Start from a defined product
A catalogue formula gives you a named recipe and a specific ingredient profile to review. Begin here when its species, purpose and format match the product you want to add to your range.
Look beyond the title. Shortlist the exact product, then review its specification, serving guidance, sample and packaging with the team. Two products addressing the same need may have different compositions; the name alone is not enough to compare them.
Use a development brief for a specific requirement
Use custom development when a must-have product requirement is not met by the catalogue option you reviewed. That might be an ingredient direction, a different flavour or texture, or a physical form that calls for further work. Name that gap first, then let the team assess the development route.
Fluffy Friends Lab's development capabilities include work with active ingredients, flavour and texture, prototypes and pilot batches. New recipes can also be assessed through palatability research and refined. The work needed is agreed for the project.
- Explain the target species and the product's role in your range.
- Name the requirement the existing option does not meet; separate essentials from preferences.
- Share ingredient requirements and any existing formula brief.
- Describe the intended serving and format, or ask for help choosing.
Separate the formula from its presentation
Using a catalogue recipe still allows the finished product to carry your brand. Your label, the chosen pack and suitable print finishes are separate decisions from changing the composition.
Keep those decisions clear in the brief: which product do you want to make, and how should it be presented? A new packaging design does not, by itself, mean a new formula. Equally, an attractive pack does not resolve a formulation requirement.
Agree what you will review
Once the product is defined, review samples, its specification and the label design before production. A test print can be requested. Record any remaining changes so the product and artwork approvals refer to the same agreed version.
Ask the team to confirm the order quantity, timing and development scope for that specification. You can begin with a clear product idea; you do not need to invent a complete technical specification before the first conversation.