Once again, our AS Design & Technology Graphic Product students came away from the Packaging Society’s 2015 Starpack competition with a raft of awards including Gold, Silver, Bronze and Commended.

The Schools Starpack Packaging Design Awards are designed to encourage students to take up a career in the exciting world of consumer packaging design. Aimed at Years 10, 11 and AS Level, the school awards, now in their sixteenth year, form part of the Annual Starpack Awards programme, which also includes the Starpack Industry Awards and the Student Starpack Packaging Design Awards for Colleges and Universities. 

The challenge set this year was to design a Mother’s Day Pamper Pack to contain appropriate gifts. Student Robert Fenner, who won a Gold Award, received the following judge’s comment, “An excellent job is done on the field engineering. Matched with graphic development.”

Nick Tupper, Senior Curriculum Manager for Design Technology commented that, “Robert put a lot of effort into developing a complex mechanism for the slide back lid and draw. This competition highlights the importance for students of design and engineering of handling real materials and using them to construct effective structures and mechanisms, as well as to develop their creativity.”

Second year student Jessica Francis, who won a Silver Award said, “Entering the Starpack competition has really helped in teaching me more about design. I have learnt new processes and been inspired by existing designs. Achieving the silver award is beyond what I thought I could do. This experience will stay with me forever.”

Student Jack Bennett won a Bronze Award for, “A well thought out design resulting in an effective and attractive pack.”

A2 student Victoria Albury received a Commended Award for her pack, using stylish block foiled graphics on brown paper to give shelf appeal and a well-engineered rise and fall mechanism, to present the gift it contained, in a theatrical manner.