Prime Studio

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the Director of New Products at a health and wellness startup. We sell vitamins and supplements. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Prime Studio?

We needed support with the structural packaging for our products.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We’ve contracted with Prime Studio for several different projects. 

They’ve been able to create custom packaging for our products on each occasion, including paper and board, glo-molded, and other innovative structural designs. 

What is the team composition?

Our main point of contact has always been Stuart (Founder & Creative Director, Prime Studio). However, on each particular project, there have been a few other people involved, usually a project manager and a number of designers.

How did you come to work with Prime Studio?

We had collaborated with them on an earlier project along with a separate graphic design agency. When we needed strictly structural packaging design, we felt comfortable turning to Prime Studio.

How much have you invested with them?

We typically spend between $10,000-$50,000 on each project.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our first project began in 2018, and our relationship with Prime Studio is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 

Prime Studio is the agency we turn to when we need any structural packaging support. We’re currently engaged in our fourth project with them, and we really value their partnership and expertise.

They’ve been able to strike a balance between doing ideation upfront and coming up with innovative ideas, and translating and bringing to life some of the rough outlines of ideas we’ve formed ourselves. 

Prime Studio have been really strong partners and advisors to us, and we trust their experience and guidance. 

How did Prime Studio perform from a project management standpoint?

Prime Studio has performed really well. The team communicates efficiently, and if something falls behind for any reason, they’re upfront about it and fix it quickly. I’ve never worked with designers who are as strong and clear in their communication.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their strong point of view stands out. Particularly, Stuart will often push back against our ideas in a way that’s really effective. We trust the experience and knowledge that inform his insight.

He also has a great ability to keep both consumer understanding and operational understanding in mind with his designs. He doesn’t just consider how the user might interact with the packaging, but how the manufacturer will as well. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s nothing that I can think of. We keep working with them because we really value our partnership with them.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Incorporate as much context into your business and goals as you can. The more information you can give Prime Studio, the better an output they can create.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am President of Accessories for Rachael Ray's brand. I oversee several licensees and do business development for various merchandise categories. One of our projects is around business

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Prime Studio?

Prime developed brand design and packaging for Moxie Made #wearemoxiemade our commerce platform showcasing products curated, designed or made by women. The site is also home to Rachael Ray's first ever fashion line, Convalore, a collection of Italian vegetable tanned leather handbags, belts and small leather goods.

What were your goals for this project?

To create branding, marks and content that would convey our message and set Moxie Made and Convalore apart in an overcrowded e-commerce environment.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I first consulted with Prime in 2014 but wasn't able to secure budget for the project I had in mind. I was so impressed with Stuart and his team I came back first with a business development project still in work and again in 2018 for Moxie Made.

Describe the project in detail.

Build a website (in concert with a web development company) that acts as a platform of Rachael along with the other female collaborators through story telling, editorial content and inspired imagery. Develop packaging and collateral materials that reflect the brands aesthetic and ideals, the subtle promise of everyday luxury.

What was the team composition?

Prime dedicated designers as needed. The team shifted as the project went from phase to phase. Stuart participated and oversaw every aspect of each phase.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Moxie Made was honored to receive an Ace Award from the Accessories council in April for the Best New Launch.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The workflow was as smooth as silk. Prime was very responsive and always on time. They were a pleasure to work with, I think we were all a little sad to wrap this project and hope we have need for further work with Prime.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Initially I was really compelled by their portfolio and the wide range of projects they take on. They are able to understand the essence of a concept, to bring objectivity and expertise to the project. Prime really gets it and helped get us to the right place with each project we worked on together.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Not that I can think of.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CEO and co-founder of Stryx. Stryx is a men's corrective cosmetics brand that enables men to easily and comfortably look their best. We make high quality formulations for men in uniquely designed packaging that is sleek, discreet, and easy to use.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Prime Studio?

We hired Prime studio to design our first 3 products, their secondary packaging, and also to create a brand name and logo.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to create products that were manly, sleek, and discreet. Essentially make a cosmetic product that does not look or function like any other female cosmetic product on the market, and do it in such a way that guys would feel comfortable using.

This was no simple task. We also needed to create a brand identity from scratch including a name and logo that fit with what we were trying to accomplish as a brand.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

My co-founder and I searched for quite some time looking at some of the top design firms in NY for this job. We ended up selecting Prime Studio as we loved their past work for Harry's, Goby, Unilever, and many others, and felt they would best suit our needs.

Describe the project in detail.

Every phase of the project went through multiple rounds of exploration. We met to discuss initial project goals, and then, a few weeks later, met again to have a number of directions presented to us. This same pattern repeated throughout the process.

We were able to offer feedback through the design process to guide and steer Prime Studio along the way with our input. We felt this was critical to the final product as we were actively involved throughout the process together with the talent at Prime.

What was the team composition?

We were assigned a project lead / designer, but the head of Prime, Stuart, was super involved as well, and was at just about every meeting we had with them. We really felt like the whole of Prime studio touched our project at one point or another.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

We ended up with products that truly were unique and matched all the criteria we needed. We get comments and compliments all the time talking about how special our product design is. It is what sets us apart from everyone else in the field.

To date, no one else has been able to produce anything close to our offering. Stryx has sold thousands of units to thousands of happy customers with a remarkably low refund rate, which just goes to show how much our customers love our Prime-Studio-designed products.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We felt it was quite effective. We were sent presentations often via email in advance. We were able to review and offer feedback. Turnaround was timely and consistent.

We always felt like we were being heard and understood, and that we could throw just about all of our thoughts at Prime and be confident that they would filter and distill them as needed.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Every team member was super, super talented. Everyone we worked with was super professional and had consistently excellent ideas.

We felt the entire time like we were working with people who really, truly knew what they were doing, and so were much more open to following their lead on certain things. There is tremendous talent at Prime Studio.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Everything can always be done a little bit faster, and there were times when communication was a bit lacking as well, but that was the exception, not the rule. Overall, we were extremely happy with Prime Studio's work for Stryx, and have used them for further projects already since!

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CEO of a fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) manufacturing company based in Asia.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Prime Studio?

We worked with Prime Studio to come up with a unique product design that would appeal to younger generation.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

We looked for an agency that was creative, innovative and who understood the importance of large scale manufacturing. Most of all, the critical factor was that Prime Studio had previous experience with our product and a success story. 

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

Prior to the kick-off Prime Studio made sure that it fully understood our direction, intention, our target audience, and brand incorporating plans. This gave us trust in Prime Studio. Thanks to this groundwork we were able to apply these elements nicely into a prelimary sketch. We went through 3 different stages in developing and fine tuning the initial sketch and finally were able to receive satisfying deliverables.

How many resources from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

Total of 4 people were involved in the project:

• 1 Creative Director
• 3 Industrial Designers

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

We are still in the process of bringing the 3D data to life. 

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Despite the big time difference we were able to communicate through emails and zoom calls. They took our feedback with sincerity and reflected our ideas into the project to make improvements.

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

The most impressive part was that Prime Studio was consistent in the directional approach from start to finish. This saves time overall and result in design that reflects our target audience effectively. 

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?