Photo Credit - Wes Sumner

Photo Credit - Wes Sumner

Packaging Design
2004 - 2024

I have designed packaging for 20 years and I am really good at it.

The work I have done is exceptional, thoughtful & produces huge financial wins for the companies I work for.

I founded a new practice & ran a satellite studio for top tier ID firm, Ammunition.

Designing structural packaging for household names & startups that have since become ubiquitous.

I was responsible for revenue stream of $3MM, roughly 25% of the total revenue.

I designed a packaging system for Monogram, Jay-Z's cannabis startup, the brand sold for $100MM based on my mockups. No flower had been harvested.

In my second year at Burgopak UK at the age of 24 I opened a studio in Chicago for Burgopak UK, securing a contract from Motorola worth $500k/month .

This new revenue stream amounted to $20MM over the next 4 years.

Structural Packaging Design

I went onto found a packaging design practice for Burgopak in Chicago called BurgoUSA, securing a design retainer from Motorola for $200k/month.

BurgoUSA sold to Jansy in 2012 & Jansy eventually sold to Berlin Packaging in 2022 for $1.43 billion.

I am the inventor on 15 package patents including 10 for Apple inc.

New York City Part II
2015 - 2024

I have always been drawn to New York.

The liveliness, diversity & creative culture is second to none. It is where I met my wife, & where my children were born.

In 2014 I decided to return. I gave my notice at Ammunition in SF & was planning the move back east.

You know what they say about the best laid plans?

Ammunition's owners, Robert & Matt had a different idea for me, for which I am forever grateful.

Ammunition Brooklyn Studio

Photo Credit - Wes Sumner

I was given the opportunity to found the first & only Ammunition satellite studio.

Ammunition Brooklyn Studio

Photo Credit - Wes Sumner

Ammunition Brooklyn opened in 2015.

It was a rewarding 9 years, building a remote studio from scratch.

I assembled & led a team of expert designers, doing some the finest work for brands like Ollie, Blue Apron, Beats, Dewalt, Verizon, Volvo & Monogram.

Monogram Packaging System

Monogram Packaging System

Mock-ups of the above packaging system for Roc Nation & Caliva's cannabis startup, allowed them to sell for $100MM before any product had been harvested.

Beats Packaging Detail

Delightful Touch-points

San Francisco
2012 - 2015

I joined San Francisco based industrial design firm Ammunition as the founding member of a  packaging design practice.

The initial focus was Beats by Dre.

Transitioning existing products to a new Beats-owned-supply-chain.

The original packaging was designed organically, the new system needed to maintain the look & feel but allow for the rapid deployment of new products.

First Beats Packaging System

Beats Packaging 2012-2013

The initial system encompassed 11 products across 3 families totaling 136 SKUs.

First Beats Packaging System

Beats Packaging 2012-2013

I designed two more packaging systems for Beats over the next 10yrs.

Beats Packaging System v2

Beats Packaging 2013-2017

V2 focused on out-of-box-experience, creating a library of shared parts, new product categories & sustainability.

Beats Packaging System v2

Beats Packaging 2013-2017

V3 was designed for Apple after they acquired Beats, with a focus on elegance & sustainability.

Beats Packaging System v3

Beats Packaging 2017-Present

The Stark system is the definition of how to develop sustainable premium packaging.

Beats Packaging System v3

Beats Packaging 2017-Present

My capacity to handle large workloads & complex systems was recognized by the Ammunition owners.

Square iPad Stand Packaging

Square iPad Stand Packaging

They were eager to expand structural packaging design to more clients, especially the startups they were investing in.

Now Planting soup container for Ammunition

Now Planting Soup Packaging

Packaging design as a service became part of Ammunition's offering, adding 30% revenue.

Ollie Packaging System

Ollie Packaging System

Chicago Part II
2010 - 2012

I returned to Chicago as Director of the newly formed design studio BurgoUSA.

I built the creative team & led projects for brands such as Gillette, AB InBev, Nike, Motorola, Blackberry, LG & L’Oréal.

My work for Gillette & BeGreen won the   2011 DuPont Diamond award for Excellence in Innovation, Cost/Waste Reduction, & Sustainability.

First-of-its-kind molded fiber clamshell for Gillette

Molded fiber clamshell

The first-of-its-kind sealed molded fiber based clamshell replacement removed thousands of tons of single-use-plastic from the waste stream.

Sliding makeup compact for Burgopak

Sliding makeup compact for Burgopak

New York City Part I
2008 - 2010

I worked remotely for Burgopak, focusing on developing new patents, a cosmetics line & child-proof pharmaceutical sliders.

One of the new products was a shopping bag shaped giftcard slider.

It was a perfect fit for Bloomingdales & their iconic brown bags.

Little Brown Card slider for Bloomindales

Little Brown Card slider for Bloomindales

I pitched it & they loved it. The little brown card slider sold for over a decade.

Motorola Slider Boxes for Burgopak

Motorola Slider Boxes for Burgopak

London & Chicago
2004 - 2008

As a graduate, I joined Burgopak, I soon became an integral member of the team.

The patented mobile phone slider boxes I developed were picked up by Motorola.

One thing led to another, at the age of 24 I found myself on a plane to Chicago.

There I set up a satellite office that would later become the US HQ for Burgopak.

ID 53rd Annual Review

ID 53rd Annual Review

The packages I designed for Motorola contributed to $500K in monthly sales and $20MM over the next 4 years.

Motorola RIZR Package

Motorola RIZR Package

The studio grew to 30 people over the next 4 years, securing an additional design retainer from Motorola worth $200k a month.

Patents