Cool Kids Design Studio

Founder

Justin Akira | Freelance Brand Strategist & Designer

Freelance Brand Strategist & Designer

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Weebly.com

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Hi, I’m Justin 👋🏼, Founder of Cool Kids Design Studio.

I help food & beverage CPG founders build shelf-ready brands that actually sell.

Because the truth is:

→ Looking good online doesn’t always translate to the retail shelf
→ Most packaging blends in instead of standing out
→ And when sales are slow, it’s hard to know what’s not working

That’s where we come in.

We work with founders 1:1 to redesign their brand and packaging—so it’s clear, differentiated, and built to perform in retail.

Whether you're trying to land your first wholesale account or improve sales in stores you’re already in, we can help you figure out what’s missing—and fix it.

Not sure if your brand is ready?

Start with our free Retail-Ready Brand Checklist—DM me “checklist” and I’ll send it your way.

→ Want to work together? Book a call through my profile.

P.S. I share weekly tips on branding, packaging, and retail readiness. Hit follow so you don’t miss them.


👉Want to connect?
——————————————————————————
📧 Email: justin@coolkids.studio
💻 Visit: www.coolkids.studio
📍 Based in San Francisco, working with brands across the U.S.

Have you walked down the grocery aisles lately?


I walk up and down them almost every day (I've even gotten kicked out of some stores).

Do you know what I've noticed?

Lots of color.

Bold, bright colors.

And it makes sense, right? Bright colors will get your attention.

And brands want you to pay attention to their products.

But what if everyone is using bright colors? What happens then?

Imagine that you walk into a llibrary.

It's quiet.

Everyone is reading.

And then you shout.

I guarantee you that you'll get everyone's attention.

Now imagine you're at a concert.

And you shout.

How many peoples' attention will you get then?

I'm guessing no one's.

Why?

Because everyone else is shouting too.

Quick rule of thumb when designing your packaging: 

CONTRAST is what gets attention.

Justin Akira Uyemura

Brand & Packaging Design for emerging CPG Food & Beverage | Turning great products into shelf-ready brands | You’ve built something great — now let’s package it for the world | Ready to scale? Let’s connect

Your packaging has two jobs:


Get noticed and be understood.

I spotted this rice bag in the aisle last week — bright blue, bold type, totally different from everything around it.

It looked good.

But did it work?

Here’s how I break down packaging when I’m helping founders figure out what’s working and what’s getting in the way:

- It stood out. (✅ Good.)
- It felt polished. (✅ Also good.)
- But when I asked myself “Why this rice?”… the pack didn’t answer. (⚠️ Not great.)

👉 Good packaging grabs attention.
👉 Great packaging clarifies value instantly.
👉 And retail-ready packaging does both in under 5 seconds.

This is what I look for when I’m stress-testing a client’s packaging for retail shelves. Not just whether it’s pretty, but whether it communicates fast, builds trust, and earns a spot in the cart.

Founders: if you're heading toward retail, and you're not sure your packaging does that yet — DM me a photo. I’ll break it down like this.

Packaging Teardown

Picture this...


You have zero empathy. 

Zero compassion. 

You don't care about what people think of you.

You could say anything and just go on with your day.

I'm gonna be this person for a second.

(just for a second, because it makes me cringe).

Happy Monday!

Advice I'd offer you

Buyers won’t tell you why they passed. So I will.


If you’re a founder getting ready to pitch retail — this is what’s really happening behind that smile.

Picture this (or maybe you've even been there):

You’re pitching to a buyer...
Your product is in hand.
Your story always makes everyone cry.
Your pitch deck is all kinds of catchy and pretty.
Your passion is all over the table.

They’re smiling. 

Maybe even asking a few questions.

But in their head? They’re running a mental checklist:

✅  Will this stand out on my shelf?
✅  Will it outsell what I already carry?
✅  Does it fill a real gap in its category?

They’re not judging your story. They’re judging your shelf impact, speed of sale, and polish.
It’s not personal - it’s pattern recognition.

Buyers do listen, but they’re trained to evaluate quickly.

They often form a strong impression early - within the first minute - based on visual cues, product fit, and perceived polish.

That’s why great products still get passed on.

Not because they’re bad.

Because the brand didn’t answer the right questions.

Bottom line: Great products get passed not because they’re bad — but because the brand didn’t answer the right questions.

---

I help founders get their pitch retail-ready — so buyers don’t have to guess.
Tag a founder prepping for retail. This is what they need to hear.

What buyers are reallly thinking

Cheerios. In a bag.


I was wandering through a grocery store in Amsterdam last month when I did a double-take in the cereal aisle.

Now this may be the norm in Europe, but here in the US it's anything but. 

Which is why it stopped me in my tracks.

I've been staring at cereal boxes my entire life (occupational hazard of being a brand designer and a cereal lover), so seeing those familiar yellow Os packaged like potato chips genuinely stopped me in my tracks. 

For a split second, I wasn't even sure it was the same product.

That moment got me thinking about The Real Cereal Company here in the US – another brand that ditched the box for a bag. 

While everyone else is fighting for attention with colorful cardboard rectangles, they're literally standing out with a completely different shape on shelf.

Here's the thing that emerging CPG founders often miss: 

Your packaging IS your differentiation strategy, especially when you don't have a massive marketing budget.

When every brand in your category follows the same packaging playbook, breaking those "rules" becomes your competitive advantage. 

The Real Cereal Company isn't just saving on packaging costs and telling a sustainability story – they're impossible to ignore on shelf because they look nothing like everything else around them.

Think about it: 

What unwritten rules does your category follow?

Glass jars when everyone expects plastic pouches?

Minimalist design in a sea of busy labels?

Unusual shapes or sizes that make sense for your product?

I get it – budgets are tight and "safe" choices feel, well, safer. But sometimes the biggest risk is blending in completely.

Your turn: What's a brand you've noticed purely because their packaging broke category conventions? Drop an example in the comments – I love seeing creative rule-breakers in action! 👇

Be honest—would you stop for your own brand?


Customers don’t read. 

They scan. 

And on a crowded shelf, your brand has maybe five seconds to spark interest, emotion, or even just a flicker of curiosity.

That’s where your visual identity does the heavy lifting. 

Typography, photography, and color work together to tell a story without needing a single word.

In this post, we’re zeroing in on typography—because the shape of your words says a lot about who you are. 

And when it’s off, the whole brand can feel off.

Pick the wrong one and your customers will get confused.

Pick the right one and it will strengthen and reinforce everything about your brand.

Let’s dig into how to make type work for your CPG brand.

Swipe to see just how much they can affect a brand's vibe.

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