11/18/2025

10. How AI Automation Is Redefining Brand Design with James Cutting

In the final episode of The Effectiveness Gap, James Cutting, founder of T=Ø, joins hosts Nike Stellamans and Marcel Verhaaf to explore how automation is transforming brand and packaging design. James explains how brand map technology and AI-driven workflows are giving brands real-time control over their assets, eliminating repetitive stages and cutting production time from months to minutes. By connecting live data directly to design, brands can now update hundreds of artworks instantly, ensure compliance automatically, and free up creative teams to focus on what they do best: design that drives impact. Discover how the next wave of automation blends creativity and intelligence, empowers designers, streamlines collaboration, and redefines what “right first time” really means. If your brand juggles complexity, speed, and scale, this episode is your guide to working smarter in the age of agility. To learn more about a new perspective on the design process for brands and packaging, visit us on wegiveperspective.com⁠ or follow us on LinkedIn. The Effectiveness Gap is a 10-part series where we team up with leading experts and brand owners to unpack every step that can make your design process work better, reduce wasted effort, and create more impact for brands and packaging. This podcast series is created and produced by Perspective, and hosted by Nike Stellamans and Marcel Verhaaf. Recording, editing and mastering by De Podcastexpert.

25 min

11/11/2025

9. Revolutions in Colour & Print Management with Leigh Evans

How to avoid a great design falling apart at the printer. Learn more about how AI-driven colour correction and cloud-based approvals are revolutionising the process. Imagine seeing live press measurements on calibrated screens from anywhere in the world, bringing original intent and final output together in real-time. In Episode 9 of The Effectiveness Gap, we talk with Leigh Evans, founder of DTP Solutions, about the critical link between brand design, print, and colour management. Because an effective design isn't just about how it looks on screen, it's about how it appears in the shopper's hand. Leigh reveals why so many brands still struggle with brand colour consistency. From RGB vs. CMYK to inconsistent proofs and missed expectations, Leigh shares why colour consistency is one of the challenges brands face today and how new technologies like spectrophotometers, ICC profiling, and AI-driven colour correction are changing the game. Leigh's key advice? Treat colour management as a business asset, not a technical afterthought. Bringing print experts into the design process early can prevent blind spots and ensure your brand looks professional across all touchpoints. The Effectiveness Gap is a 10-part series where we team up with leading experts and brand owners to unpack every step that can make your design process work better, reduce wasted effort, and create more impact for brands and packaging. Every week, a new podcast. If you care about print quality, colour accuracy, and protecting your brand integrity from screen to shelf, this one’s for you. To learn more about a new perspective on the design process for brands and packaging, visit ⁠wegiveperspective.com⁠ or follow us on LinkedIn. This podcast series is created and produced by Perspective, and hosted by Nike Stellamans and Marcel Verhaaf. Recording, editing and mastering by De Podcastexpert.

24 min

11/04/2025

8. Research: What Works When? with Martin de Munnik

Research plays a crucial role in design, but too often, the wrong methods are used for the wrong challenges. In this episode of The Effectiveness Gap, we talk with Martin de Munnik, neuromarketing expert and co-founder of Neurensics, about how neuroscience helps uncover the emotions behind consumer behaviour. As Martin explains, 95% of our decisions are driven by subconscious emotion, not logic. So when we ask consumers what they think of a design, their answers don’t always match what their brains are really saying. We explore how tools like EEG, fMRI, and FNIRS can reveal hidden reactions to design measuring trust, desire, and fear in real time. Through real-world cases, Martin shows how science and creativity can work hand in hand to predict impact and prevent costly design missteps. Discover how research and design can become true partners in fact-based design: • Why traditional research often fails new or innovative work • How to make neuroscience practical for brand design • When to bring research into the process To learn more about a new perspective on the design process for brands and packaging, visit ⁠wegiveperspective.com⁠ or follow us on LinkedIn. The Effectiveness Gap is a podcast series of 10 episodes by Perspective, exploring every step that can make the design process for brands and packaging more effective. Every week, a new episode. This podcast series is created and produced by Perspective, and hosted by Nike Stellamans and Marcel Verhaaf. Recording, editing and mastering by De Podcastexpert.

