CHIEF DESIGN OFFICER, PEPSICO, PURCHASE NY
Mauro Porcini is PepsiCo’s first-ever Chief Design Officer. He joined the food and beverage company in 2012 and in said role he is infusing design thinking into PepsiCo’s culture and is leading a new approach to innovation by design that impacts the company’s product platforms and brands, including Pepsi, Lay’s, Mountain Dew, Gatorade, Doritos, Lifewtr, Bubly, Aquafina, Cheetos, Quaker, 7Up, Mirinda, and many others.
His focus extends from physical to virtual expressions of the brands, including product, packaging, events, advertising, fashion and art collaborations, retail activation, architecture, and digital media. He leads teams based in New York City, Purchase, Dallas, Chicago, Los Angeles, Orlando, Miami, London, Dublin, Moscow, Il Cairo, New Delhi, Shanghai, Bangkok, Mexico City, Sao Paulo and Cape Town.
Since 2020, he has been a presenter and judge on the TV show New York by Design and America by Design, airing on CBS and Amazon Prime Video.
In fall 2022, Mauro published his first book in English, The Human Side of Innovation: The Power of People in Love with People (Berrett-Koehler), which focuses on innovation, design and leadership. The book was named a Gold Winner of the Better Future – New York Design Award. In spring 2021, he published his first book in Italian “L’età dell’eccellenza – Come innovazione e creatività possono costruire un mondo migliore” (Il Saggiatore).
Prior to joining PepsiCo, Mauro served as the first ever Chief Design Officer at 3M, where his mission was to build and nurture a design sensitive culture in a technology driven global corporation.
We see an increased emphasis on Package Design to advance the brand, tell the story, amplify the experience, and forge an emotional connection with consumers. Do you agree and, if so, why is there an intensified focus on package design?
I completely agree. In this global, high-tech, and digitized world we live in, the best packaging and graphic design takes a people-first approach and places the wants and needs of human beings at the center of everything. Design can be fun, convenient, precious, and accessible, but good design is always an act of respect, an act of empathy, and an act of love. This type of human-centric design forges the deepest connections with people. As a discipline, packaging design provides a unique opportunity for us to tell stories and connect with people right where they are. Designers paint people’s daily interactions with the brands that surround them, and packaging is one of the most visible aspects of a brand.
I have noticed a few trends that I think will continue to triumph in 2024 and beyond. In both packaging design and all other design disciplines, there is an increased focus on implementing sustainability, providing authentic personalization, and incorporating wellness. Additionally, we will continue to utilize new forms of technology, like wearables, data, 3D printing as a tool to unlock these focus areas, while maintaining a humancentric and empathic approach to design.
