THE BOOK SHOWCASING THE NUMEROUS DESIGNS OF THE FOOD AND BEVERAGE BRANDS WITHIN THE PEPSICO PORTFOLIO BY PEPSICO DESIGN + INNOVATION WILL TAKE US THROUGH THE HUMAN-CENTRIC DESIGN IDEA

TEXT: DUSIT BUTTAYOTHEE
IMAGE COURTESY OF RIZZOLI AND PEPSICO

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In 2012, the then CEO of PepsiCo, Indra Nooyi, brought Mauro Porcini, an Italian-born designer and creator known for his work with 3M, into the fold. Porcini took on the role of the first Chief Design Officer, founding PepsiCo Design + Innovation with the goal of propelling the brand into a leading position in design-driven innovations. Currently, PepsiCo Design + Innovation boasts a team of over 50 individuals in New York, with additional studios in 17 different countries. ‘Good Design Is for Everyone: The First 10 Years of PepsiCo Design + Innovation’ serves as a testament to the studio’s creative prowess during its formative decade, showcasing its significant contributions to elevating the design of numerous food and beverage brands within the PepsiCo portfolio. These impactful initiatives can be traced back to Nooyi’s visionary leadership and Porcini’s creative ingenuity.

The core theme and primary emphasis of the book revolve around a dedicated commitment to the design thinking process, closely aligned with the principles of d.school and IDEO, which champion human-centered design. It’s apparent that both Nooyi and Porcini share this guiding philosophy in their approach. The inherent message conveyed through the design works featured in this book goes beyond mere artistic expression. Instead, it delves deep into the domains of the design thinking process, user experience, and user interface. Porcini eloquently articulates that their work extends far beyond packaging design; it is intricately connected to people’s experiences, emotions, and feelings.

In the case of 7UP, design studios in various countries outside the United States were tasked with rebranding to evoke a refreshing and lively sensation. This resulted in the creation of a new identity for the clear beverage that imparts a sense of vitality and energy. Through the dynamic and cohesive use of lines, shapes, and components, a heightened sense of energetic vibes is established.

For the Pepsi Culture Can Series, Pepsi cans were conceptualized as the brand’s global ambassador, showcasing elements that bring people together, such as symbols, food, music, and architecture. Participating countries included China, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, and Mexico. Each edition, designed as a limited release, serves as a canvas for artists and designers in each country to explore symbols of unity, hope, and happiness. The design also integrates a positive worldview of youth as the representative image of the brand.

In the development of the Gatorade Smart Gx bottle, featuring a tracking device for monitoring the body’s water loss and hydration requirements, its primary audience is the athletic and fitness community. This innovative bottle delivers real-time alerts seamlessly through a system linked to both the Gx App and Gx Sweat Patch. The design goes beyond providing tailored recommendations, leveraging calculated data on sweat loss, physical activity, environmental factors, and temperature levels. The design team, with an understanding of sweat dynamics and hydration necessities, has curated a design that not only caters to user needs but also ensures a personalized and user-friendly experience.

Porcini firmly asserts that adopting a human-centric approach is the most potent and long-lasting strategy for designers to shape brands in today’s dynamic world. The fierce competition for attention among brands and startups has reached unprecedented levels of intensity and complexity. Establishing a corporate culture rooted in a design philosophy that revolves around humans carries the potential to generate designs that are not only meaningful but also highly relevant, consequently and effectively catering to broader customer bases.

Over the last decade, design teams under Porcini’s leadership at PepsiCo have engaged in collaborative efforts across multiple departments, exploring and materializing multiple facets ranging from branding, philosophy, marketing, communication, and business to research and development. Their endeavors involved the observation of human behaviors, meticulous data collection, statistical analysis, and experimentation with diverse ideas. Porcini’s team successfully translated this wealth of information into designs that align with people’s functional needs and emotional nuances. This book serves as a narrative of PepsiCo’s human-centric design journey, showcasing examples of the work discussed by Porcini.

Indra Nooyi once said that good design is design that people love. This book, featuring an array of designs, genuinely captivates the hearts of loyal Pepsi enthusiasts. For professionals in branding and marketing, it stands as a valuable case study. As for the general audience, this substantial four-hundred-page book is not merely informative but also visually delightful, with an amazing collection of images of products from PepsiCo, the colossal brand that has held the world’s affection for over a century.

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