Ethan Obi

Label & Packaging Designer

Behance • Freelance

Dec 2025 - Mar 2026 • 3 mos

I got better at label and packaging design by practicing a lot and being an active member of the global Behance creative community. Over time, I worked closely with a wide range of freelance designers, studios, and creative collectives. Their work and feedback had a big impact on how I thought about and did my design work. Learned from and was influenced by top Behance freelancers who work on branding, packaging systems, typography, and product visualization. I got better at thinking strategically about packaging design, balancing aesthetics, usability, and brand storytelling, by looking at real-world case studies, project breakdowns, and creative processes shared on the platform. I took part in feedback loops, creative challenges, and peer reviews, which helped me get better at giving feedback on designs, making changes, and using new packaging trends like minimalism, sustainability, and bold visual identity systems. Seeing a lot of different industries helped me learn how packaging changes for different markets, like food, cosmetics, luxury goods, and new businesses. Created conceptual and client-style projects that take into account real-world limits like dielines, material choices, print methods, and rules. Concentrated on making designs that are not only visually appealing but also ready for production and able to make money. This experience helped me develop a very flexible, research-based workflow and a keen eye for detail, which lets me create packaging solutions that meet current global design standards.

Label and Packaging designer

Upwork • Freelance

Feb 2021 - Dec 2025 • 4 yrs 10 mos

For more than three years, I worked as a freelance label and packaging designer on Upwork. I worked with startups, small businesses, and well-known brands in a variety of fields, such as food and drink, cosmetics, supplements, cannabis, and e-commerce. Provided strategic, market-driven packaging solutions that were meant to boost brand recognition, make products stand out on shelves, and get customers more involved. Took care of the whole design process, from the first idea to the final files that were ready to print. This included research on brands, analysis of competitors, mood boards, concept development, making dielines, laying out labels, and getting things ready for printing. Made sure that all designs followed the rules for their specific industry, such as FDA rules, rules for labeling ingredients, placing barcodes, and packaging rules for different markets. Built a strong reputation for turning clients' ideas into interesting visual stories that fit with their brand voice and target audience. Made a wide range of packaging types, such as bottles, pouches, boxes, jars, tubes, and flexible packaging. Always worked to improve designs for both looks and production speed. Worked closely with clients, marketers, and manufacturers to make sure that the handoffs went smoothly and the prints were done correctly. Made changes based on feedback while keeping the design and deadlines on track. Known for doing great work on time, keeping lines of communication open, and always getting high client satisfaction and repeat business. Kept up with the latest trends in packaging, eco-friendly materials, and printing methods so they could offer modern, competitive solutions. Used both creativity and technical skill to make packaging that looks great and works well in both online and real-world stores.

Label and Packaging UI/UX Designer

Toptal • Freelance

Jan 2021 - Aug 2023 • 2 yrs 7 mos

Worked as a UI/UX and Label & Packaging Designer on 99designs, helping brands that needed strategic design fixes, redesigns, or full creative direction for how their products were shown. Specialized in closing the gap between digital user experience and physical packaging, making sure that brand touchpoints are consistent from on-screen interactions to on-shelf presence. Worked with startups and growing brands in fields like cosmetics, supplements, food and drink, and e-commerce to find design problems and come up with solutions that had a big impact. Led redesign efforts for labels and packaging that weren't doing well by making them easier to read, more compliant, and more appealing to the brand as a whole. Our goal is to make packaging that is user-centered, easy to understand, builds trust, and helps customers make decisions. Used UI/UX principles like usability, accessibility, information architecture, and conversion optimization to improve packaging systems by treating labels as "interfaces" that help users interact. Did design audits, competitor analysis, and user-focused evaluations to find areas that needed work and chances to make things better. Did full design workflows, such as wireframing (for digital touchpoints), changing the layout, adapting the dieline, improving the typography, and sending files that were ready for production. Made sure that all outputs met print standards and legal requirements while still telling a good story through pictures. Known for coming up with bold, modern, and useful design solutions on time, always helping brands become more competitive in both digital and physical stores. Gained a reputation for being flexible, paying attention to details, and being able to turn broken brand visuals into design systems that work well together.