Do you ever wonder how to make all those beautiful boxes you can see on the shelves while shopping?

Some of these boxes are really trendy, others are more iconic—but how do you actually design them?

How do I become a packaging designer?

In order to become a packaging designer, you can enroll in a degree program in graphic design with a major in packaging, but you don’t have to.

An easier way (and most time/cost-efficient) is to check out some of the best packaging design courses available online and learn straight from the experts and at your own pace (self-paced courses).

To help you do that, I researched the best classes in packaging on popular educational platforms for creatives like Skillshare, Udemy, CreativeLive and Domestika.

Here's my list of top 10 courses for aspiring packaging designers:

10 Best Packaging Design Courses

1. Basics of Packaging Design—Best for Beginners
2. Creative Packaging Design—Most Creative
3. Packaging Design School—Most Effective
4. Designing Brand Packaging—Most Practical
5. Product Packaging Design—Most Essential
6. Packaging Label Design—Most Hands-on
7. Packaging Tutorial (Materials)—Quick and Easy
8. Packaging Design for Creatives—Best for Designers
9. Packaging 101 for Entrepreneurs—Best for Entrepreneurs
10. ABC of Packaging Design—Most Comprehensive

As part of your class, you will study brand development, typography, packaging materials, computer graphics and sustainable design—everything you need to become a real professional.

With my list of packaging design courses, you can level up your skills without having to spend money on an expensive and time-consuming traditional school.

Most of these courses are very affordable and some you can even get for free (if you use trial)—Just pick the course you like and study at your own pace.

What is packaging design

Packaging usually refers to the design of a box, a can, a bottle, wrapping, or any kind of container.

Packaging design is the process of creating an exterior of a product.

It involves the choice of material, as well as any other graphics, colors and fonts, labels, etc. used on that material.

Packaging design basically involves creating everything that can compel a customer to browse through a grocery lane to pick up that product.

Attractive packaging can not only stands out on the shelf, but it can also communicate the value of a product and therefore win customers’ loyalty.

Moreover, the more captivating the design, the more attention it will receive which will ultimately lead to an increase in sales.

It is an integral part of a brand’s marketing strategy and a good packaging design can really make all the difference.

So whether you’re a creative who wants to learn packaging design from top professionals, or an entrepreneur interested in the process—here’s my list of top 10 packaging design courses to take in 2024.

1. Basics of Packaging Design

This course will make you learn how to use Adobe Illustrator to create visually stunning and captivating packaging while satisfying the needs of any demanding client.

A perfect course to learn the basics of packaging (Best for Beginners).

Ask anyone, and they will tell you that Adobe Illustrator is the go-to software for any packaging designer.

However, it can be pretty challenging to get the hang of it immediately and requires practice to develop some skills.‍

This packaging design course is best for beginners as it allows them to master Illustrator while creating some awesome packaging designs!

Consisting of six simple videos that take you step-by-step through each module.

Although this course is pretty short, it covers the basics of packaging design to get you started.

You will learn the terminologies used in the packaging and printing industry like dielines, live, trim, knockout, bleed, overprint, scores, folds, embossing, and more.

This class will show you how to set up a grid, create all the panels and flaps, make the measurements and produce a finished package that is ready to print.

You will also learn how to render the final designs and preview the package in real life.

It’s also a great deal and with a 100% satisfaction rate, this course is a must for those wanting to break into the packaging design world.

The author of the course, Jason Hoppe, has over 17 years of experience in the industry!

Jason is such a great instructor—very organized, clear, and straight to the point!

If you’re starting from scratch, this basic packaging design course is should be your top choice. ‍

Click here to enroll now

2. Creative Packaging Design

This creative packaging design course was carefully planned for effective branding to deliver a unique consumer experience.

The most creative among packaging design courses.

The famous quote “You only have one chance to make a first expression” explains why good packaging is important because it’s the first thing we see in a product.

Marion Bretagne will walk you through how to make a creative packaging design and share her expertise with branding to create unique packaging concepts.

Get to know more about her packaging design career as she gives you a brief introduction to the course and her journey on becoming an expert.

The course has almost a 4-hour runtime that will help you understand packaging design and its importance.

You will then be taught how to design your own packaging on a step-by-step process.

At the end of the course, you will be asked to make your own packaging concept to apply what you have learned.

To proceed with the course, the instructor recommended that you should have Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator software and you should know how to use them.

You will also need cardboard, different kinds of paper, a ruler, a bone folder, and scissors for additional materials.

Anyone who’s interested in creating awesome packaging concepts should definitely enroll.‍

Click here to enroll now

3. Packaging Design School

The packaging design school uses Adobe Illustrator as its medium and is this super short and powerful course.

A short and simple yet effective way to learn packaging design easily (Most effective).

Taught by a professional graphic designer, this course can be the best deal you have ever taken.

If you enroll in the Packaging Design School, you will:

• learn how to choose materials.
• how to determine perfect size and shape.
• how to apply design or print on it.
• How to confidently shape the box as you find fit.

This packaging design course is much more comprehensive as it grabs you by the hand and walks you through all the steps of creating your very first packaging box!

The videos are short, barely reaching a full 20 minutes, but the lessons are gold if you want to break into the packaging world.

It teaches you everything from choosing suitable materials to determining the correct shape and size of the product.

The course wraps up with various ways to customize the box’s design and, in the end, helps you find confidence in the package design you chose!‍

Click here to enroll now

4. Designing Brand Packaging

This course walks you through a typical brand packaging design project explaining all the possible stages involved.

A great course to get the practical experience for mastering brand packaging (Most practical).

The instructor, Barney Bryant, is very passionate about packing and shows a great deal of examples—extremely good to view and listen to.

