01Dead Comics SocietyBrand Identity + Event Identity02Club TattooIllustration03Haystack WinesBrand Identity + Packaging04Museum of FailureExhibition Branding + Experiential052B FarmingBrand Identity + Photography06Rabbit Hole WinesBrand Identity + Packaging07Tame ImpalaPoster Design + Illustration08Ashwood Tattoo StudioBrand Identity09Selected Experiments3D • Sculpture • Fabrication
Index — Selected WorkDEF Studios, Portland OR
01Album ArtCovers in motion02Key ArtCampaign key frames03Show PostersGig + event prints
Index — All GalleriesDEF Studios, Portland OR
Rabbit Hole Malbec, wine label and bottle packaging design
Capabilities · Packaging Design

Packaging
Design

The one piece of a brand a customer actually holds.

DisciplinePackaging & Label Design
FocusWine, Spirits & CPG
StudioDEF Studios, Portland OR

Am I weird? I will keep packages that are empty just because the design is so good. Empty bottles with killer graphics on them just become part of my home. Packaging gets repurposed and reused because the art speaks to me. That is what I am for in anything that I help create in the realm of packaging design. Something lasting and unforgettable.

Loud or quiet

I want to create something that either screams at you from across the aisle, or whispers sweet nothings into your ear when cradled close. Either way there will be a conversation. What will your branding say?

Minimalist black wine bottle packaging in a dark, sculptural set
Wine bottle packaging mockup
Fortitude Cellars wine bottle, dark label design
Bottle packaging design
Bottle packaging design

Story first

Sometimes less is more… and sometimes more is MORE! It just depends on your story and your audience. I take the time to learn about both before I ever put pencil to paper. A cool illustration or slick graphic means nothing if it isn’t first tied to a feeling or emotion.

From there I work the label, the structure, the type, the illustration, and the finish so the product reads at every distance, from across the store to up close on the counter. Then I carry it all the way to print-ready files, so what gets made matches what got designed.

Wine bottle packaging render
Packaging design mockup
Packaging design mockup
Packaging design mockup
Packaging design mockup
Product packaging photographed on location

Surface & structure

Labels and bottle systems, cans and jars, boxes and retail-ready lines. Surface and structure. All these minute details come into play, and only experience with a multitude of vendors can ensure a product feels considered, backed by the print production know-how to get it produced cleanly, at scale, without surprises.

Hot Glitter chili crisp, product and lifestyle photography
Packaging design mockup
Packaging design mockup
Packaging design mockup
Packaging design mockup
Book cover packaging mockup

Every pixel

Whether it’s a single hero item or a full line up that needs consideration, you can rest easy that every minute detail will be considered. With an eye for consistency when every pixel makes a difference.

Let's put your product
in someone's hand.

Together we can explore new and awe-inspiring ways to have a genuine connection to your audience.

Discuss package design

or email daneforst@gmail.com