Fedrigoni Paper and Prestige Paper Products, producers of eco-friendly specialty paper, recently tapped La Salle Green Hills and the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde for a structural paper packaging competition.

With the theme "Be Beautiful Inside and Out," the contest challenged the institutions' young student-artists to create eye-catching packaging for varied cosmetics, such as perfume bottles and make-up sets, or food containers that immediately portray the brand's story and product context.

Prior to the event, the apprentices were toured around the facilities and laboratories of the Benilde Industrial Design Program. They were likewise introduced to the fundamentals and techniques of packaging design through a crash course and workshop facilitated by industrial designer and educator Christian Pagulayan, MFAD.

The entries were evaluated based on the originality, reproducibility, and credibility of the design, as well as its global approach on aesthetics,
user-friendly functionality, and interaction between product and user. The technical execution, which covered the concept, materials, use and reuse, sustainability and distribution, were also examined. The proposals must likewise address a problem using an innovative approach on its creation or application.

During the prototyping and presentation stage of the project proposals, the finalists received free supplies from Fedrigoni Paper and Prestige Paper Products.

Lunar Regolith, a lunar rock-inspired packaging for men's perfume, was hailed as the winner. Kenji del Rosario focused on design feasibility, as well as ergonomic and sustainable aspects, to depict the state-of-the-art capsules seen in sci-fi films.

Emilio Rufus Bunani and Maxine Ivory Dollente were announced as second and third, respectively.

Bunani's Umai celebrated the rich history and long culture of tea in Japan through a traditional Japanese tea house-inspired packaging for matcha. The prototype came in a strategic die cut mold with angled flap design that fostered product-user interaction and decreased carbon footprint.

Dollente's Bloom utilized the premium paper products to create a flower origami. Veering away from the classic floral-printed boxes, her design allowed the ladies to gently pull the leaves down to reveal the perfume bottle.

The entries were meticulously screened by a panel of industry experts composed of DLS-CSB and LSGH president Br. Edmundo Fernandez, FSC; School of Environment and Design dean, architect Dottie A. Domingo; Philippine Marketing Association EVP Marco Antonio Montes; Fedrigoni Paper Italy Southeast Asia area manager Ruth Toreno; Prestige Paper Products president Karen Ong; and Celestial Media general manager Faith Abaño.

Selected prototypes will be exhibited at the fifth floor of the Benilde Design and Arts Campus. For more information on the program, visit www.benilde.edu.ph/undergraduate-industrial-design/, id.benilde.edu.ph, or www.facebook.com/BenildeIndustrialDesign. Discover more about Fedrigoni Paper on paper.fedrigoni.com/about-us/ and Prestige Paper Products on prestigepaperproducts.com/.