O-I and design students develop creative glass concepts
Owens Illinois, Inc. worked together with students from the Folkwang University of the Arts in Essen. They worked creatively with glass design.
12 November 2019
Design students from Essen worked with O-I to develop creative concepts for working with glass. (Image: Owens-Illinois, Inc.)
Owens Illinois, Inc (NYSE: OI) has collaborated with students from the Department of Design and Innovation at the Folkwang University of the Arts in Essen. The young talents creatively explored the material glass at the O-I plant in Holzminden and learnt all about glass design and functionality from the experts on site.
Current trends in the industry, such as sustainability and premiumisation, were the focus of the work. „Working with O-I is a great opportunity for students to gain an insight into future fields of work,“ says the course instructor Prof Anke Bernotat of the Folkwang University of the Arts. „Glass is Sustainable, functional and aesthetic and combines so many properties that will play an increasingly important role in the future.“
Student Valentin Lude presenting his concept. (Image: O-I Glass Ltd)
„It was really impressive to be able to work so closely with the experts and the material. In the course of the work, 3D models were created from the sketches in collaboration with O-I. It's a great moment to see that the ideas actually work!“ Valentin Lude, Student
Practical application of the scientific principles
The cooperation between O-I and the Industrial Design programme at Folkwang University took place as part of the Department of Design and Innovation is taking place for the second time. The students deal with the design and creation of consumer and industrial goods.
Display
„These young talents are the future of O-I and will shape our products in just a few years. The competition for young employees has intensified for all companies. Through this co-operation, we were able to show young people an industry that is undergoing change. It is important that Packaging tells stories and appeal to the consumer emotionally. O-I has recognised that high-quality packaging has become essential and promotes brand loyalty. The students presented great concepts that reflect the requirements of the industry.“ Steffi Lenz, Innovation Project Manager at O-I
In addition to the theoretical principles taught in the degree programme, the practical part of the cooperation was also a focus: in addition to the creative conception of everyday objects, the Functionality of the products plays a decisive role. Glass offers endless possibilities in terms of shape, colour, decoration and design.
Exhibition „The Animated Thing - The Spirit of Design“ (Image: O-I Glass Ltd)
At the end of this year's co-operation, high-quality concepts on the topic of spirits were created and the final concepts were presented at O-I in Düsseldorf. Some of the concepts were also presented in the Exhibition „The animated thing - The spirit of design“ shown.
[infotext icon]About O-I Owens-Illinois, Inc. (NYSE: OI) is a major manufacturer of glass packaging and the preferred partner of many of the world's leading food and beverage brands. In 2017, O-I generated revenues of $6.9 billion and employs more than 26,500 people in 78 plants and 23 countries. [/infotext]
