We speak with Logan Steinfeld, Staples' Manager of Product Design who oversees product development and packaging design to understand not only what packaging guidelines are for, but what they entail. Logan's team recently launched a 300+ page set of packaging guidelines for Coastwide, a facilities solutions company under the Staples umbrella of brands. Learn what's included in these 300 pages, why they are so important and why a brand would invest this much time and effort into such an in-depth ...
Aug 24, 2020•49 min•Season 3Ep. 25
1) What is the product and how many skus will there be to start? For example if the product is a pair of sun glasses and it comes in 10 colors, those are 10 SKUs you will be designing packaging for. 2) How Much? What will the product retail for? The retail price is an indicator to how much the brand may invest in the packaging. It also allows you to analyze the appropriate competitive landscape. Having a baseline for retail pricing can help to begin determining materials, processes, and producti...
Aug 13, 2020•4 min•Season 3Ep. 24
Deon Mixon, like so many other designers of color have experienced being the the only African American designer in a design class, a design agency, and in front of the client. Deon developed DesignEye | The Graphic Design Education Game to introduce youth of color to design as a way to communicate concepts, ideas, and introduce them to the possibilities design creates for your future. Deon: "But one thing I never failed to notice was: (1) I'm one of a very few Black American graphic designers in...
Aug 10, 2020•37 min•Season 3Ep. 23
Understanding how Prop 67 impacts your business's packaging design and manufacturing. What it means, and what you need to do including these four things: The name of the manufacturer: 1) The manufacturer, not the reseller, the broker, or the agency that designed it, but the name of the actual manufacturer. This is not an opportunity for your broker to market their brand it’s to provide legal documentation as to where the bag was made. Check your bags, and make sure it’s not promoting a reseller ...
Aug 05, 2020•6 min•Season 3Ep. 22
We've all seen those Boxed Water is Better milk cartons, but are they really better? Can they be recycled and how much does that packaging design actually reduce the product's carbon footprint? Find out by listening to the latest episode of Package Design Unboxd. Rob Koenen, CMO of Boxed Water is Better shares a few key stats from the brand as well as the materials used to create the carton and how Boxed Water is looking to the future of sustainability. Contact Boxed Water is Better: hello@boxed...
Aug 03, 2020•40 min•Season 3Ep. 21
How do you design packaging while working from home? After watching the most recent Underdogs video about Apple's project Pandora I thought it was a good time to share how working from home has changed the package design process. Watch the underdogs video here if you haven't already seen it: https://youtu.be/6_pru8U2RmM We discuss project management, packaging prototypes, and 3D renders for packaging presentations. I share what's worked for me to become more efficient in working from home from s...
Jul 29, 2020•10 min•Season 2Ep. 20
1) The first one that will help you save money is buying packaging directly from manufacturers. What I mean is today most brands are buying through a reseller, sourcing agent, some type of middleman. You’re paying 15 - 25% for the customer service. These resellers also have to source the packaging and find the cheapest factories that allow them to maintain their margins, meaning your packaging isn’t always being produced in the same factory. The risk here is that even your reseller isn’t in cont...
Jul 22, 2020•4 min•Season 2Ep. 19
Mike Cesario: Mike Cesario is the founder and CEO of Liquid Death, a rapidly growing beverage company known for its unique branding and bold marketing strategies. Prior to starting Liquid Death, Mike had a background in advertising and creative direction, having worked with various ad agencies. He also has roots in the punk and metal music scenes, where he honed his design and conceptual skills. Mike’s innovative approach to branding has positioned Liquid Death as a standout competitor in the be...
Jul 20, 2020•42 min•Season 2Ep. 18
Part 2 of 10 Lessons for Packaging with Foil. April Lytle or Kurz Transfer Products and I provide key insights into how to use foil when designing packaging. Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the Podcast. If you’ve ever designed packaging with textures and foils, you know there’s a learning curve to doing it right. I want to bring you the opportunity to gain these insights as quickly as possible. I’m joined by April Lytel with Kurz Transfer Products, Kurz has been making foils since the ...
Jul 15, 2020•12 min•Season 2Ep. 17
William Kang and Adrian Ng co-founders of Aether NY talk to us to share their history and celebrate their recent win at the Dieline Awards for clear spirits packaging design. The beautiful bottle for Source One Vodka set a new standard in geometric bottle design, but their not limited to packaging design. Aether NY has launched many Augmented Reality systems and brand forward apps, Aether NY is moving packaging into whole new territories in user experiences. Listen to learn just how to combine t...
Jul 13, 2020•43 min•Season 2Ep. 16
If you’ve ever designed packaging with textures and foils, you know there’s a learning curve to doing it right. I want to bring you the opportunity to gain these insights as quickly as possible. I’m joined by April Lytel with Kurz Transfer Products, Kurz has been making foils since the 1800’s so they know a thing or two about foil. Today’s - 10 Lessons for designing with Foil is split into 2 parts to keep it short and actionable. Subscribe, Rate, and Review! Show Links: April Lytle on LinkedIn: ...
Jul 08, 2020•7 min•Season 1Ep. 15
What does it take to design award winning packaging that delivers an ROI for online and in-store packaging? Get a behind the scenes look at Beardwood & Co.'s process for redesigning Hill's Science Diet packaging that spanned over 900 SKUs around the world. Understand the decisions and strategy that drove the packaging design and how to navigate design for a global online market. Connect with Sarah Williams: Beardwood : https://beardwood.com LinkedIn : https://bit.ly/SarahBeardwood Connect wi...
Jul 06, 2020•39 min•Season 2Ep. 14
Ever wonder where to get started on sustainable design? Well, this episode of Package Design Unboxd gives you a lot to think about as we dive into sustainable design with Katie Kubrak of Nirvana CPH. Everything from streamlining design for efficiency, understanding material lifecycles, to mono-material design. Buckle in those ear pods and get ready to take notes. These Ten Commandments of Sustainable Design are a great way to get started learning how to develop sustainable packaging designs that...
