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Christopher PADAIN
VP / Head of Design & Packaging | BAYER
Chris Padain is Vice President of Design & Packaging at Bayer Consumer Health. Chris is passionate about leading design and innovation in the corporate environment, leading teams to solve increasingly complex problems to create remarkable design and brand experiences that enhance people’s lives, and minimise their environmental impact.
Born in London, Chris has lived in England, USA and Switzerland, spending 20+ years in design and related fields both in agency and the corporate world. Chris is currently based in Basel, Switzerland, living with his wife Kathryn, and 2 boys, Harry and Hugo.
questionnaire
- What was your very first job? My first job was as a Product Design Consultant for a medium sized agency. This was a great first step in understanding the ‘real-life’ challenges in achieving successful design solutions (primarily user and technical at this stage). My work covered a broad range of sectors including; consumer healthcare, consumer electronics, and packaging.
- Please describe, in your own words, what your job is and what work it entails. I am responsible for ‘end-to-end’ design and packaging activities for a diverse range of brands across multiple sectors of Consumer Healthcare. I manage a team of researchers, designers, and engineers around the world, with responsibilities including; product insight discovery, the visual and physical manifestation of our brands, product innovation and experience, and the ongoing maintenance and optimisation of design and packaging in our portfolio.
- How did you discover that the creative world was right for you? Was there a time in your life that you credit to this discovery? Was there a train of events that brought you to where you are today? Since a child, I always had a passion for art and illustration, however it wasn’t until I studied a foundational course in art and design, where I was exposed to all primary design disciplines that I discovered 3D design. This was a defining moment for me, specifically the blend of creative and technical problem solving was a compelling tension, as well as the possibility to invent new product solutions and experiences.
- In a constantly changing world, how do you find inspiration to keep your work fresh, innovative and relevant? Naturally there is a necessity to look outside, what our peers are doing (dominant and emerging), technological advancements, consumer and customer insights, trends, etc. However from an internal focus pov, every project bring a new challenge, it’s key to not make the process formulaic vs consider each arising opportunity with fresh eyes and a passion to push the boundaries and maximise the impact.
- If you had to pick one piece of work or project that you are most proud of, more for the creative work and innovation it required, rather than its recognition or industry “success,” what would it be? The work my team are currently creating on brand re-invention I am particularly proud of (eg Iberogast, Midol), transforming the expression and experience of brands that are 50+ years old is a delicate challenge. However, through great design leadership, agency partnerships, process, and bravery, we are creating remarkable design.
