THE winners of the Pro Carton Young Designers Award 2023 have been announced.
The best young design talent in Europe was recognised at a ceremony in Seville, Spain, with the winners announced by Horst Bittermann, Pro Carton’s director general, in front of an audience of packaging industry leaders.
This year’s ceremony featured awards in four categories: Creative Cartonboard Packaging (Food & Drink); Creative Cartonboard Packaging (All Other); Sustainability; and the Public Vote Award.
More than 750 entries were received from 140-plus institutions across Europe.
UK-based student Nang Htwe Htwe Lwin, the designer of UrbanBITE, triumphed in the Creative Cartonboard Packaging: Food & Drink category. Studying at Ravensbourne University in London, the student created an ‘environmentally dynamic’ cartonboard design for confectionary products. The design can be constructed from a single cut piece of A4 paper cartonboard and is said to offer an alternative to plastic containers. The product is also versatile as the dimensions of the packaging can be customised for specific products.
Taking the top accolade in the Creative Cartonboard Packaging (All Other) category for their SandKit design was trio Maria Paula Monroy Vargas, Sarah Drauschke and Margo Rindle from the FH Münster – MSD Münster School of Design in Germany. SandKit is a cartonboard box that functions as a sanding block, dispenser and more. The design is described as an ‘essential tool’ for DIY projects and home repairs. The distinct coloured boxes indicate the different levels of the sandpapers’ grit, whilst the cut-out window in the packaging allows consumers to touch the sandpaper and its texture before purchase.
Norwegian student, Johannes Nyborg Heyning from Arkitektur – og designhøgskolen in Oslo took home the Sustainability Award for the design Tapout. This design provides a battery package which collects both used and unused batteries in the same package. The cartonboard push and slide mechanism allows used batteries to be stored within the perforated slot. The design enables consumers to keep an eye on how many fully charged batteries are still available within the pack.
The Public Vote award winner was FH Joanneum student duo, Emily Klein and Brandon Escalona, with their entry PopCap. The Austrian students created a ‘sustainable and groundbreaking’ solution to help people protect their drinks. Consumers snap the protective cap onto their cup and pop the lid open to enjoy their drink. This is said to demonstrate the ‘accessibility and practicality’ of the design, as well as the structural capabilities of cartonboard. This solution has a design that can be personalised for brands or feature promotional messages.
Winfried Muehling, head of marketing & communications at Pro Carton, said, “We were delighted to receive more than 750 unique entries for this year’s Pro Carton Young Designers Awards. It was extraordinary to see so many young designers create truly innovative designs, which demonstrate the versatility and effectiveness of cartonboard.
“Well done to everyone who entered this year and a huge congratulations to the 2023 winners. We look forward to seeing all the amazing things these inspiring young designers will achieve, and the impact they will inevitably have on the future of the packaging industry.”
