By Amanda Villalobos
Like it so often is, the Space Gallery the evening of Jan 27 was a full house of inspiration for “The Complete Package: Good Design Meets Great Paper” event, hosted by AIGA Colorado, Neenah Paper & Packaging and Veritiv. Designers, both seasoned and fresh, huddled over lush samples of rich paper and beautiful tactile work over tasty food and beverages. Presenters Jeff Gorman of Cultivator Advertising and Design and Rosslyn Kasman of Kasman Design then enlightened us with tales of packaging struggles and triumphs.
Gorman talked specifically about creating packaging for a recent limited edition release of a Great Divide Brewing Co. holiday brew, delivering great insight into the importance of collaboration with local paper reps, and how vision paired with technical expertise can lead to a finished product that sells itself in the board room. It’s the difference between a design that looks “good enough” to compete with hundreds of others on the shelf and one that compels consumers to outspend their beer budgets.
Kasman dove into their creative process as well, bravely sharing a story of failed design for Peacock Parfumerie, fortunately followed by a comeback story that proved that thoughtful design, coupled with quality paper and great storytelling can lead to the success of a product, and ultimately, that of a brand. We don’t often get to hear about our peers’ failures and learn from them, so it was inspirational to listen as Kasman shared the “other side” of a successful project.
As a surprise after the talks, the Great Divide Yeti made a hilarious appearance, handing out the winning raffle prizes to winners, and occasionally hugging them just a little too long for comfort, providing entertainment and laughs.
The event was overall an inspirational, smashing success. Perhaps most importantly, we received affirmation that print is not only alive and well but more relevant then ever for brands competing for consumer attention in an increasingly vast handcrafted marketplace and digitally driven world.