33 min

10/27/2025

7. Comms x Design: How To Make Magic Happen? with Ernst-Jan Koomans & Bianca Faaij

When design and communication teams come together, creativity can either collide or connect. In this episode of The Effectiveness Gap, Ernst-Jan Koomans from Onbewolkt & 25 Graden and Bianca Faaij from Cortina join Nike Stellamans and Marcel Verhaaf to explore how all parties can bridge the gap between these two powerful disciplines and make magic happen. We unpack why design and communication often operate in silos and how to turn friction into flow. From defining shared objectives to managing creative egos, Ernst-Jan and Bianca share how leadership, timing, and mutual respect can transform the most challenging collaborations into brand magic. You’ll also hear how design and communication work to different rhythms: design builds the long-term brand foundation, while communication drives short-term impact. The key? Orchestrating both so every message reinforces the brand story. If you’ve ever felt the tension between “creative freedom” and “marketing reality,” this episode is for you. To learn more about a new perspective on the design process for brands and packaging, visit ⁠wegiveperspective.com⁠ or follow us on LinkedIn. The Effectiveness Gap is a podcast series of 10 episodes by Perspective, exploring every step that can make the design process for brands and packaging more effective. Every week, a new episode. This podcast series is created and produced by Perspective, and hosted by Nike Stellamans and Marcel Verhaaf. Recording, editing and mastering by De Podcastexpert.

38 min

10/20/2025

6. Cultural Relevance x Brand Design with Saskia Maarse & Geert Van Aelst

Culture isn’t decoration, it’s strategy. Ignore it, and your brand risks missing the mark. Embrace it, and design can truly resonate across borders. In Episode 6 of The Effectiveness Gap, we ask: why is cultural relevance such a powerful driver of brand value? With Saskia Maarse, intercultural speaker, trainer & author, and Geert Van Aelst, Head of Sustainability at Südzucker, we explore how culture shapes meaning, behaviour, and ultimately, the success of design. Culture defines how people see, feel, and buy, but brands often underestimate its impact on its design. A colour, a symbol, even a single word can carry very different meanings across markets. Saskia explains how culture works on three levels; from visible habits to deep-seated assumptions we absorb as children. Geert adds a sustainability lens, showing how cultural values influence not only design but also purchasing decisions. Together, they reveal why cultural awareness is a core skill for modern brand builders and how to avoid costly missteps. Listen to Episode 6 to learn how cultural relevance turns design into brand value. To learn more about a new perspective on the design process for brands and packaging, visit ⁠wegiveperspective.com⁠ or follow us on LinkedIn. The Effectiveness Gap is a podcast series of 10 episodes by Perspective, exploring every step that can make the design process for brands and packaging more effective. Every week, a new episode. This podcast series is created and produced by Perspective, and hosted by Nike Stellamans and Marcel Verhaaf. Recording, editing and mastering by De Podcastexpert.

43 min

10/13/2025

5. Verbal Branding with Michael Dijkstra Taurel & Jasper Gabriëlse

And in the beginning, there was the word. Before people see your brand, they hear it. In Episode 5 of The Effectiveness Gap we go deep into verbal branding: names, tone of voice, and the words that make design work harder. Two conversations: with Michael Dijkstra Taurel, founder of Globrands and widely regarded as the “godfather” of brand naming, and Jasper Gabriëlse, sustainable entrepreneur and co-founder of Seepje. We discuss why naming is the most durable brand asset, how tone of voice turns purpose into behaviour, the traps of “bad English” and global misfits, and the power of aligning words and design from day one. Michael on developing a name as the base for brand distinction. He explains how to build a coherent naming system (brands, sub-brands, product lines), and how to balance distinctiveness, legal protection, and cultural nuance. Jasper shares how Seepje leads with copy (and fun) to change habits, grow from start up to scale up, and how a living tone of voice keeps your brand human across touchpoints. If you want to make sure your brand sounds like you, this is your episode. To learn more about a new perspective on the design process for brands and packaging, visit ⁠wegiveperspective.com⁠ or follow us on LinkedIn. The Effectiveness Gap is a series of 10 episodes in which we, as Perspective, look with experts at all aspects that can increase the effectiveness of a design process for brands and packaging. Every week a new podcast. This podcast series is created and produced by Perspective, and hosted by Nike Stellamans and Marcel Verhaaf. Recording, editing and mastering by De Podcastexpert.

42 min

10/06/2025

4. 2D x 3D Design Symbiosis with Ronald Lewerissa & Marcel Verkaik

Great packs start long before the label. Episode 4 of The Effectiveness Gap dives into the symbiosis between 2D brand design and 3D structural design, and why aligning them early changes everything. Our guests are Ronald Lewerissa, Packaging Innovation Lead at Generous Minds, and Marcel Verkaik, Creative Director at FLEX/design.We unpack the real-world pitfalls: 2D sprint timelines versus 3D marathons, sustainability as the primary driver, and the costly moment when format decisions (bottle, box, material) are locked too soon. Ronald and Marcel show how bringing 2D in before the format is fixed gives sustainable options a fair shot, improves consumer acceptance, and frees 2D to communicate why the change matters. Takeaways for brand owners: align strategy early, accept compromises, and plan for “format first, form next.” To learn more about a new perspective on the design process for brands and packaging, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠wegiveperspective.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ or follow us on LinkedIn. The Effectiveness Gap is a series of 10 episodes in which we, as Perspective, look with experts at all aspects that can increase the effectiveness of a design process for brands and packaging. Every week a new podcast. This podcast series is created and produced by Perspective, and hosted by Nike Stellamans and Marcel Verhaaf. Recording, editing and mastering by De Podcastexpert.

