Five Woodbury Graphic Design Students Come Up Winners in 2017 American Package Design Awards

Aiming at backpackers, dog fanciers and wine connoisseurs, among other consumer segments, packaging projects from five Woodbury University Graphic Design students have taken top honors in Graphic Design USA’s 2017 American Package Design Awards.

Woodbury Graphic Design professor Dan Hoy and his Packaging Design students won the latest run of the Awards, which are organized by Graphic Design USA, one of the leading publications in the field, and sponsored by Neenah Packaging.  GDUSA counts a readership roughly 100,000 across its print edition, digital edition and popular website.

Among Woodbury’s winners and projects:

• Czarah Castro, Designer: Castor & Pollux Wine Packaging
• Patricia Hajjar, Designer: Canine Quest Dog Pack Packaging
• Darwin Huanca, Designer: Oh Sh!t Wilderness Survival Kit
• Andy Lim, Designer and Illustrator: Soul Juice Beverage Packaging
• Josh Ovalle, Designer: Golden Seed Company Display & Packaging

“Makers, sellers and marketers are challenged as never before to convey the message, promote the brand, close the deal,” GDUSA noted. “Think fragmented audiences, information overload, media clutter, global competition, economic dislocation, changing practices and preferences. Package design and related disciplines are increasingly the difference makers in advancing the brand and influencing the purchasing decision. The outstanding work showcased here – from 200 elite design firms, design departments and production companies – is testimony to this phenomenon. Our annual competition celebrates attractive graphics, of course, but more importantly the power of design to forge an emotional link with the buyer at the moment of truth.”

“Once again, Woodbury’s Graphic Design students have distinguished themselves among a significant field, across a broad range industry sectors and design disciplines,” said Behnoush McKay, M.F.A., Graphic Design chair in Woodbury’s School of Media, Culture and Design. “We are immensely proud of Czarah, Patricia, Darwin, Andy and Josh, whose creativity and dedication to mastering their craft bring recognition to themselves and to Woodbury.

”Whether zeroing in on brand identity, story/narrative, creative presentation or any other facet of package design, the American Package Design Awards competition celebrates the power and importance of blending technique and talent in the service of real-world requirements,” McKay said. “This high-level recognition provides further evidence of the caliber of students who are attracted to our Graphic Design program.”

The Graphic Design program grants a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, which is included in the university’s accreditation by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design.  The BFA is a professional degree, which translates to a top education resulting in strong, competitive student portfolios that stand out in the graphic design industry. Woodbury students consistently win international and national design awards, and have achieved recognition in entertainment design, web design, advertising design, package design, photography, identity design and environmental graphics.

Small class size allows individual attention from the professional faculty and educational experiences both inside and outside of the classroom, which provides students with the ability to create effective and engaging visual communication solutions.  The program has gained a reputation for graduating top quality designers ready to take their place in the profession.

About Woodbury University

Founded in 1884, Woodbury University is one of the oldest institutions of higher education in Southern California. The university ranks 15th among the nation’s “25 Colleges That Add the Most Value,” according to Money Magazine, was voted “Best Graduate School” in the Los Angeles Daily News 2018 Readers Choice Awards, and is a 2018-19 College of Distinction. Woodbury was a finalist for the General Community Service Award, a part of the 2015 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll recognition program. With campuses in Burbank/Los Angeles and San Diego, the university offers bachelor\\’s degrees from the School of Architecture, School of Business, School of Media, Culture & Design, and College of Liberal Arts, along with a Master of Business Administration, Master of Architecture, Master of Interior Architecture and Master of Science in Architecture. The San Diego campus offers Bachelor of Architecture and Master of Architecture, Master of Interior Architecture and Master of Landscape Architecture degrees, as well as a Master of Science in Architecture, Real Estate Development. Visit woodbury.edu for more information.