After posting interviews with people in our industry for the last few months. I felt it only appropriate to finish the series with my answers to the questions. Here they are. 1.    In today’s packaging, how much emphasis is placed on form and how much on graphics? Is one more dominant than the other? It is dependent on the client’s way of working. Some follow a process while others harbor a secret desire to be designers. The results are usually obvious. 2.    Has the focus on sustainability in packaging leveled off or will it continue to rise? I think the focus will be there but shifting from just a noticeable one to more invisible. By that I mean you may not see a huge size difference in the package of a recyclable look but the process and materials and other factors may push the sustainability levels higher than in the past. 3.    With the growing number of products entering the market, what are the expectations of companies in regards to sales performance based on package design and do you feel they are realistic? They can and should be higher than previously. However the stakes may be higher but the responsibility needs to be recognized and delegated properly. 4.    Do you find budgets for package design growing or shrinking? It depends again on the client and product. Start ups are usually low in the budget whereas big corporations can push more funds into such a project. With that said, we have run into more than our share of big corporations loking to put little money into the design end of packaging and just a bit more into the manufacturing of the package. 5.    When designing a package, how connected are you to the manufacturing and fulfillment segments? We design, manufacture and fulfill – so we can be connected as much as we are allowed. 6.    How often have you bought a product based on the package? Yes - too many times in fact. 7.    Have you ever purposely designed a package to have a life (or use) past the product it contains? Yes. And some clients appreciate that effort. 8.    Many consumers complain about clamshell packaging due to the difficulty in opening one. Since that feature is in place to deal with theft, how would you counter or improve that part of the clamshell design? All I can do at this point is make it look appealing enough to drive the consumer past the unpleasant event of opening a clamshell. Remember, clams and oysters themselves aren’t fun to open, but once they are, the rewards are well worth the effort. 9.    What package would you like to design? A watch case. 10.  What is your favorite package? One that makes me smile before and after opening it and the one that drives me to keep the package.