epda AWARD FUTURE PACKAGING: 1st prize 2024 - Zuyd Hogeschool Maastricht

During the last week of drupa touchpoint packaging, we had the pleasure of hosting students from Zuyd Hogeschool Maastricht, who participated in the epda Future Packaging Award. Among the talented students, Roma Wuts secured 3rd place with her project "Leaf to Leaf" and Anneke Wubbolts received a nomination for her "VlakBij" honey project. And Sanne Heijnen, who won 1st place in the epda Future Packaging Award with her project Ryzco. We took the opportunity to find out more about Sanne's project and her visit to drupa.

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Interview with SANNE HEIJNEN, 1st PRIZE WINNER of the epda AWARD FUTURE PACKAGING 2024 - Zuyd Hogeschool, Maastricht

Ryzco is a Fairtrade rice brand that stands out for its use of biodegradable packaging. The logo represents global rice consumption and underscores the positive environmental impact of Ryzco’s compostable materials. The packaging's reverse side features an illustration of a rice farmer from one of the fair trade farms, along with a thank-you note to the customer for supporting fair trade practices and helping these farmers gain a foothold in the rice industry.

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1. About the Future Packaging Award

Q. This year's brief for the Future Packaging Award was 'Fair Pack for Fair Brands'. What was the biggest challenge you faced in developing your project and how did you overcome it?

A. The biggest challenge I faced while developing Ryzco was finding the right biodegradable material. When i started the project, I focused on finding suitable materials first before designing and discovered a promising option. Despite enthusiastic initial responses, I found out later that the suppliers stopped developing the material and ceased communication. This setback required me to seek alternatives, but it also provided valuable lessons in persistence and adaptability.

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2. drupa touchpoint packaging 2024 experience

Q. What caught your eye during your visit to Drupa Touchpoint Packaging 2024? Was there a particular innovation or trend that stood out to you as a student and future designer?

A. What caught my eye were the remarkable designs from other countries participating in the EPDA awards. Each one was truly amazing! However, i also really loved the parfume packaging design which would open like a flower when you pulled of the top part of the packaging. I believe it was called “Kado, Sky” by pergraphica.”

Q. Can you highlight any specific experiences or interactions at Drupa that you found particularly inspiring?

A. The interaction that stood out the most was the virtual reality store, where you could interact with various packaging designs. Experiencing my own project in this immersive environment was incredible.”

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3. Future plans and impact

Q. Winning this award and attending such a prestigious event must have had a significant impact on your outlook. How do you see this experience shaping your future career in packaging design?

A. During this project, I discovered my love for branding and packaging, which is definitely something I want to pursue in the future. The lessons I learned while working on this project are invaluable for my future in packaging design, and I am very grateful for the experience.
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Q. What are your next steps or plans for the future? Are there any particular projects or areas of interest that you would like to explore further?

A. My next big step is finding a graphic design internship abroad. I believe that an internship abroad will provide me with valuable life lessons and unique experiences. As you can probably already tell I am very interested in branding and packaging, and I love designing a complete brand from scratch. But I also want to explore magazine design, which I find very interesting.

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Congratulations, Sanne, on your outstanding, fair, and innovative project!

Check the Sanne's portfolio here.

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