Package & Product Design, Prototype & Manufacturing

Q. What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?

A. Don't hire a designer that makes pretty pictures. Hire a designer that can create packaging and brands that sell. Getting your product to sell through at retail is the key to successful design. Design that's pretty wins awards but many times doesn't translate to sales. A successful retailer in New England has the ugliest ads and sells boat loads of product. His adverting in store is obnoxious, so why does it see? He understands his customer. He understands the psychology of retail and why people visit is locations and make purchases. Its about being cheap. About perceived value. Not design awards.

Q. What do you like most about your job?

A. Working on many different projects. Travel. Accomplishment..Meaning getting the project done and making my customers happy and making them money. If they are happy, the pay their bills. There has to be a win win for the project to be successful.

Q. What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?

A. Can you help? Of course I can, with my 30 years experience working on consumer goods. I understand the process better than most. I have worked hands on from product ideation straight through to package development and manufacturing. understanding the process and cost related issues from the start I will not only help you develop the proper product, package and brand but i will do it with the end cost involved. that's what makes me different, Complete understanding.

Q. How did you decide to get in your line of work?

A. Its all I have ever done. From High school on art is what i did. Went to the Maryland Institute College of Art, Baltimore. Started freelancing in college, Started my first company in college "ArtEast" and the rest just followed.

Q. Tell us about a recent job you did that you are particularly proud of.

A. I don't have any one job I am particularly proud of. Some jobs I don't like the customer loves. Some jobs I love the customer has fought me all the way. The key to a successful job is not the fact that I like it or the customer likes it. Its if it moves off the shelf and creates dollars for my customer. I look at it as solving a puzzle. How do i get the job done and getting it to sell, make the customer happy and making me happy. Proud? I don't know if I would say I think of it that way. Successful maybe.

Q. Do you do any sort of continuing education to stay up on the latest developments in your field?

A. Education? Lol. Education by people that get it is not done in a book written by someone that writes. Use your eyes, look around, absorb and translate it into your work. great designers have talent, but they see. Seeing is the key. Most people are blind.

Q. Describe your most recent project, what it involved, how much it cost, and how long it took.

A. Job costs range all over the place. Job timing is always yesterday in mass market. I usually get a job in an out on average 1-2 weeks. I work quick because i draw upon 30 years of experience designing and working with smart customers. Customers that understand turning product into profits.

Q. If you were advising someone who wanted to get into your profession, what would you suggest?

A. I would suggest to you it won't be easy. Have a specific focus Create a specialty. Don't generalize. the design field is competitive and you have to be the best or perceived as the best in your specific niche. This is key.