Design Interview
Tim Maddy, Mary Kay Cosmetics
For Tim Maddy, master packaging designer at Mary Kay Cosmetics, package design involves both an aesthetic and a practical aspect. "Aesthetically, I like clean-lined minimal forms without a lot of embellishments," he said. "This does not mean that these forms cannot be complicated in their geometry. I want them to be the dominant aspect of the design, not the surface decoration. The use of surface decoration needs to articulate and enhance the form without distracting from it."
Because we live in a rapidly changing world with so much clutter, we treasure those things that have been defined the very best of something, says Maddy, who has worked for Mary Kay for 18 years. "This allows us to merely respond to it without working at it or trying to figure it out."
Design Today
Then there are, of course, the practical aspects of today's business to be considered. "Designing is more than just interpreting a marketing concept into a three-dimensional shape. It also involves a design that can be mass-produced, assembled and filled efficiently," he says.
For example, at Mary Kay, it is necessary to use a puck to hold a bottle when filling it on the assembly line. If the bottle doesn't fit the puck, problems arise. "The bottle must be designed around this limitation. I have to make sure the puck can be designed to hold the bottle," he said. In the case of Belara, the company's latest fragrance, the puck manufacturer could not produce a puck design that worked, so Maddy designed the product as well as the puck.
His responsibilities at the beauty firm center around designing custom packaging. In the past five years, Maddy has become heavily involved with designing new fragrance packages from eau de toilette to ancillary packages. "I stay with the development of the packaging throughout the entire cycle, beginning with the initial concept to the final production. I design throughout the whole process," says Maddy, who works closely with the purchasing and marketing departments, package engineers and program management.
After earning his bachelor of fine arts from the University of Colorado, Boulder, Maddy went on to complete his masters of fine arts in design from Cranbrook Academy of Art in Michigan. Today he especially enjoys the challenge of working with fragrances. "Glass is a beautiful material - like no other. It can almost be magical in its reflectivity and depth." "
Maddy notes that he is pleased with all his designs, but has some favorites that were not selected by Mary Kay in the end because they were considered "too edgy" for the company's customer base.
Belara and Beyond
Belara is doing well in the market, and Maddy attributes the success of the recent fragrance launches to the entire Mary Kay team. "Belara symbolizes a woman who balances family and career, who is feminine yet strong, confident and energetic," he explains. The bottle shape is strong, with broad shoulders that flow gently downward, combining these attributes. The shape of the cap flows with the bottle. The two colors on the bottle merge together, representing the multiple dimensions of the woman, says Maddy.