Director of Industrial Design, Newell Brands
Chris Gurr is a Design leader with over 25 years of experience in industries as diverse as construction, fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), healthcare and juvenile products. He has a proven track record of driving product innovation for market leading brands, building high performance teams and tangible business results in roles across NA, EMEA and APAC. Chris currently leads industrial design for the learning and development segment at Newell Brands.
Newell L&D Lab Live
Newell Brands, a consumer goods company with several market-leading brands, recognizes the importance of understanding childhood development and the three key drivers of play: Cognitive, Social, and Physical. To address this need, they created the Learning and Development (L&D) Lab, a new research facility with specialized knowledge in childhood development.
In this session, Laura Vennie, UX Director, and Chris Gurr, ID Director, will take the audience on a behind-the-scenes tour of the L&D Lab’s creation, from its conception to reality. They will discuss the context for the development choices made, including the adoption of qualitative and sensory testing technologies to capture children’s emotional responses.
The session will feature live cuts to the L&D Lab, showcasing the space being leveraged to research popular products such as Elmer’s Slime and Elmer’s Squishies. The audience will also gain insights into key takeaways and learnings for anyone looking to try a similar approach in their business.
The audience will learn:
