The PIDA Student winners from the Industrial Design School at the University of New South Wales took out four major awards and eight finalist awards in the latest edition of the WorldStar Student awards.
The PIDA Student Awards program is coordinated by the AIP and is the exclusive entry point for the WorldStar Student Awards for Australia and New Zealand.
The WorldStar Student Awards competition is owned and produced by the World Packaging Organisation (WPO) and is an international packaging design competition for students – undergraduate or graduate – from countries around the world who are involved in projects in the field of packaging, including structural design and/or graphic design.
The latest round of the global WorldStar student awards program saw 253 entries from students in 25 different countries, with only 137 entries selected for awards.
Jeremy Marchant was the standout student for 2024 with the innovative Sushi Takeaway Packaging receiving Australia’s first-ever Silver Medal overall winner recognition, a Gold Medal for Sustainability and a Silver Medal for Food Packaging.
Marchant said, “I am immensely proud to be Australian, and representing Australia in design has been a dream of mine. I like to think this WorldStar Student award is a milestone in my work in design, as it is the first time my work has been recognised outside my mandatory university studies. I am extremely grateful to be given the opportunity to take part in this competition and overwhelmed with the results. Although I am quite new to the design industry, I have enjoyed the community that I have been introduced to.”
Ziqian (Kevin) Chen was recognised with Australia’s first-ever Silver Medal for Health and Personal Care Packaging for the Railok: Child-Resistant & Accessible Vitamin Bottle.
Chen was also recognised with a Finalist award for the Railok packaging design and for his second entry Twistin: Sustainable & Reusable Sport Drink Bottle Cap.
Chen said, “I am so glad and surprised to receive this WorldStar Student award and be the first Australian student to win a Silver in the Health and Personal Care category. It is a huge motivation for me to maintain the passion of industrial design and creating ideas that can help the world and the society. Thanks again to my tutors Gonzalo Portas, David Scholsner and Rohaan Taneja. They all gave me a lot of help and advice to make me be better and more confident. I am also appreciated that UNSW Industrial Design and Mariano Ramirez giving me the chance to take part in this competition through the AIP Student Awards. It is my first time standing in a global stage to show my design to the world. I believe I should be proud of myself.”
The AIP would also like to congratulate the additional five students who were awarded finalists certificates: Fengyuan Liu for CBox, Amy Feng for Sustainable Tea Packaging System, Jiaying (Nina) Lai for No Lid Paper Cup, Zac Blair for BoxOtape and Zihan (Eleanor) Tang for MeCube.
Dr Mariano Ramirez, senior lecturer, Director of Industrial Design Discipline, School of Built Environment, University of New South Wales added, “The outstanding achievements of UNSW Industrial Design students in the PIDA and Worldstar Student Awards, marked by prestigious recognitions such as the Silver Overall Winner and multiple Sustainability Gold and Silver Trophies, are a testament to the effective synergy between education and industry.
“These accomplishments not only showcase the exceptional talent and dedication of our students but also highlight the transformative impact of the AIP in integrating real-world challenges into our academic curriculum. The focus on circular, accessible, and waste-reducing packaging solutions directly supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. AIP’s engagement in this process has been instrumental in nurturing a new generation of designers, poised to address the pressing environmental challenges of our time.
“This collaboration not only propels our students into a global arena where they can contribute meaningfully to sustainable development, but also reinforces UNSW’s commitment to spearheading sustainable design education.”
