Not every design problem needs an agency.
Borrow from my experience. Skip the expensive mistakes.
Simple, pragmatic design advice —
For over 30 years I've guided market-leading FMCG brands of every scale – from brave startups to multinational success stories.
I understand first-hand what’s at stake when launching a new product or service, and how fundamental it is to get the design right.
How I help —
My 30 years of design expertise becomes your shortcut to:
Make confident brand design decisions backed by real-world FMCG experience
Spot potentially costly packaging design problems before you commit to them
Align your team on design strategy before expensive misunderstandings take hold
Navigate packaging design and brand development without learning every lesson the hard way
Who I work with —
Founders, marketers and business leaders embarking on new product and service design. Teams who are mid-project and want to ‘sense-check’ design with confidential and expert support.
If you're making design decisions that matter – and their consequences keep you up at night – we should talk. Sometimes you just need unfiltered advice from someone who's been there.
In confidence. Always.
Annie Dow
Simple,honest, confidential design advice —
Just straight talk about what works, what doesn't, and what it'll really cost you.
Services include:
Design reviews, packaging design consultation, design strategy sessions, second opinions on agency work, and confidential design advice for business leaders.
About
I've enjoyed a long career in brand design. I founded Dow Design (now DowGoodfolk) in 1993 with my late husband and grew it into one of New Zealand's most recognised strategic brand and packaging design agencies. We created a sister agency, Brother Design, when we won the Pams own label brand - the largest own label brand in NZ.
Along the way I've guided FMCG brands at every stage, from startups finding their feet to companies competing on shelves around the world. That's decades worth of rebrands, product launches, packaging overhauls, and market expansions. I've seen what works across categories, channels, and price points. And I've seen what expensive failure looks like too.
In 2019, the Designers Institute of New Zealand awarded me the Black Pin for my contribution to our design industry. I'm proud of that. But where I offer real value is often with the practical stuff, like knowing when a rebrand is heading off a cliff, when a pack design won't survive retail, and when everyone in the room knows it's wrong but nobody's saying it.
I still run my award-winning agency DowGoodfolk, as well as Brother Design. I love the work. But not every problem needs an agency solution. Sometimes you just need an honest conversation with someone who's seen it before. Someone like Annie Dow (that’s me).
