The Trashback competition brief was to redesign a wheelie bin for the collection of second hand clothes to be positioned in various public spaces. It had to be attractive and not be mistaken for a regular garbage bin.
Third year Graphic Design student Nadia Smith beat professional competition with her winning concept of a laundry basket.
And fellow third year Courtney September’s idea of a bin mimicking a wardrobe scooped her the second prize.
The pair first submitted a draft of their idea and was part of a select group of entrants invited to actually create their drop-box during an intense three and a half hour challenge.
Nadia says she intentionally featured mock laundry neatly folded inside because she wanted people to touch the bin and be interested in it.
“The clothes folded inside indicate it is clean items within and encourages people to donate the same,” she says.
“I also used colourful material of different textures like denim and fleece to encourage people to touch it.”
Graphic Design lecturer Margaret Bezuidenhout says she is extremely proud of Nadia and Courtney because they didn’t have much time to complete the task.
“It was tremendous fun and I am hugely proud of both of them and all the others who participated in the project with such enthusiasm,” she says.
Nadia won a stay at a top nature reserve and will assist in the actual making of the bin.
By LAUREN KANSLEY
