Sterling Brands
The Studio
Sterling Brands is a world-class brand strategy, design and innovation firm. In 2012 they launched a new 'Innovation station' helmed by cultural guru, DeeDee Gordon in Los Angeles to harness consumer insight and ideation to test and improve product concepts and to connect research to ideation through client-centric workshops and concept validation.
My Role
Drove the creative vision and studio evolution in voice, capability, and deliverables as the SVP at Sterling Brands’ Innovation division. Consumer research, trends, and strategy come together as well crafted deliverables. Ranging from visualizing the future manifestations of a strategy to directing teams of designers + clients through the process of designing products through production.
CONDOM PACKAGING for SUSTAIN
Project : Balanced materials and manufacturing process, with tight timing / budgetary needs, and the ethical review of vendors in developing the structural packaging for a line of condoms by the father-daughter team of Jeffery (seventh generation founder) and Meika Hollender
My Role : Played many roles throughout the process; designer, art director, packaging material engineer, manufacturing process mastermind, therapist, and appropriately-protected pun-based verbal-tomfoolery.
FUTURE-CAST CONCEPTS for BAYER
Project : Connected future-facing trends with urban research to generate concepts that connected the brand vision with new product opportunities in the future.
My Role : Developing concepts to bring the trend to life, and orchestrating the production of the illustrations and presentations.
iOS MUSIC APPLICATION for AUDYSSEY
Project : Audyssey engaged Sterling Brands to build their first audio application to showcase their headphone performance maximizing technology.
My Role : I assembled a team of designers and programmers to activate the development. Worked closely with the company’s managing partners to deliver a look and feel that paralleled their company vision.
FOOD AND PACKAGING IDEATION WORKSHOPS
Project : Along with a team of whip-smart researchers + strategists, we performed a cyclical rotation of innovation sorties around a calendar of food category launches, resulting in over 800 new product concepts
My Role : I orchestrated teams of designers, illustrators, and chefs to produce the workshop materials, rapidly visualize concepts during the workshop, and to refine leading designs with an eye on their supply chain capabilities.