39 min

09/30/2025

3. Brand Design x Product Innovation with Costas Papaikonomou & Arun Prabhu

Great ideas die on shelf, not in slides. Product innovation in FMCG is hard for new and existing brands alike. Multiple markets. Mature categories. High stakes, big investments and no second chances. Many hurdles between idea and aisle. In Episode 3 of The Effectiveness Gap, we talk with Costas Papaikonomou of Unaterra and Arun Prabhu of Phi Factors about the real pitfalls and how brand design and product innovation can actually help each other win. We cover: why clarity at the start beats heavy process, how to align design early so the proposition comes to life, the difference between learning research versus hurdle validation, and how to manage risk without killing ambition. Expect practical stories and tactics to keep teams aligned from first insight to profitable scale. If you lead innovation, design, or marketing, this one’s for you. To learn more about a new perspective on the design process for brands and packaging, visit ⁠wegiveperspective.com⁠ or follow us on LinkedIn. The Effectiveness Gap is a series of 10 episodes in which we look at all aspects that can increase the effectiveness of a design process for brands and packaging. This podcast series is created and produced by Perspective, and hosted by Nike Stellamans and Marcel Verhaaf. Recording, editing and mastering by De Podcastexpert.

50 min

09/24/2025

2. Better Briefings with Meike ter Braak & Meike van Es-Vriesendorp

Let’s be honest: writing a briefing can be a nightmare. Too short and it leaves the team guessing. Too long and you’re flooded by unnecessary details and nobody reads it. Yet the briefing is supposed to be the most important document in the design process. So… what actually makes a briefing “good”? For Episode 2 of The Effectiveness Gap, we put this tricky question to Meike ter Braak and Meike van Es-Vriesendorp, founders of Denk Lente. They’ve made it their business to help organisations get organised, cut through the noise and write better briefings. Their insights might just change the way you start your next project. To learn more about a new perspective on the design process for brands and packaging, visit ⁠wegiveperspective.com⁠ or follow us on LinkedIn. The Effectiveness Gap is a series of 10 episodes in which we look at all aspects that can increase the effectiveness of a design process for brands and packaging. This podcast series is created and produced by Perspective, and hosted by Nike Stellamans and Marcel Verhaaf. Recording, editing and mastering by De Podcastexpert.

32 min

09/15/2025

1. The Conductor with Bas Smit

The design process is hopelessly ineffective! Where to start to get more out of your effort and investments for your new brand and packaging? We start this series with Bas Smit, Founder & CEO of ELIX Nutraceutical. As former senior leader in innovation and marketing at Barry Callebaut and Unilever, Bas gained a wealth of experience how to lead product innovation and brand design projects. We talk to Bas about the crucial role of the conductor. How to translate vision and strategy into a smooth-running process? How to orchestrate it all; your own team, the experts and parties you want to involve? To learn more about a new perspective on the design process for brands and packaging, visit wegiveperspective.com or follow us on LinkedIn. The Effectiveness Gap is a series of 10 episodes in which we look at all aspects that can increase the effectiveness of a design process for brands and packaging. This podcast series is created and produced by Perspective, and hosted by Nike Stellamans and Marcel Verhaaf. Recording, editing and mastering by De Podcastexpert.

27 min

The Effectiveness Gap

Episodes

10. How AI Automation Is Redefining Brand Design with James Cutting

9. Revolutions in Colour & Print Management with Leigh Evans

8. Research: What Works When? with Martin de Munnik

7. Comms x Design: How To Make Magic Happen? with Ernst-Jan Koomans & Bianca Faaij

6. Cultural Relevance x Brand Design with Saskia Maarse & Geert Van Aelst

5. Verbal Branding with Michael Dijkstra Taurel & Jasper Gabriëlse

4. 2D x 3D Design Symbiosis with Ronald Lewerissa & Marcel Verkaik

3. Brand Design x Product Innovation with Costas Papaikonomou & Arun Prabhu

2. Better Briefings with Meike ter Braak & Meike van Es-Vriesendorp

1. The Conductor with Bas Smit

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