Designing thoughtful pop-up concepts for big brands has earned two students from De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) gold and bronze prizes in a national competition.
Hosted by POPAI – a leading industry association dedicated to enhancing the shopper experience - the annual awards celebrate creativity, innovation and excellence in-store across the UK and Ireland.
Product Design student Millie Rees impressed the industry judges with a self-care pop-up shop for popular high street cosmetics brand LUSH, bagging the £1,000 gold prize in the student design category.
Her concept was inspired by a visit to an apothecary in Yorkshire last year. “I was going through a rough patch and it was helpful for me to learn about different products and their wellbeing benefits, so I wanted to bring that idea to the mainstream,” said the 20-year-old from Northamptonshire.
Millie’s design allows shoppers to choose from a range of ingredients, based on their restorative properties, to create a bespoke hand cream that caters to their needs - whether it’s to destress, relax, feel energised, or something else.
Millie collecting her prize at the POPAI awards ceremony
She said: “I was just happy to be shortlisted, let alone win, so it feels brilliant. My boyfriend stayed up all night with me, helping me to render all my images before the deadline, so I was really happy I could take him to the black-tie awards ceremony in London.
“It was a really exciting event. POPAI sorted our hotels, there was a three-course meal and we got to mingle with lots of industry specialists and big brands.
“The best thing about winning the award, was that it directly helped me to get my yearlong work placement at Wilson & Brown/Array. The presentation I did for POPAI came in handy for my interview and they were impressed by my award-winning idea.”
Two months into her role as development designer, Millie has been working on point of sale displays for a range of well-known cosmetics brands such as Rimmel, L’Oreal and Sally Hansen.
“It’s a lot of fun and I already feel like I’ve learned so much about the industry. My degree has given me a good foundation, but working on multiple tech drawings across different brands on any given day is eye-opening,” she said.
“I’m becoming much faster and more detailed in what I do, plus I’m learning about production and manufacturing along the way.”
Interior Design graduate Anna Grimwood scooped bronze prize for her pop-up idea for ethical shoe company Allbirds, featuring interactive technology elements to enhance the shopper experience.
Her idea is that each foot measuring device is fitted with a touch screen, so that users can browse which designs come in their size, select the ones they want to try on, and place an online order once they pick a pair to buy.
Anna on her graduation day in August
The technology will also enable customers to learn more about each design, in terms of materials and techniques used. “I chose Allbirds because I wanted to represent a company which aligns with me morally and which makes me think more sustainably too,” said the 23-year-old from Brighton.
Made out of recyclable materials, Anna’s concept is designed to be a travelling pop-up shop, easy to dismantle and erect again in a different space.
She said: “It’s quite a big award to win and it honestly feels amazing. I never dreamt this would happen, but it’s something I’ve proudly added to my CV now that I’ve graduated and am looking to start a career in the museum and exhibition design sector.”
Posted on Friday 14 October 2022