Packaging that is visually appealing, sustainable and also has a purpose - that was the task for design students in a seminar at the Münster School of Design (MSD). Three young designers came up with the idea for SandKit. The cardboard box contains a roll of sandpaper and can also be used as a sanding block. It won three awards last year.
In projects at their universities, students are constantly developing clever packaging solutions that have the potential to find their way into the retail sector. Also SandKit could well make it onto the DIY store shelves. The paper-based design idea by Maria Paula Monroy Vargas, Sarah Drauschke and Margo Rindle was developed as part of the „Sustainable Packaging Concepts“ seminar at the Department of Design at Münster University of Applied Sciences and offers an intelligent and sustainable packaging solution. Sustainable solution for easy handling of sandpaper on. The packaging concept not only functions as a dispenser for sandpaper, but is also a practical sanding block.
„In my seminar „Sustainable Packaging Concepts“, students focus on developing sustainable packaging solutions for real everyday products. The students are encouraged to design packaging from the consumer's perspective without losing sight of the respective contexts. They develop packaging solutions that are intended to have a „process-like“ effect because they can be used over a longer period of time than usual as they offer further options. „Sandkit“ impresses with its functions and high design quality.“
Prof Steffen Schulz, FH Münster, Münster School of Design (MSD)
Concept suitable for everyday use
„Storing sandpaper in the household often causes a huge mess. That's when we came up with the idea of packaging in which it can be stored neatly and which can also be used as a sanding block,“ says Margo Rindle. The three students initially carried out extensive research for the project. „We had several ideas and created mock-ups. But SandKit won the race because it is a practical concept for everyday use,“ adds Sarah Drauschke. „The challenge was to make the box as stable as possible. SandKit is made entirely of cardboard and this was particularly important to us, to show how robust simple cardboard can be. The university provided us with the material and we were able to cut and print in our workshop. We opted for cardboard with a grammage of 300 g/m2 which we were able to process well. With double folds, it is now just as stable as the 600 g/m2-box, which we also had at our disposal.“
But it wasn't just about stability. „Sandpaper comes in many grit sizes. We wanted to keep it clear and decided on three strengths, which we call hard, medium and fine,“ says Maria Paula Monroy Vargas. The folding boxes were also colour-coded to provide information at first glance about the grit of the sandpaper they contain. „We then integrated a recess into the packaging where the sandpaper can be felt,“ says Margo Rindle. „The packaging also features One adhesive dot as first-opening protection. We may not be packaging a sensitive food or pharmaceutical product here, but with this extra, the customer can still be sure that the packaging has not yet been opened and that they are holding a new product in their hands. That was also important to us.“
The packaging provides the user with further information, such as which material can be processed with the sandpaper. Sarah Drauschke: „We have also developed icons that communicate usage regardless of the language. There are also Tips for correct waste separation, because the cardboard belongs in the waste paper collection and the sandpaper in the residual waste.“
The three young designers are studying for a bachelor's degree at the Münster School of Design, specialising in product design and communication design. „The basic idea for SandKit is good and should be pursued further. But all three of us are still studying, so there are more projects every semester. So we don't have time to develop our idea any further at the moment. Maybe it will work out after our studies,“ says Margo Rindle.
The innovative idea was honoured several times last year. Firstly, the three were delighted to receive the „Young Talent Award“ at the German Packaging Award 2023 and later there were two Pro Carton Young Designer AwardsThe submission was honoured with both the European Award in the category „Creative Cartonboard Packaging All Other“ and the German Pro Carton Young Designers Award, which was presented for the sixth time in cooperation with the Fachverband Faltschachtel-Industrie e. V. (FFI) for Germany.
