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About the Guest(s):
Brandy Parker is the Head of Realization at Pearl Fisher, an acclaimed independently owned brand and design consultancy. With almost seven years of experience in her current role, Brandy specializes in production and realization, ensuring designs come to life accurately and efficiently. She has an extensive background in packaging design, having worked on high-profile projects such as Seedlip, Market Pantry for Target, and Bowl & Basket for ShopRite. Brandy is also a highly sought-after speaker, having presented at The Dieline multiple times, and is an advocate for sustainable packaging solutions.
Episode Summary:
In this episode, Evelio Mattos talks with Brandy Parker, Head of Realization at Pearl Fisher, about the intricate world of packaging design and the critical role of production. Brandy shares her journey into the field, the significance of early involvement in projects, and how Pearl Fisher maintains its edge in a competitive market.
Brandy dives into the importance of understanding technical parameters and limitations from the outset of a project. She discusses the synergy between design and production, particularly how parallel pathing can lead to innovative solutions that meet client expectations. The conversation also touches on the value of mentorship in cultivating a new generation of production-savvy designers. Additionally, Brandy reflects on the challenges and opportunities in implementing sustainable packaging solutions post-COVID and the essential role of continuous learning and collaboration with vendors to stay ahead.
Key Takeaways:
Early Involvement in Projects: Brandy emphasizes the necessity of integrating the realization team from the project's inception to ensure designs are feasible and innovative solutions are identified early.
Mentorship and Learning: The episode highlights the value of mentors in guiding young designers, recommending hands-on experiences like internships at print shops to grasp production nuances.
Production Expertise: Brandy elaborates on how deep knowledge in various materials and printing processes can push the boundaries of design.
Handling Mistakes: Personal anecdotes underscore the inevitability of errors and the importance of learning from them to avoid repetition and ensure continuous improvement.
Sustainability in Packaging: The discussion pivots to the future of packaging post-COVID, emphasizing the need for sustainable solutions beyond the existing recycling systems and exploring alternative materials.
Notable Quotes:
"I think one of the main things that attracted me to Pearl Fisher was that they had not only bothered to elevate the discipline of production, but they had this very cool name for it."
"There’s no better way to understand the behind the scenes nuts and bolts of a process than actually seeing it in action."
"We treat limitations as opportunities and design against those to bring forth the best expression of a thing within the given materials."
"The best thing is to try to integrate the idea of sustainability as soon as possible so that it becomes almost part of the canon of the project."
"Recycling is a broken system. There's so much more to sustainability in packaging than just recycling."
Stay tuned for more enlightening episodes that delve deep into the intricacies of design and production, offering valuable insights from industry leaders.
