2012 Student Design Challenge Winners Announced at Pack Expo

WASHINGTON—October 29, 2012—The Paperboard Packaging Alliance (PPA), a joint initiative between the American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) and the Paperboard Packaging Council (PPC), announced the winners of its Eighth Annual Student Design Challenge on Monday, Oct. 29 at the Pack Expo convention in Chicago.

This year’s Student Design Challenge tasked students with designing a functional and creative package for a quick-serve chain kids’ meal and address how the plans could be altered to serve an additional purpose.

“The year’s entries showcase the versatility of paper-based products,” said AF&PA group vice president Cathy Foley. “The students surpassed our expectations in terms of the breadth of the entries, and we hope that this exercise leaves them with a positive impression of how this medium can help accomplish design and marketing objectives.”

“Paper-based packaging is an all-around good choice for consumer packaging today,” said PPC president Ben Markens. “It’s a sustainable material that consumers can feel good about purchasing, and it’s adaptable to a wide range of uses—from food to entertainment—as we see with this year’s winners.”

2012 PPA Student Design Challenge Winners

1st place: Rochester Institute of Technology
Team: Katherine Bukys
Professor: Bill Wynkoop

2nd place: Pratt Institute
Team: Jiawei Feng & Heegyum Kim
Professor: Tom Delaney

3rd place: Clemson University
Team: Matthew Barber; Dan Zold & Kyle McMurphy
Professor: Andrew Hurley

Winners receive a cash prize to share among the team and one of equal value for the school. First place receives $2,000, second place receives $1,500, and third place receives $1,000. Winners are chosen by a team of four paperboard packaging industry professionals who rate submissions based on their response to the competition scenario, innovative structural and graphic design, functionality, and quality of the finished product.

This year a record number of students from the United States and Canada participated in the Challenge. More than 200 students competed from 13 leading packaging and graphic design programs, including: California Polytechnic State University, the University of Cincinnati, Clemson University, Fashion Institute of Technology, Millersville University, Mohawk College, Michigan State University, North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University, Pratt Institute, Rochester Institute of Technology, Ryerson College, University of Wisconsin-Stout, and Virginia Tech.

For more information about the PPA Student Design Challenge, visit www.paperboardpackaging.org.

About PPA
The Paperboard Packaging Alliance (PPA) is a joint initiative of the American Forest & Paper Association and the Paperboard Packaging Council. The PPA promotes the benefits of paperboard packaging and products with targeted audiences. Alliance membership includes companies representing the full range of mill and converters engaged in the production of paper-based consumer goods packaging. Additional information about PPA can be found at www.paperboardpackaging.org.

About AF&PA
The American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) is the national trade association of the forest products industry, representing pulp, paper, and wood products manufacturers, and forest landowners. AF&PA member companies make essential products from renewable and recyclable resources that sustain the environment. The forest products industry employs approximately 900,000 workers and generates five percent of the total U.S. manufacturing GDP. Visit AF&PA online at www.afandpa.org.

About PPC
Now in its 83rd year, PPC is the leading industry association serving suppliers and converters of all forms of paperboard packaging. PPC works to grow, promote, and protect the paperboard packaging industry while providing its members with resources and tools to compete effectively and successfully in the marketplace. For more information, call (413) 686-9191 or visit www.ppcnet.org.

Source: PPA.