Leading creative direction for one of the US's largest specialty greeting card retailers: 300+ products launched, new consumer segments defined, and measurable growth across top retail chains.
The Challenge
Papyrus had built decades of loyalty on premium design — but the brand's visual language and product strategy needed to resonate with Gen Y and Z consumers while sustaining the category performance expected by major retail partners like Target.
As creative lead on the core team, I drove the aesthetic direction across product development, trend integration, and consumer segmentation research — translating insight into cohesive, commercially viable product lines.
Brand Strategy
I contributed to five consumer insight projects — including Gen Z focus groups and in-store shopping observations — that surfaced a clear gap between who Papyrus was designing for and who was actually buying. Those findings led to three new consumer segments that directly reshaped product strategy and creative direction.
Consumer segmentation work and brand strategy documentation
Segment 01
The Party Goer
Social celebrators who buy on impulse and prioritize visual impact over price point
Segment 02
The Party Thrower
Experience creators who buy in sets, value cohesion, and plan in advance
Segment 03
The Lifestyle Enthusiast
Aesthetic-driven collectors who see gifts as an extension of personal taste
Product Innovation
Every launch required balancing creative direction with commercial constraints — navigating production specifications, specialty finishing, multi-channel distribution, and retailer shelf requirements simultaneously. The discipline of designing within real-world limits while maintaining brand integrity was core to the role.
The "Simple" series — developed directly from Gen Y/Z consumer insights I helped surface — performed strongly in Target test stores, validating the new consumer segmentation strategy. It became the internal model for how future launches targeting younger demographics were approached.
Cultural Inclusion & Social Responsibility
I helped develop the new Latino Heritage series and refreshed collections including Soulful, Pride, and Lunar New Year — reinforcing Papyrus's commitment to cultural inclusivity while expanding consumer reach across underserved markets.
I also supported our long-term partnership with the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF). Since 2007, Papyrus has funded 3,300+ hours of research through limited-edition card sales — a brand value that requires design integrity to feel authentic, not performative.
Reflection
If I approached this today, I would use AI-assisted trend research and generative moodboarding to compress the insight-to-concept cycle from 6 weeks to 2 — freeing the team to spend more time on craft decisions and less on manual synthesis.
Results
A 3+ year engagement that proved insight-led creative direction and rigorous design systems thinking are not overhead — they are the foundation of sustained product growth.
300+
Products Launched
Across everyday cards, seasonal, cultural collections, and brand partnership lines
515
New SKUs
Launched in a single fiscal year, across 21 product plans — a record for the team
3+
New Consumer Segments
Defined through research, reshaping product strategy for the next generation of buyers