Corporate Retailer
As a designer for a corporate retailer, you’ll see products from project kickoff to market launch; you design products specifically for the company you work at. Hear Jessica share what it is like to work in corporate.
Designing for an “own brand” means creating products to be sold by that retailer. There is a competitiveness for designers, product developers, brand managers, and sourcing managers when pitching products to merchants. They are going up against a full assortment of brands, which the retailer will carry.
Jessica Hedge, our Women In Industrial Design Board Member & Industrial Designer at Staples, Boston, MA
A little about Jessica Hedge, Industrial Designer & Our Women ID Board Member.
Jessica grew up in a large family just outside Houston, Texas where she proceeded to begin life as a designer by attending the University of Houston’s Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture and Design Industrial Design program. She found a passion in hands-on storytelling and went on to study abroad in South Korea and China for a few weeks. Since then, she has grown more passionate about learning and understanding people.
After a design research internship and receiving her Bachelor of Science, B.S. Industrial Design, she moved to the Greater Boston area to be an Industrial Designer for Staples where she continues to support the Worklife Product Brands today. There she has learned countless skills and lessons about business, design strategy, systems design, brand management, packaging, and expanded her graphics and communication skills.
Outside the office, you can catch Jessica cooking new recipes, streaming the latest and greatest television, or attending group fitness classes at local studios. At WIID, Jessica has a couple of titles as a Board Member, from Virtual Panelist to Interviewer.
Photo provided by our Women In Industrial Design Board Member, Virtual Panelist + Interviewer, and Industrial Designer at Staples, Jessica Hedge.
Featuring, Tru Red “own brand” business essentials line for Staples’ own corporate retail brand.
“By expanding our product assortment and making shopping and saving easier than ever, we're helping customers make more happen every day. And it's our mission to make more happen for associates, local communities, and even the planet — through programs, policies, and the values we live by.”
*The Staples Mission Statement.
“We’re a small team in the corporation that sees thousands of products and packages developed each year, something we could not do without our local design partners.”
When designed for a retailer, you think a lot about how it fits into the store layout. Photo provided by our WIID Board Member, Jessica Hedge.
I enjoy being a corporate designer because we still maintain the intimate studio culture while reaping the benefits and security that come as being a part of a corporation. I feel safe in my workplace and life, knowing that my employer is taking care of me.
“It is part of the corporation, but we have pin-up boards, 3D printers, a materials library, and all the facets of an industrial design studio.”
Last year, I completed a stretch assignment in packaging. I learned about new processes, manufacturing methods, printing specifications and tested my graphic skills. In corporate design, we can truly see the products from start to finish; this gives us opportunities to explore new areas like research and strategy, sample rounds in manufacturing, or in my case, last year, structural and graphic packaging design.
“Who I consider to be on my team is not just designers but also many cross-functional partners.”
The realities of a corporate setting, the feedback, and understanding working within teams and with costs.
As in any corporate setting, restructuring is real. The constant feedback for designers in trying times for the company is to always have your portfolio up to date. While this can be scary, it's important to feel valued by your team and ensure they are aware of your talents and ambition. Who I consider to be on my team is not just designers but also many cross-functional partners, making communication even more critical. For example, if you have cost-sensitive, cross-functional partners, it can put barriers on concepts if not discussed effectively.
Stretching skills to graphic and packaging design has been a great experience. Photo provided by our WIID Board Member and Industrial Designer at Staples, Jessica Hedge.
Image of 3d modeled packaging renders for Union & Scale provided by our WIID Board Member and Staff Industrial Designer at Staples, Jessica Hedge.
THANK YOU, Jessica, FOR GIVING US A GLIMPSE INTO YOUR CAREER & WORK AS AN INSPIRING WOMAN IN DESIGN.
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