What We Learned, and What We Missed at Sweets & Snacks 2025
At Sweets & Snacks 2025, flavor innovation stole the show, but something was missing. While branding dazzled, structural packaging design barely made a ripple. We’re diving into why that matters and where brands could be pushing the boundaries. Curious what was overlooked? Let’s unpack it.
OUR THINKING
The World Through Our Lens
It’s all about perspective. Our team has thoughts on CPG branding, strategy, design, packaging, prototyping, sustainability, design trends, and just about everything else impacting our industry. Want a fresh POV in your inbox? Subscribe for updates (and follow us on social!).
If Packaging Were Your Only Marketing Spend
Imagine launching a new consumer product with no marketing budget—just the product design and packaging as your brand proposition. It’s a compelling hypothetical. And it was part of the discussion at January’s Package Design Matters Conference. Kaleidoscope’s...
The Power of Cross-Industry Innovation in Product Design
Each Kaleidoscope project begins with a client proposal and a promise to deliver innovation. How we achieve the big “Ah Ha” is the nerve-wracking part. But I know from experience, if you’re not nervous; if you don’t have an explorer’s zeal for discovery and a...
LiveGFree, Packaging Design by Kaleidoscope, Awarded New Product Line of the Year
StoreBrands released the winners of its fifth annual Innovation Awards program, which recognizes brands that excel via store brand differentiation. Winners were profiled in the November issue of StoreBrands and were honored with a special cocktail reception and dinner...
11 Tips for New Design Grads: Getting the Right Job and Keeping It
It seems like just yesterday I was graduating from college, crying that it was over, filling my Volkswagen Beetle to the brim and hugging my friends goodbye. But I was also ecstatic to imagine finally having a paycheck in my bank account and the chance to nail my...
3D Printing 101
Although 3D printing is becoming more and more popular, many individuals still do not understand how it works or the possibilities for use. We’re providing some of the basics here. What is 3D Printing? 3D printing is a process of creating solid three-dimensional...
Where's My Pickaxe?!
Product and Service Innovation to Support the Next Big Thing In the days of the California Gold Rush, many people believed they were going to grab a pickaxe and with one swing break into fortune. Unfortunately for most of them, their efforts were in vain, as few...
Inspiring Purposeful Design
From 2006 through 2013 Fred Richards every month wrote an article with observations on the marketing, design and graphic world around us. These articles were published in national and international design and marketing publications. In a return to these monthly...
Kaleidoscope Named One of Chicago’s “Best and Brightest Companies to Work For®”
Chicago, IL. – June 12, 2014 – Kaleidoscope, an integrated design and realization agency has been named one of Chicago’s Best and Brightest Companies to Work For® by the National Association for Business Resources (NABR), an organization that stresses the importance...
Prototyping – Does It Really Make a Difference in Packaging Development?!
Structural Prototyping PROTOTYPING: DOES IT REALLY MAKE A DIFFERENCE? Trish Galvez-Tuel, Sr. Business Development Manager, Realization June 5, 2014 Have you ever walked down the aisle of a grocery store, looked at all of the packages sitting on the shelf, and think...
Kaleidoscope Names Dyfed “Fred” Richards Chief Creative Officer and Partner
Kaleidoscope welcomes Dyfed “Fred” Richards as Chief Creative Officer and Managing Partner. Richards’ start at Kaleidoscope spurs the forward momentum that started with the redesign of its 35,000-square-foot headquarters and relaunch of the company website...
The Kaleidoscope Chicago Studio gets a Facelift
Take a behind the scenes look at the remodeling of the Kaleidoscope Chicago studio: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=McN1ZSiJizA
WEBINAR: 7 Steps for Delivering Sustainable Packaging Without Compromising Brand Equity
Kaleidoscope’s Industrial Design Director, Bryan Shova, recently led a workshop at the 2014 Sustainability in Packaging Conference in Orlando, Florida. There he discussed specific packaging considerations to help avoid compromising brand equity when designing...