Whether you have a brand-new brewery and are considering creating labels intended only for to-go sales, or a more established business and are looking to move to distribution or launch new product lines, sub-brands, brand-extensions, or beyond beer products, this seminar will provide a foundation for moving forward. We begin by learning how to conduct a brand audit—essential for understanding your brand’s baseline before diving into the work of design. Get practical with tools for choosing the right artist or designer, including key questions, expectations, and where to find the perfect fit for your specific design needs.

Next, we create a shared vocabulary around package design essentials. We unpack technical insights and visual approaches, exploring label types like pressure sensitive labels (PSLs), shrink, digital, and painted. We delve into the nitty-gritty of brand-forward versus product-forward strategies, monolithic versus art-based approaches, and hierarchy considerations that all impact your brand and the way your product performs on the shelf.

The goal is to help establish a solid roadmap for your package design journey. From initial planning and hiring to building a lasting relationship with a designer, this seminar covers it all. It’s not just about packaging; it’s about strategically enhancing your product through thoughtful design partnerships.

Learning Objectives

• Develop a solid understanding of how to perform a brand audit to determine your brand equity as a baseline before starting any new design initiatives
• Gain tools for choosing an artist or designer to partner with, including questions to ask, expectations to have, places to look, types of designers, and more
• Build a shared vocabulary of brand and package design basics, including technical information as well as visual approaches and processes
• Establish a solid roadmap for planning for, hiring, understanding, and creating a long-term meaningful relationship with a designer

About the Speaker

Jillian Noble, Founder & Creative Director

Elbongurk Design

Jillian Noble (she/her) is the founder and creative director for Elbongurk Design, a small firm that specializes in branding and package design for the craft food and beverage space. Jillian earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts and Master of Fine Arts in graphic design, completing her graduate studies at the Iowa State University College of Design. She taught graphic design at the University of Wisconsin in the Department of Art & Design for nine years. During that time, she also participated in gallery shows including three solo and two group exhibitions and earned a year-long sabbatical grant to focus on hand-drawn typography and illustration.

Jillian co-founded Elbongurk Design in 2009 as a creative outlet and a space for professional development during her university teaching years. Since then, Elbongurk has done a variety of design work, mostly branding and package design for the craft food and beverage industry. Over the last eight years, she’s worked with many breweries, wineries, cideries, and craft food companies to establish brands and create packaging to support business growth.