Medipol leads the way in European design

Sustainable packaging, furniture, and innovative label designs… Projects developed by students and academics from the Department of Industrial Design at Istanbul Medipol University School of Fine Arts, Design and Architecture, in response to the needs of different industries, received recognition at national and international design competitions.

The successive achievements in September and October highlighted projects in which students applied the knowledge and skills acquired throughout their education to real-world design challenges.



Third-year student Alanur Türkoğlu won first place in Europe in the “Creative Cartonboard Packaging – Food & Drink” category of the Pro Carton Young Designers Award 2026 with her sustainable packaging design titled “Grain.”

Selected from more than 1,000 projects submitted from across Europe, the design received its award at a ceremony held in Rome on September 17, 2026. The project was supervised by Lecturer Aslıhan Yılmaz.

NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS IN PACKAGING DESIGN
In addition to the European championship title, Medipol students also received awards at the KASAD Future Carton Packaging Designers Competition 2026, the national stage of the competition.

Alanur Türkoğlu, Harun Yiğit, and Süleyman Çınar Dönmez received a total of three awards across the competition's national and international stages.

Another achievement in packaging design came from İzem Süngülü, who won first place at the 22nd Crescents and Stars of Packaging Student Competition, organized by the Packaging Manufacturers Association (ASD). Her project was selected unanimously by the jury from among 218 submissions.

The award ceremony also recognized the previous achievements of Zeynep Özel, who had won first place worldwide at the WorldStar competition and second place in the World Marketing Design category, as well as Emine Özkan, a WorldStar award winner.

These recognitions also highlighted the international distinctions earned by the department's students in packaging design over the years.

MEDIPOL STUDENTS CLAIM THE TOP TWO PLACES IN FURNITURE DESIGN
Designs developed by students for different industries also earned recognition in the furniture sector.

At the Ezberbozan Furniture Design Competition, organized by the Aegean Furniture, Paper and Forest Products Exporters' Association, Yavuz Selim Sel won first place and Fatıma Tuğçe Sabun received second place among 363 student projects. Nisa Surahi was also named among the competition's finalists.

Aiming to encourage environmentally friendly and user-centered solutions in the furniture industry, this year's competition was held under the theme “Transformation.”

Students presented designs addressing industry needs and had their work evaluated through a professional assessment process.

A DESIGN COMBINING THE FORM OF A BEE WITH THE FLUIDITY OF HONEY
Faculty members who continue to pursue professional design projects alongside their teaching and academic activities also received industry recognition.

Assist. Prof. Seher Oya Akman received the “Most Innovative Packaging and Label Design Award” at the 5th Food Innovation Summit (Gıda+) for a packaging design she developed for Anavarza Honey.

Combining the form of a bee's body with the fluidity of honey, the design was recognized for its innovative qualities 12 years after its development.

Akman's achievement added recognition for the department's academics in professional design to the awards earned by its students in national and international competitions.

CONNECTING DESIGN EDUCATION WITH INDUSTRY EXPECTATIONS
Competitions organized by industry associations provided students with opportunities to present projects developed during their university education in a professional context.

Evaluated by design and industry professionals according to predetermined criteria, the projects were assessed in areas including innovation, functionality, manufacturability, sustainability, and user experience.

The awards received under these criteria demonstrated how students translated the knowledge and skills acquired during their education into practical design solutions.

The competition results also served as tangible indicators of the outcomes of design education, providing external assessments of students' work beyond the university environment.

The awards earned by the Department of Industrial Design across different industries over two months demonstrated that both students' design competencies and faculty members' professional work have gained recognition at national and international levels.