AICC, the Independent Packaging Association, is proud to announce the winners of the 2026 Student Packaging Design Competition, recognizing students who demonstrated outstanding creativity, structural design, and graphic design skills while solving a real-world packaging challenge.
The annual Student Packaging Design Competition gives students from colleges, universities, and technical schools the opportunity to apply their classroom knowledge to real-world corrugated packaging challenges. By competing, students develop their portfolios, strengthen their design skills, and gain valuable exposure to the packaging industry.
This year’s competition partnered with Gibs Grooming to challenge students to design a compact, retail-ready countertop display for the company’s 3.25-ounce travel-size products. The displays were designed for retail stores serving the beauty industry.
The structural design winners were:
First Place: University of Texas at Arlington; “GIBS Tiered Tabletop Display” by Jesus Vargas, Emily Pfefferkorn, Kathy Le
Second Place: Cal Poly; “GIBS Gym Essentials” by Ainsley Gavin, Grace Gunther, Aden Pierson, Tyler Fieux
Third Place: Cal Poly; “GIBS Rebel Refuel Station” by Ava Cheung, Shree Lankipalli, Andrew Klarich
The graphic design winners were:
First Place: Cal Poly; “One Stop Shop” by Kiana Honma, Brandon Britt, Elle Burgos, Casey Copeland
Second Place: Cal Poly; “Barrel Aged Reserved” by Robert Cadena, Jesse Resnick, Bode Popp
Third Place: Cal Poly; “The Showroom” by Logan Ruby, Mira Shupe, Jordan Hopp
Congratulations to all the Student Packaging Design Competition winners and participants for their creativity, innovation, and hard work. Their designs demonstrate the talent and potential of the next generation of packaging professionals.
