2/6/2020

Generational shift: between Evolution and Revolution

In the course of a generational change, the handover of a life's work, there are usually a number of challenges for the successor: the balance between maintaining the tried and tested and at the same time developing something new. In the interview in the current issue of creativ verpacken, our managing directors Nadine and Max talk about precisely this, as we were also faced with such a generational change. After our founder Knut left the company, Nadine, Max and Lisa took over the management and thus also the responsibility for the reorientation of khdesign.

“Enthusiasm is what drives us and runs through our entire creation process - that was already the case with my father and is also the case with us and our entire team.”

Nadine Hartmann, Geschäftsführerin, khdesign gmbh

Enthusiasm has always been at the heart of this, “it drives us and runs through our entire creation process - that was already the case with my father and is also the case with us and our entire team,” says Nadine in the interview. In the January issue of creativ verpacken, you can read about the other challenges such a generational change entails, where the future responsibility for packaging design lies and what this means for the direction of our agency: https://www.creativverpacken.de

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New positioning, clear vision

Brands that are forgotten may have never truly existed.

Because what remains is not the logo or the packaging – it’s the feeling a brand leaves in people’s minds. Today, it’s no longer enough to simply look good. To stand out, brands need more than design: brands need to come alive.

Since 1977, we at echd have been shaping brands that go beyond aesthetics. Brands with character, clarity, and consistency – experienced at every touchpoint, whether on packaging, in a social post, or a product shot.
It’s not about loud colors or big words, but about a clear profile, consistent communication, and a deep understanding of how brands truly resonate.

In markets where products are becoming more and more alike, it’s not features or visuals that decide – it’s the feeling that remains. Only those who touch people emotionally will stay in their minds. That is our ambition: to make brands so alive that they transform into true experiences.

Where brands come alive.
We believe that brands are more than logos or packaging. They are perceptions, emotions, and stories in people’s minds – and we make sure they get there.

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news / 6/10/2025

Recap: epda 2024 (Bordeaux)

Bordeaux, April 18, 2024

Bonjour! Last week, our CCO & Managing Partner Max and our Creative Director Paul traveled to the sunny southwest of France for the epda congress. They brought with them a presentation on “Fighting food waste - How purpose creates value”, as they took over the stage as speakers together with Knärzje founder Dan Anthes.

Under the motto “Thrive. Don't just survive!”, the program included exciting expert presentations, plenty of networking and, of course, wine tasting with design colleagues from all over Europe. And all of this in a beautiful, inspiring location.

With these 3 learnings, we boarded the plane back to Frankfurt:

1. A.I. is both a curse and a blessing

We have to take our customers by the hand and show them how we can use A.I. to add value to the resulting work. It becomes dangerous when clients use A.I. tools to develop their own designs without taking marketing strategy and buyer behavior into account.

2. pitches damage the agencies and the brand

Poorly paid pitches mean that agencies cannot afford to put their A-teams on projects. European agencies need to come together to find a sustainable solution for agencies AND clients.

3. wine from Bordeaux is simply ... a pleasure!

You can find more impressions of our epda trip on Instagram. Check out this Reel!

What is the epda?

The European Brand & Packaging Design Association (epda) offers its members a platform for networking and exchanging knowledge on trends and packaging design at European level.

www.epda-design.com


Foto Credit: Autan Blanc

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