Students from Nottingham Trent University impressed senior management at Nestlé UK & Ireland’s Product Technology Centre after presenting a number of new packaging designs for the global confectioner’s chocolate treats.
The six-week project saw the second year product design students briefed to design a new range of fun and engaging packaging solutions for an existing brand at a new lower price point.
Designers and packaging experts from Nestlé delivered a number of workshops to the students, encouraging them to think about different aspects of the design, before 10 designs were chosen to be developed and exhibited at the Nestlé Confectionery UK headquarters in York.
Simon Wilsher was named the winner for his innovative design ‘The family’ – a collection of four characters, aimed at generating a stimulating and engaging interaction for the consumer.
He will now take up a two week work placement with the company at their Product Technology Centre which is Nestlé’s lead centre for R&D in confectionery worldwide.
Ross Taylor, a senior designer at the Product Technology Centre, said: “Although people frequently overlook packaging design, it is often as important, if not more so, than the product inside it. We were looking for the students to be creative, yet show an awareness of the role packaging plays in our products.
“Simon’s concept was well researched and thought through. The way the consumers could interact with the packaging design also showed that he had a good understanding of the product and market.”
The students had to consider the materials that were used, the visibility the packaging would have on a fixture and the complete life-cycle of the product – from sale to consumption and disposal – among other qualities.
Jamie Billing, a senior lecturer in product design at Nottingham Trent University, said: “Live projects provide an excellent opportunity for our students to experience working with clients to a specific brief. We have built up an excellent relationship with Nestlé and it is great to see another of our students benefiting from a placement with them.”
Wilsher said: “I’m really excited about the possibility of progressing my design during my placement. It is a great opportunity to get an insight into the design process from end to end in a large multinational company, and I feel privileged to have been chosen.”
Source: Nottingham Trent University
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