# 27 - Kirk Visola from Mind The Font

- Show: [People of Packaging](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging)
- Published: 2020-06-19
- Length: 49m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2020-06-19-27-kirk-visola-from-mind-the-font
- Listen: https://encase.substack.com/p/27-kirk-visola-from-mind-the-font-339

## Summary

Kirk Visola, founder of the creative design agency Mind the Font, discusses his journey from a pre-med student to a packaging and branding expert, emphasizing that design is a form of visual problem-solving. He shares insights on the importance of collaboration boundaries, warning against 'Frankenstein' designs created by committee, and advocates for respectful client relationships that value a designer's time and expertise. Visola also details his 'Empowered Initiative,' a program offering free branding services to three Black-owned businesses to help level the playing field in the saturated CPG market.

## Chapters

- [0:06](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2020-06-19-27-kirk-visola-from-mind-the-font#t=6) Introduction and Background
- [6:39](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2020-06-19-27-kirk-visola-from-mind-the-font#t=399) From Pre-Med to Graphic Design
- [14:29](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2020-06-19-27-kirk-visola-from-mind-the-font#t=869) Packaging as a Canvas and Problem Solving
- [20:09](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2020-06-19-27-kirk-visola-from-mind-the-font#t=1209) Collaboration and Client Boundaries
- [33:09](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2020-06-19-27-kirk-visola-from-mind-the-font#t=1989) The Empowered Initiative for Black-Owned Businesses
- [43:09](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2020-06-19-27-kirk-visola-from-mind-the-font#t=2589) Future of Packaging and Sustainability

## Topics

- [Industrial & consumer product design](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/industrial-design)
- [Marketing & brand](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/marketing-and-brand)
- [Sustainability & circular products](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/sustainability-and-circularity)
- [Leadership, teams & culture](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/leadership-and-culture)
- [Careers & education](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/engineering-careers-and-education)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Mind the Font (company)
- Empowered Initiative (product)
- Sonnyar Chips (product)
- Zola (product)
- San Jose State (other)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [How to Mind your Packaging, Branding, (and the Font) with Designer and Agency Owner Kirk Visola](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2021-08-30-how-to-mind-your-packaging-branding-and-the-font-with-designer-and-agency-owner) (The Startup CPG Podcast)
- [Founder Feature: Lex Evan of Lexington Bakes](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2026-05-01-founder-feature-lex-evan-of-lexington-bakes) (The Startup CPG Podcast)
- [Advice Line with Christina Tosi of Milk Bar](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2026-06-11-advice-line-with-christina-tosi-of-milk-bar) (How I Built This)
- [Industrial Design, AI & the Business of Design with Jordan Nollman | S3E02](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/designing-in-the-wild/2026-10-07-industrial-design-ai-the-business-of-design-with-jordan-nollman-s3e02) (Designing in the Wild)
- [Episode 169: Jimmy is a huge Hello Kitty fan.](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/making-it/2018-06-01-episode-169-jimmy-is-a-huge-hello-kitty-fan) (Making It)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2020-06-19-27-kirk-visola-from-mind-the-font. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to People of Packaging.