To plan a clean front panel before adding decoration, keep in mind that a package front panel has one crucial function before it has any decoration, and that is helping a person identify the product. The design may appear pretty because of color, texture, illustration, and finish, but it does not necessarily help you make sense of it all. If the product name is not easily spotted, the logo is placed in a strange spot, and the text seems to vibrate in every direction, it will be difficult to find out what product you are buying regardless of the design.
Think of the front panel of the package as an area that contains a small amount of information, which you must organize clearly, before adding design and choosing a layout. This does not mean the information is plain or boring; it just means that you know where your product name goes and it is the first place a person would look, followed by the logo and product description. After that, only the most important additional copy goes in. It means that the design supports this order, but does not distract from it. This means that it will be easy to identify the product name from packaging for tea, soap, coffee, snacks, or cosmetics that you buy at the store.
Do this exercise with three rectangles on a piece of paper to give the same idea for the front panel: In one of them, place the product name at the top, then in the middle. In the third, keep the product name larger, then move it to the bottom. Add rectangles for the logo, one line of copy for the product claim, and where the image goes. Add no color yet. You will be able to see how the eye moves around the panel, without any color or style getting in your way. You will notice in one of the layouts that this feels more balanced and the other too busy. You will probably notice the layout feels cramped and leaves no room for the short description of the product.
The other aspect of a clear layout is space, which is a major source of error in new packaging design. Everything will go too close to the top and the bottom and too far from the center. Keep space around the main point, the name of the product, do not put text too close to trim lines or fold lines or the edges on a rounded label. Even if you are not working on the final file for production, keep the concept of working within safe areas. You will want a front panel that seems balanced in the final layout and looks like a label mockup for an actual carton, pouch, sleeve, or bottle to look more crowded and cramped.
Once you have an idea of the order for the text, type is another issue that must wait before the design. A decorative type is great for a full-size design, but it can turn out to be too small or hard to read on a label or a package on a shelf. Try a thumbnail size version of your package design to see how small it looks, and make sure that it remains legible. If you have to squint, then change the type to be simpler. This also applies to the design scale and the number of types that are used. You will probably find it simpler to choose one display type and one supporting type than it is to choose several expressive types.
When the basic arrangement is working, design has a clearer job to do. A color area is used to make sure your eye finds the product name first, an image is used to create a picture instead of a background, or a design idea for matte or glossy paper is an expression of the mood but not a design that takes everything over. Place a simple design layout on a package mockup and check that people are able to understand what the product is from a normal viewing distance. When people look at a package, they look at it in a natural way and when you know it from a quick glimpse, they will notice and enjoy it more.