2009 Packaging Student Design Competition

The MSU Packaging Alumni Association (MSUPAA) has established a new annual Package Design Competition. We are now accepting entries for the first annual competition!

Winning an award in this University competition will help to identify your entry as having high potential for strongly competing in the Institute of Packaging Professionals’ (IOPP) AmeriStar^© Student Packaging Design Competition, followed by the World Packaging Organization’s (WPO) WorldStar^© Student Packaging Design Competition.

Taking home any one of these packaging design awards solidifies and raises your stature as an innovator/leader in the field of packaging. You will most definitely be recognized in print media with global reach and also at awards ceremonies.

The MSUPAA Judging Panel also intends to award cash prizes for top entries in the MSUPAA Package Design Competition (Judging panel's decisions are final).

1^st Place, $600 (to be determined)

2^nd Place, $400 (to be determined)

3^rd Place, $200 (to be determined)

Sponsored by:

The 2009 MSUPAA Packaging Design Competition timeline is:

Entry deadline:	December 11, 2009
Judging completed by:	January 15, 2010
MSUPAA Awards Banquet:	Jan - Feb 2010

Trouble getting started? No worries, we’re here to help. The MSUPAA will be holding help sessions to mentor individual candidates and teams. We will be at the School of Packaging in Room 159 and/or the Pkg Library on the following dates:

Help sessions:	4:00 pm - 6:30 pm	Thursday, October 15, 2009
	Noon - 4:00 pm	Friday, October 30, 2009

Look for the sign-up sheet to reserve a time slot.

Thereafter, we can connect on your projects to discuss progress, provide some suggestions or whatever. This could happen by phone or videoconference via Skype. We’ll figure something out that works for both our schedules.

It is the intent of the MSUPAA to establish criteria that is in line with that used by IoPP and the WPO, allowing qualified students to enter these respective competitions with minimal adjustment to entry materials.

Judging is based on the following criteria:

Innovation:

The package demonstrates an application of a new idea

The package demonstrates a creative use of existing ideas

The package makes use of new design, material or technique

The design successfully transfers packaging principles from other industries

The package reflects important new marketing strategies

Product Protection:

The package successfully protects the biological, chemical and/or physical integrity of the product

The original product protection requirements, as specified, are sufficiently addressed by this package design

The testing specified sufficiently addresses the need for protection for this application

The package successfully meets the test requirements expressed

Economics:

The package addresses a specific economic concern

The package design results in cost savings. Cost savings may be demonstrated by any or all of the following:

o	Distribution Improvements
o	Material Costs
o	Packing/Processing Efficiencies
o	Labor Costs
o	Material Standardization
o	Machinability
o	Warehousing/Storage Costs
o	Damage Reduction

This design addresses the package's life cycle, as demonstrated by any/all of the following:

o	Reusability
o	Material Reduction
o	Recyclability
o	Improved Material Strength
o	Density Improvements

Package Performance:

The package is easily filled, opened, dispensed, reclosed, stored

It can be run on existing packaging machinery

It is easily integrated into the existing distribution system

The package offers significant new benefits in handling, storage and warehousing

Marketing:

The structural design contributes to product image or shelf impact

The package design improves or contributes to acceptance of the product

If a redesign, the package's marketing appeal has been significantly improved

Environmental Impact:

The package successfully addresses current and appropriate environmental concerns

The package design has eliminated, avoided or reduced unnecessary materials

Design consideration includes reusable and/or recyclable materials/systems where available

The package uses recycled materials where possible

The design minimizes the potential negative effects the package and its components will have on the environment

The design has undergone a life cycle review - "cradle to grave"

Required Entry Materials:

- Entry Form: One completed entry form for each entry package There is no entry fee for the MSUPAA Package Design Competition. Entry form, click here

- Declaration of Originality: Letter signed by the individual / team entrants declaring originality of the entry

- Package: One or more of the following must be submitted:

o A physical package prototype; full scale or scaled model if intended regular size would exceed 3’ x 3’ x 3’

o 3D solid computer aided design (CAD) images, exported to standard digital media format (.JPG, .TIFF or .EPS. Digital images must be HIGH RESOLUTION, 300 dpi.

o Photographic images in standard digital media format (.JPG, .TIF or .EPS. Digital photos must be HIGH RESOLUTION, 300 dpi.

- Written Narratives: The judges are influenced by what they see and read. And you, the entrant, provide that information. Be factual, technical and detailed in your writing. ALL NARRATIVE INFORMATION SHOULD ALSO BE SUBMITTED IN ELECTRONIC FORMAT, as Word or Text files. Include each of the following:

o Brief Narrative: Emphasize the judging criteria attributes, as you prepare a 20 - 30 word narrative on a separate sheet (listing your name and the name of the package). This information will be included in publicity materials.

o Expanded Narrative: You must respond to the Judging Criteria, with each criteria section indicated. The narrative should not exceed four double-spaced, typewritten pages. See the example narrative, also posted on the www.iopp.org website

- Photographs: Include three (3) color photographs of each package in digital format. DIGITAL PHOTOS MUST BE SUBMITTED IN ONE OF THE FOLLOWING FILE FORMATS: .JPG, .TIF or .EPS. Digital photos must be HIGH RESOLUTION, 300 dpi.

Special Notes:

1.) It is to the candidate's benefit to be as detailed in the narratives as possible. Plan on addressing the detailed criteria in your expanded narrative. If one of the judging criteria is not applicable to your package design, then indicate this in your expanded narrative (Example: Economics. No significant cost reduction realized.). See the example narrative, also posted on the www.iopp.org website

2.) For the purposes of this MSUPAA Design Competition, you will not need to burn your electronic files (photos, Word documents, etc.) to a CD-ROM. However, for the IoPP Ameristar Student Competition, you will need to send them a CD-ROM containing all your electronic files.