Developing a toothpaste: from idea to product brief

1. Define the user, market and product priorities

Start by defining who the toothpaste is for, where it will be sold and what role it should play in your range. These decisions give the formulation and packaging work a clear direction.

A useful starting point is a short product statement. Describe the intended audience, the everyday experience you want to create and the characteristics that matter most to your brand.

For example, an illustrative brief might describe a daily-use toothpaste with a gentle mint flavour, a smooth texture and simple packaging. This gives the development discussion a direction without treating every detail as a final specification.

Consider these questions:

• Who is the intended user?
• What role will the product play in your range?
• Which markets and sales channels are you planning for?
• What should make the product recognisably yours?

2. Describe the formula you want to develop

Include your preferred flavour, texture, appearance, ingredient requirements and intended product positioning. Together, these describe the product you want to explore more clearly than an ingredient list alone.

Reference products can help make these preferences tangible. Explain what you like about each reference: its flavour profile, consistency, colour or the way it dispenses. A specific observation is more useful than a general request to create something similar.

Separate essential requirements from preferences. This helps the discussion stay focused when different options need to be evaluated.

The brief should make open questions visible. It is a working document that becomes more precise as the project develops.

3. Plan the packaging alongside the formula

Plan the tube, closure and carton together with the formula, intended use and brand presentation. This lets you consider how the product will be filled, dispensed and presented before individual packaging details are finalised.

Start with the proposed fill weight and overall format. Then explore how the pack should open, dispense, stand and look as part of your range.

A visual reference can communicate a colour palette or finish, but it does not define a complete packaging specification. Record the details that still need to be discussed, such as component dimensions, decoration options and how the proposed formula and packaging will be evaluated together.

Before artwork is finalised, bring the individual components into one view:

• Tube format and proposed fill weight
• Cap style and opening method
• Colours, decoration and surface finish
• Carton or multipack presentation
• Space for product information and identification

4. Review each sample against its purpose

First confirm what the sample is intended to demonstrate, then compare it with the relevant part of your brief. A formulation sample may help explore flavour and texture, while a packaging sample may be used to review appearance, handling or decoration.

Before evaluating a sample, establish what it represents and which details remain provisional. This prevents an early reference from being mistaken for the final product.

Organise feedback around three points: what you observed, what you would like to change and what should remain. Identify the sample version and connect your comments to the original brief.

Instead of writing “the flavour needs improvement,” describe the direction you want to discuss. Clear observations make the next development conversation more productive.

5. Keep project decisions in one product brief

Bring the product direction, formula and sample references, packaging, quantities, timing and open decisions into one shared document. The product brief connects the whole project, while the formulation brief describes the formula in more detail.

A consolidated brief can include:

• Product name or working project name
• Intended audience and sales market
• Formulation direction and sample references
• Packaging components and artwork versions
• Proposed quantities by SKU
• Requested timing and project milestones
• Documents and review steps to be agreed
• Outstanding decisions and responsible contacts

Keep confirmed details separate from assumptions. If something changes, record the revision so that everyone is discussing the same version.

6. Start with the information you already have

Share your product idea, intended market, priorities and any references you already have. You do not need every detail confirmed: a brand concept, an existing product, packaging references or a list of questions can provide a starting point.

Bring those starting materials together and identify your priorities. A clear description of the product you want to explore provides a stronger foundation than a collection of disconnected requests.

The next step is to turn that direction into a shared development discussion—connecting the product idea, formulation, packaging and sample review before moving towards production.