PANDAS, the region’s official Packaging and Design Awards for Students, promises to be ‘bigger and better, by breaking new boundaries in innovation and creativity in its 2007 event.
The award initiative, which takes place at Dubai’s Airport Expo in April 2007, is organised by Fairs and Exhibitions and jointly sponsored by Gulf Pack and Gulf Print, The awards were set up to encourage and showcase emerging student talent in the region.
For the first time, PANDAS sees participation from universities in Bahrain, Oman, UAE, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon in an event that aims to build a valuable bridge between the academic community and various design industries by involving students from across the region.
Universities from the UAE taking part in the third PANDAS Awards, include; Abu Dhabi Men’s College and Abu Dhabi Women’s College, Dubai Women’s College, Zayed University, American University in Dubai, Sharjah Women’s College and Ras Al Khaimah Women’s College.
Further a field, entrants from all over the Arab world will include; University College of Bahrain, Scientific College of Design in Oman, Al Manar University of Tripoli in Lebanon, Philadelphia University and the University of Petra in Jordan, Damascus University from Syria is also expected to participate. In addition, we have received positive feedback from a number of academic institutes and we anticipate participants from Sudan, Tunisia and Iraq.
And with more and more emphasis being placed by companies on local creative resources, the PANDAS has now become a unique platform for design students in the Middle East.
Students participating will be required to submit a full design entry to any one of eight categories which require them to design entries from corporate branding logos to perfume packaging. Each university can submit up to five entries for each category in the Award programme.
The eight design categories have been purposely created to challenge and stimulate young creative minds and these include five categories in graphic design and three in packaging design.
Gulf Print sponsors, HP, are running the poster design category, which aims to promote a key social message or an Arabic Cultural Festival, while Momentum are responsible for the Corporate Identity category, which gives participants the opportunity to design corporate branding elements for the Dubai Mono Rail.
Promoting the Original or Calligraphy Design category, Layout ME is sponsoring explorations into the use of preferably Arabic script; Motivate Publishing is sponsoring the design of a book and Gulf News Notes are encouraging the design of a new magazine targeting Youth in either Arabic or English print and publications initiatives through the Publications Design category. Entrants can choose whether to design a profile for a new magazine, or work on book design.
For Gulf Pack, Ajmal is sponsoring packaging for Perfume which includes image for bottle and pack. The design should include presentation, bottle, box and retail display unit. Students are encouraged to complete design to scale, using 3D imagery.
The other packaging design awards include a Bulk Packaging category in which they design a Ramadan Gift box and dates packaging or design for a soft drinks container including the brand, designing a label and overall presentation for an energy drink, juice or other beverage presented in either a bottle or can.
