Palo Alto, California – We touch it, use it and see it every day. It speaks to us, instructs us, and sometimes even challenges us. It's packaging – from labels and wraps to boxes and tags.

Guest speaker Michael Osborne, president of Michael Osborne Design and recipient of the AIGA Fellow Award, will discuss the many facets of packaging design at PaperSpecs next free webinar, "Designing the Whole Package."

"Brand packaging has the daunting task of vying for the hearts and souls of consumers amongst a plethora of competitors, then the products themselves have to absolutely deliver on the brand promise," says Osborne.

Today, designers are an integral part of this process - creating ever more useful, creative and sustainable ways to protect the goods packages contain, build brand relationships among competing products, give consumers a more aesthetic experience and conserve the resources from which packaging is made.

Using examples of his own award-winning work, Osborne will address these intriguing questions during the hour

Is package design a growth area for designers?
Can packaging be sustainably designed?
What is the designer's role in creating packaging?
How much influence does the designer have in paper selection?
Which comes first, the brand or the package?

"The growth potential in consumer-packaged goods (CPG) is tremendous. Due in part to a sagging economy, the demand for lower price, higher quality, and eco-friendly products is significant. The major grocery chains as well as the large independent food retailers, have recognized the need for private label brands as one way to meet these demands while strengthening relationships and trust among their customer base. Of course, these products need to compete on shelf and require packaging to do the job," explains Osborne.

You don't want to miss "Designing the Whole Package." This webinar is free thanks to the generous support of Neenah Paper. Space is limited, so reserve your seat today for this special event at www.paperspecs.com/webinar.