Independent Cosmetic Manufacturers and Distributors (ICMAD) created The Young Designer’s Competition in 1998 with a goal to encourage design students to be creative. This competition has become the beauty industry’s most prestigious design award for college students.

Students are asked to design a new “hero” product for a luxury company. They are asked to create a unique primary and secondary packaging design from a blank container (provided by the ICMAD organization). The consumer package must be complete with caps, labels and accessories, including an outside package. The designs may include other components of the student’s choice, such as color coatings, bases and added decor that still have some degree of practicality. Caps may be treated creatively.

All submissions include the design for the container (primary), an outside package (secondary), description of the product concept, and a photo. All entries are judged by design professionals. The winners will be announced by February 2014—providing six months to complete the project.

How the competition works and prizes:
Students can win cash, a paid internship with East Hill Industries, LLC, a trip to Los Angeles and meetings with the hottest beauty companies.
Three winners will be chosen from the entries submitted for a trip to California where they will attend an awards dinner at Le Meridien, 530 Pico Boulevard, Santa Monica, CA, March 5, 2014.
The winners will also receive a tour and meetings with some of the executives of three of the top beauty companies in the business – Murad, Ole Henriksen & Jouer Cosmetics and a cash prize – $2,500 (first place), $1,500 (second place), or $1,000 (third place)
The first place winner will also receive a paid internship with East Hill Industries, LLC – a leading packaging design company in Texas – where they will get to work on packaging designs that could be featured on the shelves of leading beauty retailers around the world

The deadline submission is January 15th, 2014.

More info: www.icmad.org