We’re pleased to announce that James Harmer has stepped into the role of Head of Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) at Cambridge Design Partnerships leading the team through its next phase of growth. To mark the appointment, we took the opportunity to sit down with James and talk about why now, and the challenges our clients are currently facing.
“For more than 25 years, I’ve worked alongside some of the world’s leading consumer brands, helping bring new products, packaging and experiences to market. Today, the conversations I’m having with clients are changing;
Consumer businesses are navigating an unprecedented combination of challenges. Regulation is accelerating. Resources are becoming more constrained. AI and digital technologies are transforming how products are designed and managed. Supply chains are evolving. Expectations from consumers continue to rise. These aren’t isolated trends. Together, they’re reshaping how businesses create value.
The question is no longer “How do we make a better product?” Increasingly, it’s becoming: “How do we create and keep more value?”
James Harmer | Head of Consumer Packaged Goods
One of the biggest misconceptions I see is that circularity is positioned as simply another sustainability initiative.
In reality, it’s so much bigger than that. It’s a commercial opportunity that businesses cannot afford to miss. Businesses will increasingly need to rethink not only the products they develop, but the systems that sit behind them, from materials and manufacturing through to digital services, recovery and entirely new business models.
Solving these challenges requires a different way of innovating
These problems can’t be solved by looking at packaging, engineering or software in isolation. They require organizations to think across the whole system. That’s why bringing together designers, engineers, scientists, software specialists, human factors experts and insight strategists has never been more important.
The biggest opportunity comes before the brief is written
One thing I’ve learned over the years is that many of the biggest project risks are created before development even starts. Too often, organizations arrive with a well-defined product brief when the bigger opportunity might be to rethink the problem entirely. The earlier we can help shape the thinking, align stakeholders and understand user needs, the greater the opportunity to create value – not just reduce risk.
I’ve been fortunate to spend more than two decades working with some of the world’s best consumer businesses. If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that the companies that succeed aren’t necessarily the ones with the biggest R&D budgets or the newest technology. They’re the ones willing to ask better questions early, challenge their own assumptions and see opportunity where others only see complexity. That’s why I’m so optimistic about the next decade of consumer innovation.
Looking ahead
The future of consumer-packaged goods won’t be defined solely by the next successful product launch.
It will be defined by how intelligently businesses create, retain and recover value across an entire product ecosystem. That requires new thinking, new partnerships and a willingness to challenge long-held assumptions. It’s an exciting moment for our industry, and I believe the organisations that embrace that change early will be the ones best placed to thrive.
Connect with CDP
For more on how to accelerate meaningful innovation in consumer packaged goods, from user experience to scalable design, contact Cambridge Design Partnership.