs compete with international brands on the same shelf and have been awarded on the same stages. At the Pentawards, the world’s leading packaging competition, BroHouse won Bronze in 2020 (SanoVita), Bronze in 2022 (Crida Pharm) and Silver in 2026 (Pizzeta). Pizzeta and Spumos also won Silver at the Dieline Awards 2026 in New York. Projects are led directly by the founders, and packaging and identity are designed together. All awards are on our awards page.
OUR PACKAGING DESIGN PROCESS
Good packaging speaks before the brand says a word.
Shelf audit and strategy
We analyse the category, the competition and how shoppers choose.
Range architecture
We define how products relate to each other across the portfolio.
Creative concept
We propose two or three directions, tested on the real shelf.
Design across formats
Labels, boxes and secondary packs, with mandatory texts in their place.
DTP and print
Final artwork, print tests and supervision of the first print run.
Frequently asked questions about packaging design
What does your packaging design service include?
Shelf audit, strategy and range architecture, creative concept, design across all formats (label, box, pouch, bottle), hierarchy for mandatory information, 3D visualisations, DTP, print-ready files and supervision of the first print run.
How much does packaging design cost?
As a general market guide, in Romania in 2026: a simple label with freelancers costs around €300–1,000, design studios charge €1,500–5,000 per product or line, and agencies with strategy, master packaging and DTP start from around €5,000–8,000 per line. The price depends on the number of products, formats and the volume of work.
How long does a packaging design project take?
As a guide, 6 to 10 weeks for a product line, including print tests. A single label can be ready sooner, and a large portfolio is delivered in stages.
What is master packaging and when do I need it?
Master packaging is one visual concept for the whole portfolio, with clear rules for each sub-category. You need it when you have several products or plan to launch more, so the brand is recognised as one on the shelf.
Can you design only the label?
Yes. We can work only on the label, on an existing pack or on a new line. We still recommend a short shelf analysis first, so the label stands apart from the competition.
Do you redesign existing packaging?
Yes. Sometimes a refresh that keeps the elements customers recognise is enough. Sometimes the product needs a full rebrand. We tell you honestly which case applies after the shelf analysis.
Who is responsible for the mandatory information on the label?
Legal content (ingredients, nutrition values, allergens, warnings) is supplied and approved by the manufacturer. We make sure this information has the right space, order and legibility in the design.
Do you work directly with printers and packaging manufacturers?
Yes. We prepare print-ready files, run print tests and supervise the first print run, so the pack looks in store exactly as designed.
Do you work with small brands or first products?
Yes. We work with founders launching a first product, with growing companies and with national brands. For a new product, packaging done right from the start costs less than a redesign after launch.
Do you design packaging for export and for clients outside Romania?
Yes. We design packs that work across markets, with room for multiple languages and attention to each category's visual conventions. The process is the same, wherever the client is based.
What should I prepare before the first brief?
A description of the product and the shopper, the list of SKUs and formats, sales channels, main competitors, an indicative budget and the launch date. We clarify the rest together.
What awards has BroHouse packaging won?
Three Pentawards: Bronze 2020 (SanoVita), Bronze 2022 (Crida Pharm) and Silver 2026 (Pizzeta). In 2026, Pizzeta and Spumos also won Silver at the Dieline Awards in New York.