Cole Hermann

Sustainable Packaging Design

Work Experience


Google

Staff Product Design Engineer, Fitbit Packaging

Feb 2021 - present

  • Led a remote team of 5 designers and engineers through the successful acquisition of Fitbit.
  • Concepted and created the newest innovative packaging for Fitbit's Sense smartwatch that elevates the product and uses new, innovative materials and processes to deliver an attractive, efficient, and sustainable packaging solution with an emphasis on home recyclability.
  • Leading a 12+ person cross-functional team, including suppliers, to develop plastic-free packaging by the end of 2021, ahead of Google’s 2025 plastic-free packaging goal.
  • Selected to be part of a team developing an innovative medical device applying best practices of recycled-content plastics (PIR/PCR) and biobased materials.


  • Fitbit, Inc.

    Sr. Manager, Packaging Engineering

    May 2017 - Feb 2021

  • Lead a cross functional project team to redesign, develop, and launch a cost-efficient family of device packages reducing the CO2 footprint by 50% due to increasing pallet quantity without sacrificing weight, and home recyclability goals.
  • Promoted to manage domestic and international packaging engineering and project specialist teams to engineer packaging solutions for manual and automatic product fulfillment.
  • Collaborated across functions to create schedules and design packaging that achieves marketing, UX, manufacturing, design, and cost goals, while delivering upwards into the business objectives.
  • Lead and oversee packaging engineering for the successful launch of top selling SKUs for Fitbit, Inc.


  • Pacific Southwest Container

    Structural Designer

    July 2015 - May 2017

  • Designed packaging that protects the product and enhances the consumer brand experience using creative problem-solving skills paired with knowledge of paperboard and corrugated materials.
  • Leveraged ArtiosCAD, Solidworks and Adobe software to create 100+ innovative packaging designs to deliver efficiency in the packaging value chain.
  • Performed package testing for distribution and manufacturability through partnering with machine operators to ensure designs increased board usage efficiency, while lowering unit cost and environmental impact.


  • Big Heart Pet Brands

    Packaging Innovation R&D Intern

    Jan 2015 - June 2015

  • Utilized ethnographic research and product development techniques (prototyping, focus groups, and anthropological studies) to design and create a product and package for Milkbone dog toys.


  • Education


    RISD, Providence RI

    Product Development & Manufacturing

    June 2021 - June 2023 (expected)

  • Continuing Education certificate


  • Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo CA

    M.S. Packaging Value Chain

    Sept. 2017- June 2019

  • Graduated in the top 10% (4.0 GPA)
  • Outstanding Graduate Award

  • B.S. Industrial Technology

    Sept. 2011- June 2015

  • Minor, Packaging Engineering