Loughborough Design students are WorldStar packaging design award winners

The WorldStar Student Awards competition is owned and produced by the World Packaging Organisation (WPO). It is an international packaging design competition for students and recent graduates from countries around the world who are involved in projects in the field of packaging.

The competition is designed to encourage and show the talents of students as well as new and innovative ideas and thinking in the field of packaging, and the awards are only open to those students who have won a legitimate local packaging award in their region or country in the same academic year, such as the Starpack Awards, where over 30 Loughborough Design students also recently received awards.

Designs for the WorldStar competition were produced by students in their Part A studies. For 2020 a total of 18 awards have been given to Loughborough Design students, and most notably a Certificate of Merit and Save Food Award.

Eleni Leontsini's yellow tiles design

Eleni Leontsini is one of ten students to be awarded a WorldStar Student Certificate of Merit for her Yellow-tiles design, which is a circular economy driven packaging to replace delivery boxes. Each tile connects to each other with finger joints and secured with the bottom and the lid which clip onto all the sides. If the box is two or more tiles tall, buckles are used to connect them.

Speaking of her award, Eleni says that:

“I really enjoyed the process of designing a reusable packaging alternative for carboard delivery boxes; I strongly believe that as design students we should be prioritising sustainability in our design solutions. I feel honoured to have won this award and see my work displayed amongst some highly clever designs by other students worldwide.”

Kirsten Evans design to save food waste

Kirsten Evans is one of three entries who ranked highest in the criteria of ‘Save Food’ and has been awarded the Silver Award for her re-design of Yoplaits wildlife yoghurts to reduce consumer food waste. The 100% recyclable concept and resealable pot is designed around a teaspoon allowing complete access to the content. The pot and lid are thermoformed together eliminating glue, accidental spillages and yoghurt disposed on the lid. The container, lid and pot band present branding and graphics for Yoplaits Willdlife yoghurts.

When asked about her award, Kirsten explained that:

“I really enjoyed this first-year Industrial Design project, sustainability and reducing food waste are extremely important in current society. I am happy my design was recognised and awarded for its benefits in both the Starpack and Worldstar student design awards.”

Sixteen Loughborough Design students whose entries scored a minimum of 50.01% of the overall marks also received WorldStar Student Certificates of Recognition. Those students are Josh Richardson, Xian Da Lim, Jamie Doyle, Hana Smart, David Hawkins, Jamie Saunders, Patrick Triller, Gloria Ocran, Tuela Smith, Imogen Biggs, Kirsten Evans, Robert McKinna, George Silvester, Ellen Callaghan, and James Wye.

Dr George Torrens, Senior Lecture in the School of Design and Creative Arts commented:

“It is great to see the students hard work and talent being recognised Internationally through the WPO WorldStar student packaging Awards and grateful to the organisers who facilitate this opportunity.

Each student was already an award winner to enable them to enter this event. The original concepts for many of their winning designs were produced when they were still in the first year of their programmes. The additional skills they learn in the early stages of their second year of study enables them to effectively communicate their concept through a high-quality presentation.

Myself and colleagues Karl Hurn, Dr Rhoda Trimingham, Nicholas Johnson, Dr Nikki Clark, and Dr Salman Asghar are pleased that our research and experience helps students to deliver high-quality results for this competition.”

Congratulations to all our students on their awards!