Designers briefed for condom packaging competition

Young Australian designers have been given the brief to design the packaging and branding for the next generation of condoms.

In a competition created by Swinburne University of Technology, designers have been commissioned to share their ideas on innovative and culturally appropriate ways to communicate safe sex in South-East Asia and Africa, with the incentive of a $3500 cash prize.

Both designers under 35 years and design students currently in tertiary education can enter.

They are asked to “create a visual around packaging, branding, advertising and promotional material for safe sex”.

Swinburne course coordinator Gianni Renda said the judging panel would like to see entries that stand out compared to what’s currently in market.

“We're undertaking research into existing condom packaging and branding and hope this competition will help further our knowledge,” Renda said.

Communication design and business coordinator Bridgette Engeler Newbury wants a fresh take on branding and packaging based on local cultural preferences that influence people’s perceptions of condoms.

“There are still parts of the world not purchasing and using condoms for many different reasons,” she says.

“It would be great if the packaging and branding tackled this issue.”

The design competition is part of a larger research collaboration called Project Geldom, currently underway at Swinburne and the University of Wollongong. The project, for which Wollongong received funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, involves developing condoms made from novel materials that people will want to use.

Over 27 billion condoms will be sold this year, but still not enough are being used in developing countries, according to reports. It is hoped the combination of new material and innovative brand and packaging design will help encourage use of this contraceptive, particularly in South-East Asia and Africa.