Jul 01, 2020•24 min•Season 2Ep. 13
Ever want to know what it takes to win a packaging competition? Adam Ryan, the Head of Pentawards joins us to discuss exactly what it takes to enter and get noticed by the judges. We get a behind the scenes view of how the judging happens and who some of the judges are. Connect: Adam Ryan on LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-ryan-a14108103/ Pentawards : https://pentawards.com/ Follow us on Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/PackageDesignUnboxd/ And connect with me, Evelio Mattos on Li...
Jun 29, 2020•40 min•Season 2Ep. 12
We speak to Katie Kubrak, Materials and Insights Producer with Nirvana CPH. Learn how CMF and MDD drive innovation in packaging design, and create consumer connections. Dive into Coatings, Materials, and Finishes before we transition into the Material Driven Design to create a tangible experience for product and packaging. No matter if you're just starting out or a seasoned pro, this episode will help you rethink the way you consider packaging. Listen, rate, review, and subscribe! Connect with K...
Jun 22, 2020•52 min•Season 2Ep. 11
Woolcool is a new packaging material that's been used for thermal insulation for over 13,000 years. Today it's replacing polystyrene foam insulation one box at a time. Learn what woolcool is and how this 100% natural material can keep food and pharmaceutical shipments below 40 degrees for days. We speak to Josie Morris, Managing Director of Woolcool to find out more about their sustainable mission to replace polystyrene insulation. Learn more about Woolcool here: https://www.woolcool.com Connect...
Jun 16, 2020•28 min•Season 1Ep. 10
We speak to Jess Williams, Founder and Creative Director of Communal Creative in NYC, a branding agency with a passion for storytelling. Learn how the team at Communal Creative immerses itself into each brand to unearth a resonating story that can be supported at every touch point of the consumer journey. Jess's experience as Creative Director for Thrillist and early stage Birchbox give her the insight to build startups into brands. Be prepared to take notes! Connect with Jess: LinkedIn: https:/...
Jun 08, 2020•30 min•Season 1Ep. 9
We speak with Valerie Hawks, Head of Production & Sustainability @ Interact Boulder to understand how production supports design in executing at the highest level. We discuss the importance of getting your hands dirty and learning the language of production and manufacturing. Learn where to begin a career in packaging production. Keep up with Valerie online: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/valerie-hawks-137865/ Interact Boulder: https://interactboulder.com Sustainable Packaging Coaliti...
Jun 03, 2020•34 min•Season 1Ep. 8
We speak with Brandi Parker, Head of Realization @ Pearlfisher where she manages a team that converts designs and ideas into reality. Her extensive knowledge of packaging design and production allows her to know what questions to ask even before a project begins and how to provide designers the direction they need. Learn how to begin your path into a career of production design and packaging as well as how to round out your design knowledge by leaning into packaging manufacturing. Keep up with B...
Jun 01, 2020•44 min•Season 1Ep. 7
Speaking with Alex Center founder of Center Brooklyn and former Design Director at a little brand named Coke, is a lesson in how to build confidence and surround yourself with the right people to create opportunities in design. We discuss how not studying at an art school is a badge of honor many of us in the design world wear as well as the value and craft of creative production. Alex shares how designing based on gut instincts at a start-up named Vitamin Water changed once you level-up to a ma...
May 26, 2020•54 min•Season 1Ep. 6
Everyone talks about sustainable packaging, but what exactly is it? Well, that depends, and our guest Tom Szaky agrees as sustainability depends on many factors. In this episode we discuss what is sustainability, the business of recycling, and most importantly what designers need to know in order to design sustainable packaging. Tom Szaky is globally recognized for his eco-entrepreneurial successes that allowed some of the world's largest brands to partner with him to reduce packaging waste. If ...
May 20, 2020•22 min•Season 1Ep. 5
How do you build a packaging design agency when you're not in a big city known for design? Ask Mat Bogust of Think Packaging and he'll tell you to just start posting and the world will notice! Today, New Zealand is known for some amazing design with loads of award winning packaging design emerging from halfway around the world. Talking with Mat we go through his process, rough setting, how he builds pristine samples from the start, and why he sings to his clients. We talk the finer points of IST...
May 19, 2020•43 min•Season 1Ep. 4
Beau Peck Director of Marketing and Zero Waste at The Pro Recycling Group, breaks down the value for packaging designers to understand what happens to your packaging once it's discarded. We talk about the benefits of pre-sorted recycling of packaging and the downsides to closed lid systems. We also touch on the confusion caused by mixed packaging materials, compostable packaging, and film laminates used in pouch packaging. The rising use of mono material packaging is a key finding, and something...
May 14, 2020•45 min•Season 1Ep. 3
Vincent Villeger, former Director of Packaging at Burberry discusses what makes luxury packaging powerful, and how to follow your creative instincts to make the right decisions. We answer if primary packaging such as fragrance bottles are even to be considered packaging and discover a new point of view in how to design packaging. Joins us to discuss what packaging is and isn't, what makes package design elevate itself to be considered luxury packaging, and how you design packaging for the world'...
May 11, 2020•51 min•Season 1Ep. 2
In our first episode we discuss the realities of sustainable packaging design and what to consider when considering sustainable materials. Our guest is Nikki Withington, owner of Square 1 Packaging Solutions and NPD based in New Zealand. We speak to Nikki about how she helps her clients navigate sustainability from product and packaging design to what happens to their packaging materials long after they're gone. If you're thinking about sustainable packaging, you are going to want to listen to h...
May 06, 2020•44 min•Season 1Ep. 1
