The Fruits we have reaped
"The project has been truly exciting and revealed interesting challenges", Claudia Josephs, EPDA General Manager
From the first idea, over time, the project has grown into a quite complex project with many different stakeholders. In the end, it always depends on people – how open they are to go new ways, and also to overcome challenges. We started out with the educational objective to provide designers with deeper insights into label production from material choice to print. Next to a theory lesson with a masterclass we then thought to give them the opportunity to apply achieved knowledge related to embellishment and print, test and experiment based on an open brief. In team meetings with our industry partners the wish grew to give this project a deeper meaning. That’s why we then started to look for a charity organisation which we could support with the our project output. I am thrilled to see that together we managed to put this concept together – and could meet up with our ambition: to offer something educational for a good cause!
As different as the involved project stakeholders perspectives are as different are their take-aways, I imagine. Especially, the jury session with experts from UPM, KURZ and CCL together with a very experienced brand & packaging designer and last not least, The Order of Malta, revealed a varied set of benchmarks for the evaluation of a packaging and print concept. This is a proof of concept that we should continuously try to get all project partners at the table once a new design project is launched. I believe our partners as well as involved designers will spread this learning and live up to it.
"The whole can indeed be greater than the sum of its parts." says Uwe Melichar, EPDA Vice-President
Initiated by UPM Adhesive Materials, the project brought our industry partners together in a truly collaborative effort. Together, we developed a brief that challenged designers to think beyond individual disciplines and focus on the final outcome, while engaging every stage of the value chain—from design and materials to finishing and production. The results speak for themselves and provide a compelling proof of concept.
At epda, we do not see our industry partners as sponsors, but as active collaborators. They contribute ideas, engage in meaningful dialogue, and co-create alongside our members. This collaborative approach is fundamental to how we build value for the entire packaging design community.
Two aspects make this challenge particularly meaningful. First, it began with a masterclass, where more than 40 participants gained valuable insights into both the challenges and opportunities of label design from experts across the value chain.
Second, we wanted to ensure that our collective effort had a purpose beyond the challenge itself. Rather than creating samples destined for the waste bin, we chose to put our creativity, expertise, and materials to good use. The labels were produced for a meaningful cause and applied to products and packaging for our ‚client', the Order of Malta. In this way, the project not only demonstrated the power of collaboration but also created a tangible, positive impact.
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