RIT Students Take Top Honors at National Design Competition

Student design teams from Rochester Institute of Technology placed 1^st and 3^rd at the 2007 North American Student Design Competition, sponsored by The Paperbox Industry Foundation, in conjunction with the North American Packaging Association.

The competition challenged students to design a “unisex spa products promotion” package that would appeal to both men and women. During the six-week event, students were required to create products, form a brand identity and design and fabricate a professional quality box to house the spa products. Entries were judged on innovation, concept, structural and graphic development, as well as construction and craftsmanship.

“Set-up or rigid boxes covered in paper or fabric are primarily used for high-end products such as chocolates, cosmetics or fragrance,” says Lorrie Frear, assistant professor of graphic design. “This project simulates industry standards and demand for elegant packaging to complement luxury products.”

Rochester Institute of Technology is internationally recognized for academic leadership in computing, engineering, imaging technology, and fine and applied arts, in addition to unparalleled support services for students with hearing loss. More than 15,500 full- and part-time students are enrolled in RIT’s 340 career-oriented and professional programs, and its cooperative education program is one of the oldest and largest in the nation.

For nearly two decades, U.S. News & World Report has ranked RIT among the nation’s leading comprehensive universities. The Princeton Review features RIT in its 2007 Best 361 Colleges rankings and named the university one of America’s “Most Wired Campuses.” RIT is also featured in Barron’s Best Buys in Education.