Design Competition: Parisian Packaging

The French government needs you and your design skills!

Scenario

Following the Paris 2024 Olympics, the French government is desperately trying to recoup €1,500,000,000 that was required to make the iconic Seine river sanitary. The Seine had been closed for swimming for safety reasons since 1923, as during periods of heavy rainfall, sewage contaminated the water and introduced E. coli bacteria. Unfortunately, rainfall at the start of the games meant some swimming events still had to be delayed. The reputation of Paris had taken a financial and repuational hit.

The government's solution is to sell very unique pieces of memorabilia: Paris 2024 Olympic edition vials of Seine water with a certificate of authenticity. They call it Flacon d'eau de caca. However, in their haste, they committed to a transport box that would allow the vial move around dangerously. A cheap, eco friendly packaging solution is needed to keep the item safe and also restore the prestige of the famous river.

Design Brief

Design a piece of packaging to prevent a glass vial from being smashed during international shipping. The packaging should be as cheap and eco friendly as possible, whilst still maintaining adequate protection and offering visual style fitting of Olympic memorabilia.

Specifications

The glass vial measures approximately 41mm in diameter, with a height of 105mm.

A good basis for comparison is a 30g spice jar.

The packaging box has internal dimensions of 220 x 160 x 70 mm, which is large enough to hold an A5 certificate of authenticity and the glass vial.

It is based on an Australia Post Small Parcel box.

Submission Requirements

Students are to digitally submit the following items:

A landscape A4 page pitching their design. This should have minimal text (bullet points vs paragraphs) and focus on highlighting key features, advantages, relevant branding, etc. Include a logo for the product.
A 60 second video showcasing their solution by explaining key features and showing how it functions. This should landscape format and 1080p resolution.
Instructions and or digital files for the judges to recreate the solution if they wish. Students do not need to submit a physical copy of their solution.
Any relevant links required for attribution of included media. Eg. link to royalty free music or Creative Commons image(s) used.

All submitted materials must be anonymous to be eligible. Do not show your face, uniform or use any identifying information beyond your first name. Voice recording in the video is encouraged, but please ensure the audio has sufficient clarity.
Also ensure that your submissions are YouTube friendly. This means no copyrighted materials or inappropriate content.

Judging Criteria

Entries will be assessed across four areas:

Viability - Will the packaging solution actually work? Will it be cheap to manufacture? Is it eco friendly?
Creativity - Is the idea original? Does it tie in with the theme of the product? Do branding and visual elements also match?
Communication - How well is the design explained and showcased? Is it clear exactly how it works? Are the strengths of the solution evident?
Presentation - Are the A4 page and video both presented professionally? Is there a consistent style present throughout all elements? Are text and graphics legible and audio clear?

Submissions will first be screened for eligibility to eliminate entries that have failed to meet key requirements. Judges will then collaborate to decide a winner based on the above criteria.

Leading submissions will be showcased in a video on the Teaching Tech YouTube channel. Viewers will have an opportunity to vote on a People's Choice award.

Competition Prizes

First prize, as decided by the judges, is a brand new Prusa Mini+ 3D printer kit, valued at $659 + postage.

The people's choice prize, as voted for by Teaching Tech viewers, is $100 in cash.

Competition Tips

The following tips may prove helpful:

Check and double check that your entry adheres to all guidelines. Avoid the disappointment of automatically being eliminated even if you have a fantastic idea.
Constantly check your entry against the judging criteria. The winning entry will most likely answer 'yes' to all of the questions provided.
The competition requires the design of what could be quite boring packaging. Make your entry stand out by incorporating interesting features and by utlising clever branding.
Clarity is one of the most important aspects. A great idea is wasted if diagrams do not explain it properly or a voice over cannot be understood.
Using non copyrighted materials is essential. This means royalty free music and/or Creative Commons images. Many items can be used free of charge, as long as you attribute correctly. Instructions for how to do this will be provided with the royalty free media and these should be documented as per the submission requirements.
The design solution is completely open to students. You may wish to utilise an orgami style solution using paper or cardboard, recycle a nuisance material, or invent and use magic. The choice is up to you.
If you are having trouble coming up with ideas, look at existing packaging solutions and then consider how to recreate them from cheap and eco friendly materials. Also look at ideas for exercises like the 'egg drop challenge' to see how ordinary materials can cushion precious cargo when manipulated properly.
Since you are not submitting your physical solution, ensure it is very clear how it is made, what it is made from and how it works. A lot can be explained on a single page and in a 60 second video, assuming you communicate clearly and concisely. Feel free to submit any 2D templates, 3D models or whatever is relevant in your folder to help explain how it works.

How to submit your entry

Using your school Google account, create a new folder in Drive.

Rename the folder to have your name and wellbeing class name.

Open the folder. Then click the down arrow to the right of the folder name and go to Share > Share.

Set the General access settings to 'Anyone with the link'.

The dialogue should now say 'Anyone on the internet with a link can view'. Add your submission files as per the instructions at the top of the page. When done, click 'Copy Link' and email the link to the teacher listed on your Google classroom page (with a clear and descriptive subject line).

Deadline

Entries close Monday week 2, term 4 (21st October 2024). Please ensure you have followed competition guidelines and submit your items before this date.