Beyond Graduation

As Head of Design Strategy and Front End Design at Unilever, one of Sharon Gunzburg’s favorite projects? Making the Kool-Aid Man cooler.  “We took him to a modern space without losing those design elements that everybody knows and loves,” she says. “We made sure he had some updated elements ... different colors, a slightly more contemporary pitcher shape.” And keeping household names relevant is what interests her the most. “It's challenging to create new brands or new innovations—but for me, a bigger challenge is reimagining tried and trusted brands.”

In her current job at Unilever, she’s advanced another cabinet staple by creating a Vaseline® All-Over Body Balm Jelly Stick. “With a lot of our products, we make big sizes that typically live in people's homes … but portability has become important,” Gunzburg says. “You wouldn’t put a jar in your purse. We wanted it to be less messy, more on-the-go.” But no matter what, she always keeps brand authenticity in mind. “It’s the brand truth that I try to pull inspiration from, because then it threads through the life of the brand and how you develop new products.”