Winners Top Tips

Previous winners of the Student Design Awards give you the lowdown on the competition and offer advice on how to create an eye-catching entry with some great do's and don'ts...
but first...last year's winning design...

Rhys Langdon, Gold Award Winner, 2009





       








Judges comments:

"The entry incorporated an edgy design pertinent to the Lynx brand whilst at the same time taking into account environmentally responsible considerations. In-store reach into the space available ensured the design is able to fit in the limited counter area whilst still communicating to the shopper. It's encouraging to see such high quality creativity and consideration of the retail environment in the overall presentation of the entry."


Q. Why did you enter the awards?
 
"After learning about the competition, I was excited at the opportunity to have one of my own designs judged and maybe even recognised by some of the top representatives in this business."

Q. What was the best thing about entering?
 
"The fact that my CV can now say I am an award winner will be a huge advantage when I go looking for a job. It's something which really helps my applications stand out from the pack. On top of that, I had only recently graduated from university and so having the chance to meet and socialise with people within this industry at the Awards Night was a great opportunity to promote myself even further."

Q. What advice would you give to students entering this year?
 
"Don't be afraid of keeping your ideas simple. A complicated design can sometimes be a disadvantage especially within this industry. Read the brief carefully and more than once throughout the length of the project to make sure you always remain on track."

Q. Any major no-no's?
 
"Don't forget about the environment in which your product will be located. Remember that it's the aesthetics that will draw the customer in but once you've got their attention your product needs to work well and fit in its location. Once again, always keep the brief in mind!"


Kevin Jones, Gold Award Winner, 2008

Q. Why did you enter the awards?

"I was looking for a challenging brief for an Exploratory University Project, a brief that could excite my imagination with the potential for unlimited possibilities. The POPAI Student Design brief did just that."


Q. What was the best thing about entering?

"Definitely the Awards Ceremony hosted by the amazing Frankie Boyle. The night was just full of surprises. I got to wine and dine in a posh, all expenses paid, London hotel with the top designers in the industry. Being given the opportunity to work for a world renowned design company is pretty overwhelming as well. This competition has opened so many doors for me."

Q. What advice would you give to students entering this year?

"Just enjoy the competition brief; don't be too tight with your ideas. Try and be as creative and innovative as possible and make sure your work is well presented and stands out above the others."

Q. Any major no-no's?

"Even though the aesthetics is what will sell your design to the judges make sure it's fit for purpose as well. Make sure you know everything about the brand and the industry. Also remember we live in a world struggling with environmental issues so tackling these in any way always impresses."


Sarah Branscombe, Silver Award Winner, 2006

Q. Why did you enter the awards?

"My lecturer told me about the awards and after I read the flyer that came through, I wanted to enter to give myself a better chance in the job market - with some real-life experience."

Q. What was the best thing about entering?

"Without doubt it's who I met at the Award Winners Gala Dinner - a really swanky black-tie event in London with loads of really big companies there, all looking at my work and asking me for my business card! I got a job with Display Plan as a direct result of the awards."

Q. What advice would you give to students entering this year?

"You need to really do your homework about the brand, understand what their key messages are and know what they want from retail display."

Q. Any major no-no's?

"Well that's easy - don't just design something that looks pretty - it's not just about aesthetics. The thing has to work as if it were to be placed in store, so give some serious thought to materials and the overall ergonomics."

"Oh - one final thing - remember to look at the industry as a whole, not just your course notes! Use your lecturers and get loads of info from POPAI, they've got tons of stuff that can help like industry presentations and case studies."

Tess Flory, Gold Award Winner, 2002

Q. What was the best thing about entering?

"It has to be the exposure and understanding you get for the retail marketing/ P-O-P industry - OK it meant I had to put in a bit of extra work but when it came to interviews, I would be sat next to graduates who knew nothing about the indsutry. It gave me a massive head start over everyone else."

Q. What advice you would give to students entering this year?

"Start thinking about your entry today! It helps you apply your skills to a real world situation and gives you hands-on experience of a really cool industry. There's loads of top jobs out there and entering the awards will give you a massive advantage  - oh, and the cash is handy too!"