A better brief makes better packaging.

Start with what goes inside

A useful brief starts with the contents rather than a photograph of a container. Give the product name, intended use and relevant formulation details. For a mixture, identify the information your technical team can provide and whether a safety data sheet is available.

Include filling temperature, expected storage conditions and the contact period. Flag anything that is still being developed. An honest list of unknowns helps the discussion move forward without turning assumptions into a specification.

Explain how the pack will be used

Describe who fills, moves and empties the container. Does the customer pour by hand, use a pump, remove the lid or connect a dispensing fitting? What equipment does the pack need to work with?

Treat the container, closure and accessories as one proposal. A capacity alone does not describe the opening, sealing arrangement, handling or dispensing requirements.

Separate essentials from preferences

Write down the conditions the package must satisfy, then list the things you would like to explore. A required filling-line interface is different from a preferred colour. Separating the two gives the team room to discuss standard formats before considering a custom development.

• Required: contents, fill volume, equipment interfaces and destination requirements.
• To explore: colour, appearance, label area and alternative formats.
• To confirm: dimensions, closure details, availability and application suitability.

Describe the commercial requirement

Include an indicative order quantity, expected repeat demand, delivery location and target start date. Distinguish a sample request from a production order. If a launch date is fixed, explain which approvals and trials still need to happen before it.

Ask for the documentation associated with the proposed model and your intended application. Agree who will review the sample and how the final specification will be recorded before you place a production order.