The Brand Depot

26/10/2026

Food and beverage packaging is the physical bridge where design, culture and community meet. It's so important for designers to get out and about to connect with the producers so we can do the best work possible.

AI doesn't have empathy and curiosity (yet!), which is fundamental to brand and packaging design. At this stage AI predicts the best possible outcome from mind boggling numbers. However it misses the building blocks of the "bridge".. We need to remind ourselves to get off the computers, off social media, off AI and into the community.

To go to these shows like the Brisbane W**e and Food Festival , you can talk with these people and truely understand their story from their perspective and why they do it. I hope we don't lose this understanding as designers learn to integrate AI into our profession in the best possible way.

😍It was great to see a Moreton Bay section, showcasing local food and beverage producers who I didn't know about . It was a fantastic opportunity to connect with businesses from my local hood!

Sharing some mages from the show. 😀Spot the kiwis! 👀

23/10/2026

16/10/2026

❤️ Another awesome day out at the annual Food & Hospitality Queensland show in Brisbane. Highly recommended! A big opportunity to keep up with latest trends and innovations etc.

⭐️ There's always interesting speakers too. A few highlights for me

• It's a fab networking event to meet people in the industry

• Innovative products by House of Matcha. Check them out 👀, Matcha Oat latte in a can.

• Printer stands showing casing the latest substrates and techniques, especially sustainable packaging.

•Watching Queensland Professional Chef of the year and Queensland pizza championships.

• Waaaaaaaay too much ice cream and pizza samples, amongst other delicious offerings...well fed!

13/10/2026

If you haven't heard of him, Tobias Hall is super talented! Check out his beautiful work 😍

Lettering, illustration & design. Tobias Hall is an illustrator & designer working from London, UK.

10/10/2026

👀 Nice article on modernising a heritage brand.
😍 Love the crafting

Antwerp studio WeWantMore's refresh of BRU trades a second-long shelf glance for a seat at the table. It's become such a cliché in packaging design, you'd think...

06/10/2026

Old School Presentation⭐️ Without all the motion, stripped of bells and whistles, no AI backdrops
Just pure packaging design 👀. Thrilled that these are now available at Woolworths.

Aotearoa Chocolate has done really well as a challenger brand in the notoriously difficult confectionery market.👍 Along with Pretzels, Easter Eggs, and another almond range, this new product development gives Kiwi shoppers the option of a local brand in a category mostly dominated by the giant Internationals.

10/09/2026

👀A good read! AI is useful as a tool but it has its limitations.

Firms are more likely to use technology as ‘the intern in the office’ than as a replacement for skilled staff

19/08/2026

👀New packaging work for Cartel Food Co! These burrito bowl ready meals are now available at NZ Woolworths.

Cartel Food co is a challenger brand. Think David and Goliath -little guy vs the big one 😀Challenger brands can disrupt the category by having their own unique brand identity which is different from other brands. This attracts customers as something different.

Cartel Food Co stands out in the supermarket freezer with an edgy look using bright colours and fun language. The brand is certainly on way to achieving their national freezer domination!

16/07/2026

new website launched 😍 Presence in Australia now certified!

Ideas built specifically for your brand. From scratch. The brand and packaging designer behind global brands,now working closely with yours. Contact Catherine Why work with me? * Why work with me? * direct Work directly with Catherine. Not a junior, not an account manager. The person with 25 years o...

29/05/2026

One of my favourite street artists - Shepard Fairey❤️🤩Sydney