Packaging Development Plan (PDP): Student Stories
In this article, we dive into the packaging development plan (PDP) of Yajssel Gudiño, Technical Account Manager at Smurfit Westrock.
Packaging Development Plan (PDP)
Since 2017, the Packaging School has offered the 100% online Certificate of Mastery in Packaging Management (CMPM)—a program created in collaboration with Clemson University's Center for Corporate Learning. The CMPM is a PhD-led professional development program that spans 12 weeks and covers 14 courses focused on the packaging management process—from ideation to disposal and everything in between.
A key component of the CMPM is the packaging development plan (PDP), a semester-long project that mirrors the packaging development process.
The PDP
The PDP is a 12-week project that begins as a 27-page template and directs students in the packaging management process through a hypothetical (but sometimes implemented!) packaging innovation project. The 10 phases of the PDP include:
Project Kickstart
Project Management Essentials
Regulations & Sustainability
Materials I
Materials II
Package Labeling & Finishing
Packaging Development Workflow
Capital Equipment and Scale Plan
Supply / Distribution Plan
Human Factors in Packaging Design
As students learn from the lessons in the CMPM and apply that knowledge to their PDP, they gain a clear understanding of the packaging development process and how to manage packaging systems from design, operations, and sustainability perspectives. Past PDP projects have turned into valuable resources for both the student and their organizations.
Let's dive into an example of a PDP project, including a testimonial from Yajssel Gudiño of Smurfit Westrock.
Yajssel's PDP Project
Yajssel's experience in his own words . . .
The Project
"For my packaging development plan, I decided to work on a project that included a trending technological advancement with presence on the market—Augmented Reality. The project aimed to promote brand awareness, engage consumers in a fun and interesting way just by adding a simple graphical feature to the artwork—with a more complex function and eye-catching display."
The Strategy
Target Audience / Stakeholders:
"The main stakeholders impacted by this project included the marketing department, the design team, and packaging provider. The target audience was all consumers and shoppers at the different points of sale. The project aimed to provide both consumers and shoppers a fun experience by interacting with the packaging and promote the brand website."
Approach:
"The strategy used to execute this project involved the use of Augmented Reality (AR) as a feature that would improve the experience with the brand and packaging, displaying different ways of using the product for an every-day snack or meal, showcasing the application of modern technology on packaging."
"To engage this project, I made some research on the development of AR experiences, including what applications does it have on the industry and the boost effect it can have on different experiences. I developed the AR experience with the use of Adobe software and tested implementation with packaging design software."
Impact / Expected Outcomes:
"The expected impact of the project was the increase of user engagement by 20–30%, prolonging the time a user interacts with packaging, building up greater presence in the mind of consumers. This contributes to the brand awareness by leaving a fun impression on consumers and by awakening their curiosity, leading them to the brand website."
The Results
Yajssel redesigned Nature's Bakery packaging to include a QR code that launches an Augmented Reality (AR) experience once scanned . . .
These AR experiences serve as a way to engage consumers and drive folks to the website to find recipes that involve the brand's fig bars.
Yajssel's Testimonial
"The CMPM and PDP experience made me aware of everything that's behind any type of product development project and the crucial role that packaging plays in it. The PDP provides a solid foundation for beginning any project, from identifying stakeholders to build the team and planning ahead."
"As you advance further in, you start unveiling other factors that you might not consider at an earlier point, however that's part of the learning experience; to adjust or correct parts of your project, and that is one of the key learnings of the PDP—the path of the project is not set in stone, if still at a proper stage, you can always go back and improve."
Learn more about the CMPM and PDP Project
The CMPM and the PDP have helped hundreds of packaging professionals, like Yajssel and Yessenia, expand their knowledge of the packaging development and management process. The Packaging School has been lucky to train folks at organizations of all sizes—from family-owned packaging operations to Fortune 500 CPG brands.
Learn more about the CMPM and PDP here!
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