After placing at the top of our industry’s Student Design Challenge for three years and interning at several PPC member companies, including Taylor Box, Burt Rigid Box, and Southern Champion Tray, soon-to-be RIT graduate, Kelly Fellner, will be joining the team at Burt Rigid Box fulltime. PPC recently connected with this rising star to discuss her multi-year involvement in the Student Design Challenge (a joint initiative between PPC and the American Forest & Paper Association), how the competition impacted her career aspirations, her advice for young designers, and the trends she foresees affecting the paperboard packaging industry in the future.
PPC: How long have you been involved in the Student Design Challenge (SDC)?
KF: At Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), we offer the SDC as part of a spring semester class, and I’ve taken the class since my freshman year. So, this is my fourth submission into the competition and my third time placing. I’m very honored!
PPC: Why did you decide to gain experience in packaging design?
KF: Growing up, I always enjoyed math and science, but I was also really drawn to creativity and design. When it came time to select a major, I was lost trying to decide whether I wanted to go the engineering route or the creative route – and that’s when I was introduced to packaging. For me, it’s the perfect mix between math, engineering, and creative design.
PPC: How has the SDC shaped your future career goals?
KF: I cannot emphasize enough how much the SDC has impacted my future. First of all, it introduced me to the paperboard packaging design world. RIT has an amazing packaging program, but because it’s packaging science, our classes tend to focus more on chemistry, plastics, testing, and distribution. While I enjoyed these classes, they weren’t the packaging design classes that I was more drawn to. So, when I was asked to participate in the Student Design Challenge my freshman year, I jumped at the opportunity.
Having the opportunity to go through the creative design process – from ideation to a physical sample – was so exciting, and after just a few classes I knew it was what I wanted to do. But it wasn’t until we were asked to attend PPC’s Fall Conference in Atlanta that I realized the exciting role I took on in the Student Design Challenge could lead to a future career. Thanks to the amazing network of executives at PPC conferences, I’ve had the opportunity to intern at Taylor Box Company, Burt Rigid Box, Inc., and Southern Champion Tray. I learned so much about the industry and grew exponentially as a designer during those internships, and they expanded my interest in a future career in the paperboard packaging industry.
PPC: What can we do as an industry to continue to engage young designers like yourself?
KF: I think the biggest thing you can do is to continue to reach out to younger students and spread awareness of the paperboard packaging industry. I think a career in packaging design in general needs to be talked about more. While some people just smile politely when I tell them I’m majoring in packaging, many people are super interested and engaged once I explain to them what it is. Paperboard packaging design is a niche industry that creative students (both packaging and non-packaging) need more access to. The Student Design Challenge is fantastic, and the fact that it gives young designers an opportunity to come to the conference and see how the industry works is an experience that is second to none.
I also think it’s important to reach out to students at the High School level because they’re especially trying to figure out what field they want to go into, and I think packaging could be a great option for students with mixed interests and talents. I recently had an opportunity to speak to 3rd– 6th graders on their career day about packaging, and they loved it too! I showed them our projects from the Student Design Challenges, and the kids were really engaged and asked lots of questions. So, start ‘em while they’re young!
PPC: Can you predict any upcoming trends in the packaging industry?
KF: Not surprisingly, I think the emphasis on sustainability is going to keep growing. The younger generations aren’t just looking at a product for a recycle logo – they want to know where the materials are coming from and whether they’re coming from sustainable manufacturing practices. I think that the sooner companies and manufacturers start moving toward full transparency, the better off they’ll be in the future.
PPC: What is one of the most surprising things you’ve learned about our industry?
KF: I think something that surprised me is how close-knit the industry is, which is a great advantage as a young designer looking to break into the industry. I think it’s awesome that all these potentially competing companies choose to come together and learn from each other as a part of the PPC. As a young person in this industry, it shows the emphasis that the paperboard packaging industry has on consistent improvement and change, which is really exciting.
PPC: Who has been your best mentor throughout your experience as a designer?
KF: Lorrie Frear is a professor for RIT’s student design class and has been my teacher for four years now. She’s always been so encouraging and has really built my confidence as a designer. I came into her class as an awkward, timid freshman, but the way she runs her class creates an amazing environment that welcomes all creative ideas. Even though Lorrie’s background is in graphic design, she really pushed me to be an impactful structural designer, and I’m so grateful for everything she’s taught me over the years. (And no – she didn’t pay me to say that!)
PPC: What are your plans after you graduate?
KF: I recently accepted a full-time position as a creative designer at Burt Rigid Box, Inc., where I’ll be running their rigid box design department. I’m very excited for what’s to come!
Learn more about the 2021 Student Design Challenge and check out the brief for the 2022 Challenge here.