College Student Design Competition: The Power of Packaging

Students, share your creativity! CompanyBox is hosting a competition to show what innovative packaging looks like. This is an opportunity for student designers interested in pursuing a career in graphic or packaging design to experience real custom packaging first hand. Plus, there are some kick ass prizes to be won.

Entry is free! Open to the first 50 students who apply. Ready to accept our challenge?

the brief

Design for Digital: We’re encouraging you to explore using colors, patterns and/or high-resolution imagery.  

Think about the unboxing experience: How can your design enhance this?  

Consider all parts of the box: Inside, outside, side panels- it’s your blank canvas.  

Remember the box material: While we cannot print using white ink, think about ways to knock out colors to let the white (or kraft) material show through. 

Read more best practices here. 

the rules

1. Open to current students, 2020 grads or enrolled for the fall. Must have an .edu email to enter.  
2. All works must be designed in the CompanyBox online design studio. No uploaded templates will be accepted.
3. Designs should be for a made-up brand. Looks that are considered to be plagiarism will not be accepted.  Check out our Terms and Conditions.
4. Choose from the Snap2pack or Ear Lock Mailer box style.
5. Designs considered to be morally or ethically questionable and/or offensive will be disqualified at the sole discretion of CompanyBox. 
6. Submissions will be accepted from July 31 – August 18. 

The prizes

The winner will receive a cash prize of $500. Second place will be awarded $250 and third place $50.

All college students will be featured in a blog or video and will have their design available as an artist template in our design studio.  

Each designer will receive a copy of their printed box for portfolios just for entering. Boxes will be mailed out by September 30. Tag us on Instagram @companybox with the finished product and we’ll share! 

How to enter

Step 1: Email Cara Walters at cara.walters@companybox.com. You will then be emailed a contest packet with more details. 

Step 2: Get creative! Follow the packet guidelines to complete and save your design.

Step 3: Save your design with the name “Design Contest 2020_FIRST NAME_LAST NAME”. Then add to cart and checkout using the code from your contest packet.

Select Shipping method “Pickup”. (We will ship it to you!)

We will announce all winners by September 17, 2020.

The Judging  

All entries will be judged on the following 5 characteristics:  

• Concept & originality  
• Use of color 
• Effectiveness for unboxing 
• Digital compatibility  
• Visual appearance   

2020 Judges panel

Kyle DeJesus, President of CompanyBox 

Cara Walters, Marketing Lead at CompanyBox 

Nathan Wente, Graphic Design Manager at CompanyBox 

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Submissions will be accepted from July 31 – August 18. Winners will be announced no later than Septeber 17, 2020. You got this!

Check out this post and this post for an example of incorporating box material color into your look. Here’s an example of inside and outside print.