What should you prepare before a development consultation?
You can discuss a product’s direction without a finished formula or packaging mockup. Start by setting priorities for the customer, usage occasion and sensory experience. This makes the samples to compare and the questions to ask more specific.
1. Who will use the product, and when?
Describe the usage situation rather than listing only an age group. Washing the face on a busy morning, cleansing the scalp after exercise and bodycare after a shower call for different product experiences. If your brand is already selling products, recurring customer questions and frustrations are also useful starting points.
2. Which sensory qualities matter most?
Prioritize qualities such as light spreadability, a rich feel during massage, quick rinsing and residual feel. If you have a product you like, explain what you like about it rather than sharing only its name. Reference products help explain the development direction; they do not imply an identical formula.
3. Where will you sell the product?
The experience conveyed through an online product page may differ from a hands-on experience in a store. Sharing the target countries, channels, price range and size helps with reviewing product and packaging conditions.
4. Which conditions are essential, and which can be adjusted?
Separate requirements such as essential ingredients, fragrances to avoid, preferred containers and the desired launch date. Rather than fixing every condition at once, agreeing on the non-negotiable criteria first makes decisions easier during development.
5. Have you organized reference materials and identified decision-makers?
Gather market reference products, mood boards and existing customer feedback in one place. Assigning someone to consolidate sample feedback helps organize differing opinions.
6. What should you confirm at the first consultation?
Confirm the development scope suited to your product direction, sample comparison criteria, container and packaging-component reviews, and the basis for discussing schedules and quantities. MOQ, unit price and lead time are reviewed individually according to the item and conditions; they are not fixed using general figures before consultation.
Start with a one-page brief
Target customer / Usage occasion / Desired sensory experience / Reference products and reasons / Target countries and channels / Desired schedule. Write a short note for each of these six items and share it at your development consultation.