Current Students and Staff

Six Loughborough students have had their innovative creations recognised in an international packaging design competition – with one talented undergraduate ranking in the top 13.

The WorldStar Student International Packaging Design Student Competition, owned and produced by the World Packaging Organisation, saw a total of 255 entries from 24 countries when it opened to submissions last year.

The challenge is aimed at undergraduates and graduates involved in projects in the field of packaging – including structural design and graphic design – that have won a legitimate national award.

The competition aims to showcase the talents of students as well as the new, innovative ideas and thinking in the field of packaging.

Of the Loughborough students that submitted designs, five achieved a WorldStar Student Certificate of Recognition for their creative products – having secured scores above 50% of the overall marks.

The sixth student that entered was Miles Kilburn.

The design competition names the top three highest scoring entries the winners and the next 10 highest scores receive WorldStar Student Certificates of Merit. 

Miles placed in the top 13 and achieved a WorldStar Student Certificate of Merit for his multipurpose emergency packaging design.

The BA Industrial Design and Technology student, who is currently on a placement year, entered the competition after his success in the UK’s Student Starpack Awards.

Miles’ multipurpose packaging is designed to be used as a comfortable backpack and as a temporary shelter which can hold up to two people (an adult and child).

He decided to pursue this idea after he discovered most aid packs do not contain shelter, despite it often being an asset many people need after a natural disaster.

His design uses a simple layout of containers and interpretable graphics that can inform users, regardless of language, of the purpose and contents of the pack.

Miles said: “I didn't expect to have placed so high in the competition, it’s good to know designs that focus on functionality over aesthetics can get recognised.

“The Design School and University definitely provided a lot of support with developing my design, and many other students, for competition entry.

“Without that sort of encouragement, I doubt we'd have seen so many awards.”

The results follow 2016's triumph, which saw Loughborough students bag one certificate of merit and six certificates of recognition.

The student’s initial entry through the national Starpack awards is supported through the ‘Industrial Design Studies 1 module’ in the first year of the BA Industrial Design and Technology programme. 

The module leader, Dr George Torrens, said: “The students enjoy the challenge of entering what may be their first design competition. The competition enables each student to apply knowledge and skills related to perception, branding and visualisation acquired in the module.

“After they have entered the competition in their first year they often, like Miles, enter the competition in their second year independently, but with tutors supporting them.”

Professor Richard Bibb, Dean of Loughborough Design School added: “We are delighted that six of our students have been recognised in this prestigious international award again. Congratulations to all the students and their tutors!”