In the Designing Brand Packaging course you’ll learn everything from brand strategy and naming, to brand identity, packaging/label design to production.

This class is more hands-on compared to other courses, as it gives your practical knowledge in designing brand packaging.

Although this course does not provide a hands-on project, it does offer an optional project that you can do to hone your old and new-learned skills.

An absolutely essential course to get to know the ins and outs of packaging design in the most practical way.‍

Click here to enroll now

5. Product Packaging Design

This product packaging design course teaches you how to create appealing packages and label designs using Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator.

An excellent course to learn how to do packaging design using Illustrator and Photoshop (Most essential).

The lectures are outlined in a way that even aspiring graphic designers could learn how to create packaging design ideas and eventually generate income out of them.

Product Packaging & Label Design might discourage you to enroll because of the pretty hefty price tag, but it’s actually a great deal for the knowledge that it offers.

It will teach you about every essential detail about product packaging and labels along with the exercises for you to apply what you have learned.

The instructor requires you to have some basic knowledge about Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop and welcomes beginners with the guidance promised.

This course is over 2 hours of comprehensive lectures to make sure that you could create your own packaging and label designs.

Do you want to become one of the best in the packaging design industry?‍

Click here to enroll now

6. Packaging Label Design

In this course, you will learn how to design killer labels—which is the biggest part of packaging design.

The best course for those who learn better through hands-on learning.

Kendrick Kidd, the instructor of this course, will give you a walkthrough on how to work with clients and their brands to create packaging label design concepts.

This Packaging Label Design course takes everything into account so you don’t get confused.

This course also makes use of Adobe Illustrator to create unique and eye-catching packaging designs.

There are practical exercises that will let you create your own packaging design so you could figure out how much you’ve learned.

After designing your own product which is your beer can, the next project lets you create your own beer bottle label.

Upon completion of the course, there will surely be a drastic improvement to your packaging label design skills!

This particular class already has more than 1000 students so what are you waiting for?‍

Click here to enroll now

7. Packaging Tutorial (Materials)

Once you know how to design your own packaging, all you need are packaging materials to get started.

Here is a quick and easy packaging tutorial for choosing your materials.

The packaging designer Marion Bretagne made a few guidelines in selecting the right materials for a visually stunning yet cost-effective packaging design.

The packaging tutorial suggested 5 things to consider when picking the right materials:

• Visit your local store or printer to personalize the details of your packaging concept and seek for printer’s advice for quality materials and allocated budget.
• Make sure that the thickness of the paper you use establishes both beauty and functionality.
• Consider purchasing materials for sample packaging first to avoid unnecessary costs.
• Make sure that your chosen printer can print on your material.
• Find a printer who cares enough to help you with their expertise.

The brief tutorial contains clear and simple instructions and there’s no need to enroll.‍

You can watch it here.

8. Packaging Design for Creatives

This packaging design course for creatives is a great way to introduce yourself to creating your unique packaging design.

An Innovative Packaging Design course that's best for designers.

Consisting of detailed videos that altogether have a run time of barely an hour, this course is an excellent opportunity for those with a tight schedule.

The course Packaging Design for Creatives by Simone Payne is a hit among intermediate designers with over 8000 students already.

The instructor made sure to teach you how to bring packaging designs to life at a reasonable cost by using new design tools and short-run printing technology.

Her lessons cover box style selection, production technique and materials, how to set up print-ready designs and powerful tools to use for 3D designs.

You will surely enjoy using the amazing tools she introduced in her class once it’s your turn to design your own custom box.

‍Click here to enroll now

9. Packaging 101 for Entrepreneurs

Packaging 101 for Entrepreneurs is probably the best course there is for inventors who are seeking investors and still torn whether to manufacture in China or not.

An exceptional course designed for inventors and business owners (Best for Entrepreneurs).

The Entrepreneur Project created this course to gear the business owners with enough knowledge to grow their business efficiently.

In this packaging course for entrepreneurs you will learn:

• How to protect your invention
• Prototype development
• 3D cad design
• Prototype testing
• If you should manufacture in China
• Manufacturing feasibility
• The potential cost to manufacture
• Potential retail cost
• Product naming
• Package design and costing

The founder of The Entrepreneur Project, Ed Ramirez, has his own rags to riches story that inspired him to share his expertise from his own success and multiple failures.

The ultimate goal of this course is for entrepreneurs to save money while earning money.

In just a span of 37 minutes, you will be equipped with enough knowledge that every successful entrepreneur should have.

‍Click here to enroll now

10. ABC of Packaging Design

The ABC of Packaging Design is not your typical packaging design course—The course highlights the element of packaging that every existing course forgets!

The most comprehensive course on packaging design.

The instructor made sure that you will learn how to make boring product information into an engaging content on your packaging.

The ABC of Packaging Design highlights designing the back of the pack as a way to communicate with the consumers.

Branding and packaging designer Beatrice Menis will be your instructor in this 36-min course with 9 detailed lessons to walk you through.

To apply what you have learned, you will have to redesign the back of pack of an existing package design.

If you are someone interested in packaging, branding and storytelling, the course is made especially for you.

‍Click here to enroll now

Conclusion

Taking an online course is probably the easiest way to learn the ins and outs of product packaging.

Pick the one that resonates with you the most and become an expert in packaging design.

Which is the best packaging design courses for you?

For entrepreneurs, a proper packaging means spike in sales and brand awareness.‍

For designers, a great packaging means landing more and bigger projects.

So whether you’re a graphic designer or a business owner, these courses are easily accessible, affordable and can effectively train you at the comfort of your home.

Which of these top 10 packaging design courses resonates with you the most?—Leave a comment below.

Also check out my other article where I feature graphic design courses.

Need help with branding or packaging?—Start your project.

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