Esko recently donated multiple licences of its Studio and ArtiosCAD software to the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, Calif., where graphic design students develop concepts in areas like in-store merchandising, packaging and branding.
The software is supporting the college’s educational partnerships department, which brings sponsored projects to the classroom. Under this program, corporations—such as Purina, pictured—sponsor design challenges for select groups of students, representing a variety of disciplines. This way, the students get real-world experience in a simulated work environment, which can lead to internships and future employment.
“This is the way the industry is heading,” says Gerardo Herrera, the college’s director of packaging, who has sought to bring Esko technology to the campus since he joined the faculty in 2007, having previously worked with it himself as a designer. “Designers can quickly visualize what they create for the brand owner and make changes on the spot if necessary. You can do the artwork and see it built in real-time in three dimensions (3-D).”
In the Purina example, a corporately funded in-store ‘end cap’ display was created by graphic design students Jenny Lee and Kenneth Chan, working with product design students Bin Zhang, Kyle Schenone, Rachel Choung and Tianyi Sun.
“The true value of this donation is in the students developing a comprehensive understanding of the workflow from start to finish, including the properties of materials like corrugated board,” says Herrera.
