by Melissa Simmerman | May 27, 2026 | Brand Strategy, Color, Conference Recap, CPG Trends, Innovation, Inspiration, Material and Finish, Melissa Simmerman, Packaging Design, Prototyping, Structural Design, Thought Leadership
May 28, 2026 We may have left Las Vegas, but the memories of the packaging at Sweets and Snacks Expo 2026 didn’t leave us. Here are the creative and innovative products, booths, and packaging stars that made us stop and take notice, even in a somewhat delirious...
by Melissa Simmerman | May 7, 2026 | Brand Strategy, Industrial Design, Innovation, Material and Finish, Melissa Simmerman, Packaging Design, Structural Design, Thought Leadership
May 12, 2026 It genuinely seems like every category is crowded these days. Even baking staples and household paper products are being reinvented and disrupted, but a few categories in particular have been exploding: condiments, water, supplements, better-for-you...
by Kaleidoscope Chicago | Jan 8, 2026 | Author, Brand Strategy, Kaleidoscope, Packaging Design, Prototyping, Structural Design, Thought Leadership
January 8, 2026 Most CPG brands treat packaging design and prototyping as two separate phases. You design first and then somewhere downstream you prototype. Files get handed off, a physical sample gets built, and everyone crosses their fingers that the original intent...
by Melissa Simmerman | Jun 6, 2025 | Brand Strategy, Innovation, Packaging Design, Sustainability, Thought Leadership
The CPG Packaging Lifecycle Not to state the obvious, but we are packaging designers and have been for 30 years. We’ve long understood our responsibility to our clients and consumers—clarity, communication, the need to trigger a purchase decision—but our work...
by Melissa Simmerman | May 20, 2025 | Conference Recap, CPG Trends, Structural Design
What We Loved and What We Missed at Sweets & Snacks 2025 Stop scrolling! We aren’t here to rehash what’s already been shared many, many times regarding Sweets & Snacks 2025. Lots of good, smart folks have posted photos, observations, insights, and hot...
