ICE CREAM
2019-20
As a Concept Designer, I collaborated cross-functionally with production, manufacturing, marketing, consumer insights, and food science teams to develop and prototype future ice cream concepts for Nestlé’s global brands. This work supported executive-level decision-making and culminated in presentations to the CEO and CFO at a global leadership summit, spanning markets across Chile, Peru, Hong Kong, Mainland China, and Canada.
PERIMETERS
Creative Constraints:
• Align concepts to existing international Nestlé ice cream brands
• Balance innovation with brand equity and consumer familiarity.
• Communicate flavor, texture, and experience through both edible and visual cues.
Technical Constraints:
• Early prototypes required hands on mastery of commercial grade laser printer.
• Packaging designed within existing production and material capabilities.
• Prototypes required to accurately represent scale, form, and shelf presence.
Timeline: 1 year.
WORKSHOP FACILITATION
Began this contract participating in workshops to identify target flavor and concept opportunities. These meetings were multi-disciplinary where discussions are lead by designers. As a designer in these workshops I facilitate conversation and funnel ideas into a finite concept that meets workshop objectives using convivial tool kits to drive innovation.
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These workshops were only complete once we achieved the desired number of concepts.
SYTHESIS AND CONCEPT VISUALIZATION
After finalizing concepts and validating their practicality from a manufacturing perspective, we visualized the ideas using established international brands to determine which markets each concept would best serve.
CONSUMER INSIGHTS
In collaboration with food science and consumer insights, I digitally visualized over 250 ice cream flavors. These visuals reflected production feasibility and were shared with over 7k consumers globally.
CONCEPT REFINEMENT
Once concepts were identified, each was assigned to an individual food developer. My role was to collaborate closely with food scientists to ideate and define the edible product first.
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After aligning on the most effective way to communicate each concept, I led brand exploration and developed tangible packaging prototypes to accompany the edible prototypes presented at the global leadership summit.
PACKAGING PROTOTYPING
KEY TAKAWAYS​
Prototyped packaging for 20 future ice cream flavor concepts, adding critical real-world context that helped senior leadership evaluate, refine, and ultimately approve specific flavors for commercialization. These prototypes played a key role in translating abstract ideas into tangible products, with several concepts from the original 20 progressing into market and remaining available across multiple global regions today.
