Can Makers UK announces Undergraduate Design Competition winner

Packaging Solutions

The winners of the inaugural Undergraduate Beverage Can Design competition have been announced, recognising the creativity and ambition of the next generation of packaging designers.

Organised by Can Makers UK, the competition was launched in 2026 in partnership with Edge Hill University, giving undergraduate students the opportunity to develop packaging and branding concepts for a hypothetical new brand. Students took part in a dedicated design masterclass and received feedback from industry experts before refining their final submissions for judging.

The final concepts were reviewed by the Can Makers UK committee, which selected the winners based on their creative use of the format, to demonstrate how effective design can help a new brand to create shelf standout, differentiate its product from competitors, overcome potential barriers in the perception of canned beverages, and drive sales.

The winning concept, Nova, impressed judges with its bold visual identity, use of colour and strong shelf presence. The design features a black wine glass silhouette with strawberry and blueberry illustrations on a pink background, paired with simple typography. It scored highly on criteria including sophisticated use of colour, and technical aspects such as text size, barcode placement and artwork fit as well as its visual appeal. The judges commented that the design was on par with many leading brands in the market today.

The judges also praised the Chameleon concept for its innovative use of the beverage can. The design includes the use of thermochromic ink, which changes colour to signal when the drink has reached optimal serving temperature, alongside bold typography and a playful chameleon illustration on a two-tone orange and pink background. The concept also scored well on criteria such as line thickness, artwork fit and colour use.

John O’Maoileoin, chairman of Can Makers UK, said: ‘Initiatives like this are a great way to introduce new talent to the possibilities of beverage can design. It’s been very rewarding to see students engage with the format so creatively, thinking commercially about how brands can use the cans 360 degree printable surface to tell their story, stand out on the shelf and connect with consumers.

Both concepts showed just how much design potential the beverage can has to offer, from Nova’s bold use of colour and illustration to Chameleon’s exploration of thermochromic ink. We look forward to developing the programme with Edge Hill University and other partners in the years ahead and nurturing the creative design potential of the next generation.’

The undergraduate design competition builds on the Can Makers UK's long standing commitment to championing creativity and innovation in the beverage packaging industry and runs alongside the bi-annual Design Accolades programme.

The competition gives students hands-on experience of designing for a commercial environment, supported throughout by industry design experts from Can Makers UK committee.

Jenna Gardner, senior lecturer in graphic design at Edge Hill University, said: ‘Initiatives like this give students something a classroom brief alone can't including contact with industry professionals and valuable insight about design in a commercial environment. That exposure pushes them to think harder about purposeful, effective design, and about how their choices will influence their target audience.  

‘What stood out across the entries was how much personality came through. Every group interpreted the brief differently, and you could see their own creative instincts and interests shaping the final concepts. It's exactly the kind of initiative we want to see more of, giving students the confidence to put their ideas in front of industry and see how they hold up.’

Can Makers UK research has found that over 70% of younger consumers are more likely to choose a drink based on its packaging design underlining the importance of initiatives like this, helping the next generation of designers to understand how brands can use the can format to stand out in an increasingly competitive market.

The Undergraduate Design Programme is set to be refined with Edge Hill University before being opened to additional universities with graphic design specialisms from 2027/8 onwards.