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Package designer skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025

6 min read

Quoted experts

Dr. Jennifer Jorgensen Ph.D.,

Elizabeth Sutton

Below we've compiled a list of the most critical package designer skills. We ranked the top skills for package designers based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 11.1% of package designer resumes contained graphic design as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a package designer needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 package designer skills for your resume and career

1. Graphic Design

Graphic design is the art of making visual content to communicate messages. Designers apply different page layout methods and visual hierarchy by using letters and pictures to meet the need of end-users. Most companies use graphic design to sell their product or services and to convey complicated information by using infographics.

Here's how package designers use graphic design:

Created graphic designs for packaging presentations.
Key Roles: Graphic design, Illustration, Sketching, Cutting and making Cad s and Trend Boards.

2. CAD

Here's how package designers use cad:

Established company's CAD library after software training in California; and compiled quote files.
Assisted design assistant with CAD's for various seasons for main brand and other client brands

3. Adobe Creative Suite

Here's how package designers use adobe creative suite:

Created and applied sample graphics using Adobe Creative Suite 5 onto folding carton samples and animated 3D drawings.
Utilize Adobe Creative Suite, Indesign, Illustrator, etc.

4. Design Solutions

The design solution is a process that is used to simplify or translate high-level client requirements into a simpler form that may be also be regarded as a solution. For this purpose, the technical requirements and models are to be transformed into alternative designs which are then analyzed and the best one among all the alternatives is chosen as the ultimate solution.

Here's how package designers use design solutions:

Created B2B Creative design solutions ad well as Sales presentations for services and product design.
Design solutions that include primary packaging & displays.

5. Package Design

Here's how package designers use package design:

Implemented package designs with respect to feasibility, budget considerations and established production cycles.
Freelance package designer for leading international culinary product manufacturing company.

6. Adobe Illustrator

Here's how package designers use adobe illustrator:

Illustrated black & white line art for carton and insert components using Adobe Illustrator on Macintosh.
Created and invented new packaging ideas and samples using various computer software programs including Auto-CAD, Score and Adobe Illustrator.

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7. Product Development

Product development is the complete procedure of creating a product from concept until release of the final product. Product development has many stages after which a product is released into the market. Identifying the need, creating the opportunity, conceptualizing a product, and providing a solution, all are different stages of product development.

Here's how package designers use product development:

Create drawings and documentation to support new product development and electrical panel rebuild requirements, including enclosure assemblies.
Spearheaded effort to incorporate external resources into the rendering process, enabling expansion into product development.

8. Adobe Photoshop

Here's how package designers use adobe photoshop:

Design all marketing pieces and web images using Adobe PhotoShop, Adobe Illustrator & InDesign.
Design a variety of projects utilizing Microsoft Office, and Adobe PhotoShop and Illustrator.

9. Concept Development

Concept development refers to the process of developing activities or ideas about a product or procedure in order to solve design issues or operational challenges. This is typically seen early in a design or engineering process in order to smooth out any details regarding the product's form and that all needs will be met by the current design.

Here's how package designers use concept development:

Created concept look books and assisted with photo-shoot concept development.
Reported to Managing Director and responsible for concept developments of tableware design, household product and elevator interior design.

10. Solidworks

Here's how package designers use solidworks:

Designed custom mold packaging using Solidworks software.
Create parametric model utilizing Solidworks software.

11. Project Management

Here's how package designers use project management:

Project management of external designers, structural package engineers, photographers and printers.
Project management and development in conjunction with overseas vendors.

12. Art Direction

Art direction is an essential job in the activities related to theatre, advertising, fashion, publishing as well the film industry. All of these fields have a direct or indirect connection with art and therefore require direction and supervision regarding this very aspect of the job. The art director is responsible for how a product turns out visually..

Here's how package designers use art direction:

Maintain and coordinate all design files along with art direction, photo shoots and create 2-D and 3-D comps.
Develop direct reports through coaching, performance feedback, clear art direction, communication and establishing development plans.

