2024 Student Design Challenge Winner Shares Key Learnings
Every year, the Paperboard Packaging Alliance Student Design Challenge tasks students across North America to create innovative, paper-based packaging solutions. One of the goals for the challenge is to meet real-world customer needs and marketing scenarios.
In 2024, the students were challenged to create an original sustainable, stackable paperboard packaging for fresh produce products not typically packaged in paper.
The winning project was SPUDS Potatoes, and it was entered by a team of students from the Pennsylvania College of Art and Design (PCA&D). We asked Kendall Harris-Burton of the winning team about his experience.
What was the process of designing paper-based packaging like?
Designing paper-based packaging was a huge challenge for me and all my teammates. I liked how the requirements of that assignment were set up given all the instructions we needed.
Thankfully, with the help from Prof. Newsmaster’s firm FORCEpkg and the college (PCA&D), it gave me a glimpse into real-world design projects and seeking interests in the packaging industry business.
How did you decide what type of produce to design packaging for that typically is not sold in paper-based packaging?
When our team discussed the initial research for this contest, a commodity that is often sold in plastic, this assignment became relatively clear.
Working with potatoes, we went through many iterations of design, sketches, and refinements before setting to a final product: a hexagonal-shaped container that is stackable, and simple enough to hold on one or both hands, making it easier to carry.
Moving forward we defined our roles working beyond to bring the competition.
What did you learn throughout this process about designing a paper-based solution?
As I learned a lot from this experience, I faced multiple challenges with my classmate Bahir. For instance, I had to balance meeting competition requirements while balancing our coursework and completing my senior thesis before graduation. In terms of designing a packaging solution, we tested prototypes by adding laches and handles that could hold the top lid, face panel, and box locked in. Then, we tested the initial weight and the amount of potatoes.
We met with our outside partner as we voiced our concerns about gluing issues in the packaging. To minimize gluing, we adjusted the design.
What advice would you give to students entering future design challenges?
I encourage everyone in college to explore packaging and learn the skillset, not only would it define your major, but it would help market into a career-level.