The PRINT Awards have long honored creativity, intention, and innovation in visual design; in 2025 we have opened 28 categories for entries, ranging from typography to social media design.
This year, three designers from PepsiCo Design & Innovation, our presenting sponsor, have joined our jury. We asked them about their mindset going into the award consideration process.
Kelli Albaugh, design director at PepsiCo, weighs in on the In-House Design and Self-Promotion categories.
What does a winning submission in the In-House Design and Self-Promotions category look like to you?
“I think the best work comes from having an actual challenge or a solution that you’re trying to figure out or design against,” says Albaugh. “When there’s a true problem to solve it makes for much richer work. Otherwise, it can seem like things are designed for design’s sake.”
2024 PRINT Awards Winners for In-House, BYMAKBAS Seasonal Stationery and Self-Promotions, The Office of Ordinary Things for D&K Printing
Juan Carlos Martinez, design director, PepsiCo LATAM, brings his expertise to the Packaging Design category.
What are you looking for in the Packaging category?
“There are a few things. First of all, if there are sustainable components, that’s something special. It’s clearly important right now. If the project involves ideas that are better for the environment and for social causes, I think that’s an ultra plus and something that we should consider,” Martinez says.
“I would also think about relevance. Sometimes, as designers, we make amazing, beautiful things, but they should also be relevant for the target audience and market. In Latin America, we are very aware of this because we know that our preferences can be different. For example, we have different visual codes than other regions where oftentimes less is more when it comes to design. Sometimes in LATAM, more is more. That can contradict what we learn in design school, but we need to balance it out with what we know of the culture to make it relevant.”
2024 PRINT Awards Professional Winner for Packaging, Lou Reed Words and Music Special Packaging by Phyx Design and Student Winner for Packaging Vasavi Bubna for Horsepower Cold Brew Coffee
At PepsiCo, Courtney “CJ” Jimerson is a senior design director for Gatorade. She’ll be judging the Brand Collaborations category.
What makes for an award-winning Brand Collaboration?
“The most successful brand collaborations are built on authenticity, relevance, and innovation. Compelling storytelling is essential—especially when it taps into cultural moments or insights that foster real emotional connections with consumers,” says Jimerson. “The best partnerships feel natural, with both brands sharing aligned values and enhancing each other rather than seeming forced. Most importantly, the final product should be fresh, distinctive, and something neither brand could have created alone.”
2024 PRINT Awards Winner for Brand Collaborations,2023 Nuit Blanche Taipei -Time to Rise Up by Left Brain
“I love the energy and excitement that limited-edition drops bring to a brand, driving hype and cultural momentum,” she continues. “But when co-brands push boundaries and create truly unique innovation, the impact extends beyond the moment—it holds lasting value and influence over time.”
According to the PepsiCo team, what is great design?
Kelli Albaugh, Juan Carlos Martinez Burgos, and Courtney Jimerson from PepsiCo Design & Innovation
Kelli Albaugh: Empathy. To create design solutions for others, you have to be able to put yourself in their shoes. You need to step away from what you know as a designer or a creative and really try to understand the people that you are designing for. Otherwise, things can become a little bit too esoteric and conceptual.
Juan Carlos Martinez: For me, good design is about making the right connections. Sometimes we focus too much on aesthetics, and we certainly should because it’s part of the way we help communicate. But for me, good connections are more important, meaning how we connect the business’s needs to the user’s needs, wants or desires to the brand’s personality and purpose. When you start marrying all of these, those are the designs that work well or can surprise you.
Courtney Jimerson: I once came across a quote that resonated with me: ‘Good design is hard to notice because it fits our needs so seamlessly that we don’t even think about it.’ In other words, it doesn’t try too hard. I relate to this idea. Good design is strategically clear and extends beyond just form and function. It communicates effortlessly across any medium. But great design goes even further. It not only follows these principles but also evokes emotion, creating a connection that inspires and motivates on a human level.
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