13. Industrial Design

Here's how package designers use industrial design:

Worked closely with industrial designers, proofreaders, copywriters and upper management.
Collaborated with industrial designers and Packaging Science majors.

14. Product Photography

Here's how package designers use product photography:

Assisted in camera shoots for custom product photography.
Organized and aided in product photography sessions, creation of tradeshow displays and National print advertising.

15. Product Design

Product design can be described as a process of imagining, creating, and iterating products that solve user's problems and talk about the specific needs of users in the market. Product design is an engineering disciple and it is the basic design and idea that goes before the mass production of the product.

Here's how package designers use product design:

Evaluated and improved existing product designs, business processes and manufacturing procedures.
Developed cross-category product designs for special programs.

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What skills help Package Designers find jobs?

Tell us what job you are looking for, we’ll show you what skills employers want.

What skills stand out on package designer resumes?

Dr. Jennifer Jorgensen Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

The retail industry is robust and requires many skills. Content and industry-related knowledge are essential, including comfort with computer applications like Adobe Creative Suite and Microsoft Excel. Beyond knowledge of the industry, job candidates need excellent communication skills in written and oral forms. It's also highly recommended that job candidates have work experience in their area of interest, which could include an internship, job shadow, or part-time position.

What soft skills should all package designers possess?

Elizabeth Sutton

Department Head, Professor of Art History, University of Northern Iowa

There are many--the ability to collaborate and communicate effectively is absolutely necessary. The ability to ask for feedback and be able to take that feedback and incorporate it into a process is very important. Of course, meeting deadlines is also very important.

What hard/technical skills are most important for package designers?

Elizabeth Sutton

Department Head, Professor of Art History, University of Northern Iowa

We train our students in Adobe Creative Suite: InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator.

What package designer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

Chris Chapin

Professor and Chair, Kansas City Art Institute

I would recommend they take this time to learn and practice new digital tools of the Product Design field. The expectation, once they enter the profession, is that they will already be up to speed on the tools. I advise students to research their target employers and become familiar with the ways in which they work. This pandemic period is a great opportunity for students and graduates to round out their skills, knowledge, and professional perspective via online-course offerings. There is also no guarantee that a job will be waiting for them. In which case, it is best if they are prepared to create their own career starts with a spirit of persistence and entrepreneurship.

What type of skills will young package designers need?

Bennie F. Johnson

Executive Director, AIGA, the professional association for design

Our Design Futures research from 2018 covered this topic in some detail. Some highlights of needed skills include an understanding of business models, complex systems, and data. One of the seven Design Futures trends is "Bridging Physical and Digital Experiences," which has become even more important in a COVID world. Of course, mastering craft and specific tools remain important, especially for entry-level work, but so is a general ability to "learn how to learn," as the rate of technical change (and obsolescence) is only getting faster.

In May of 2020, AIGA conducted an industry pulse check survey around the impact of COVID-19 on the design community and found, not surprisingly, that adaptability skills continue to be the most critical for design professionals, and collaboration made the list of top five skills for the first time.

Do you want to know more?

List of package designer skills to add to your resume

The most important skills for a package designer resume and required skills for a package designer to have include:

Graphic Design
CAD
Adobe Creative Suite
Design Solutions
Package Design
Adobe Illustrator
Product Development
Adobe Photoshop
Concept Development
Solidworks
Project Management
Art Direction
Industrial Design
Product Photography
Product Design
Photo Shoots
Design Concepts

Mac
Aided Design
Design Projects
ArtiosCAD
Sketch
Style Guides
Design Process
R
Print Production
Product Line
Consumer Products
Brand Design
Brand Development
POS
FDA
Trade Shows
Production Process

Line Extensions
Assembly Drawings
Brand Marketing
Press Checks
Logo Design
BOM
Sales Presentations
Customer Specifications
Print Materials
Market Research
Pro-E
Overseas Vendors
PCB
Private Label
PowerPoint

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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Package Designer Skills

Updated January 8, 2025

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