Strategic Consulting for a Design Competition
Since 1996, the international competition Model Young Package (MYP) has brought together young design talent and experienced packaging professionals. Each year, hundreds of submissions from around the world demonstrate how creative, sustainable and forward-looking packaging design can be.
But how does an established competition remain relevant over time? How can it reach new target groups – and what does it take to engage more universities and students? Our Consulting Services supported Model in answering exactly these questions.
Client: Model Group
Scope of Services: format and content development, project management, expert pool
Objective: strategic repositioning of the MYP competition
How Can the Model Young Package Design Competition Be Prepared for the Future?
To further develop the competition, the first step was an honest assessment of the status quo: what works well – and where are the blind spots? To explore this, we invited lecturers from various universities to discuss key questions together: who should the competition address? How does it communicate its profile? And what role can sustainability play?
Approach
Analysis and Positioning
The competition was first analysed: where does MYP stand today, what are its strengths – and where is it losing impact?
Development of Key Questions
Targeted questions guided the workshop towards the most relevant topics: who is the core target group? How does MYP present itself externally? How can universities be more effectively integrated?
Collaborative Exchange
Lecturers from different disciplines contributed their perspectives with the aim of strengthening the role of packaging design in academic teaching and making the competition more attractive as a learning format.
The Result
Based on the joint exchange, clear next steps were defined: a sharper target group focus, a clearer external profile and an expanded offer for universities and students. These form the foundation for making MYP more attractive, visible and impactful – for emerging talent as well as for educators. The result: a clear roadmap for a competition that inspires young talent, engages universities and makes sustainability tangible.
Perspectives From the Project
“The workshop for German educational institutions, organised together with the German Design Council, provided us with many valuable insights. We highly value this opportunity for exchange.”
Daniel Ibrahim, Digital Marketing Manager, Model
“The workshop brought together the organiser and representatives from universities. They were activated as multipliers, introduced the competition to their students and integrated it into their semesters to support participation in the competition with concrete semester projects – a strong example of effective collaboration.” says Lilith Jeanneaux, Consulting Manager of the German Design Council.
Design as a Strategic Lever
The Consulting Services supported the project from concept to implementation – with the goal of consolidating knowledge, connecting perspectives and translating them into actionable recommendations. A well-positioned competition is more than an annual event: it fosters talent, strengthens the brand and connects an entire industry.
Consulting Services of the German Design Council
Would you like to strategically develop an existing format? Our Consulting Services support you in using design as a strategic instrument – well-founded, independent and impact-oriented.
