Outstanding products result in joint winners for 2026!
In an unprecedented ‘first’ for the Design Innovation in Plastics (DIP) competition, the judging panel has awarded top prize to joint winners for 2026, reflecting the high quality and very distinct products they created. The two winners were announced at our award ceremony in London on Friday, June 12 at the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining.
Huge congratulations to Brunel University’s Isaac Faruque with his ‘Cross Connect’ game, and Aston University’s Maya Pai, for her ‘Honeycomb Havoc’ game, both of which offered outstanding solutions to the original brief. Isaac’s entry was recognised for exceptional technical logic and sustainability, while Maya’s design stood out for its market-specific aesthetics and clever design.
Maya Pai, ‘Honeycomb Havoc’ game
Isaac Faruque, ‘Cross Connect’ game
The delighted winners and the outstanding runners-up were presented with their prizes by Dr Michael O’Brien, Master, The Worshipful Company of Horners, one of our headline sponsors.
This year’s competition asked students to come up with a brand new game, made primarily from plastics, which can be played indoors or outdoors, be suitable for any specified age range, and be either for learning or activity, or just plain fun.
Chairman of Judges, Richard Brown, said: “The quality across all six finalists’ entries this year was absolutely outstanding, and the two top projects, in particular, excelled in distinct aspects of the brief. Above all, what stood out in all entries was their playability.”
Isaac’s game comprised a double-sided grid of dials, with each dial containing a straight or right-angle path. Players rotate the dials with the aim of completing a path between two points on the board. Richard said: “Isaac’s entry had a clear and logical development process; the concept testing was particularly strong and the packaging very cleverly unfolded to form the base of the game. Material selection was clearly justified and marketing considerations were also addressed effectively. We felt this was a ready-to-launch product with strong user engagement potential.”
Maya’s Honeycomb Havoc game comprises a twisting, spinning honeycomb maze, with dials and marbles. Contestants play cards and these dictate which dials of the hexagon pieces are turned. This then alters the course of the marbles as they are sent down different pathways to the coloured exits at the bottom.
Richard Brown said: “The development of Honeycomb Havoc was outstanding, resulting in a compact and well resolved game in which the supporting frame also functions as the packaging. Good market research was clearly evident, with the design tailored to appeal to a wide range of users. The design provided clear visual feedback to players, allowing them to see who is winning at any stage of the game. With only minimal refinements it could be successfully prepared for market launch.”
Isaac and Maya each go away with a trophy and £1000 in cash as their prize, as well as other benefits such as work placements and an invite to the annual banquet of The Worshipful Company of Horners. They also receive one year’s membership of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (IOM3).
In third place is Nottingham Trent University’s Joanne Chartouni, who developed ‘Steady Stacks’ which challenges users to stack as many rings as possible onto a wobbling base while completing the challenge instructions without knocking the tower over. Joanne tailored her game to appeal to children diagnosed with ADHD, to encourage social interaction and mental stimulation. The judges said Joanne had given well-presented research and made good manufacturing choices, incorporating her insights into the product to result in a game which is both fun and simple to play.
Joanne Chartouni, Daniel Brown,Yushu (Diane) Li, Aidan Jones
Also earning praise for the research and development of their games were the three highly commended finalists: Daniel Brown (Brunel University of London), with Mad Dash Escalation, a fun, tactical tabletop game involving a checkers board in which tiles and tokens are moved in different ways towards the centre of the board; Aidan Jones (Nottingham Trent University), with Lollipop Lane, an educational game which teaches children road safety rules; and Yushu (Diane) Li (Coventry University), with Munchie Monster, a learning game using balance scales, to teach pre-school children about balanced, healthy diets.
DIP is the longest running plastics design competition of its kind for university undergraduates in the UK and Ireland.
We’d like to thank our headline and supporting sponsors for their continued support: Covestro, a global supplier of premium polymers; The Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining, and the Worshipful Company of Horners; supporting sponsors: Brightworks, Innovate Design, and PDD, who provide placements for our top three finalists; training partners FANUC UK and Sierra 57 Consult; and our valued media partners, British Plastics & Rubber, Materials World, Mould Technology and Plastik City for helping us to spread the word about the emerging talent from our excellent universities. This year’s final results:
•Equal 1st: Isaac Faruque – Brunel University - Cross Connect, a unique two-player strategy path game featuring a board and grid of dials, made using ABS for the frame and dials, and PP for the clips
•Equal 1st: Maya Pai – Aston University – Honeycomb Havoc, a twisting, spinning honeycomb maze using dials and marbles. PLA used to make the 3D printed prototype, but ABS intended for larger scale production of the finished article.
•3rd: Joanne Chartouni – Nottingham Trent University – Steady Stacks, an indoor or outdoor game with a wobbling base. The user has to stack as many rings as possible while conducting a challenge. Made with a combination of HDPE for the top and bottom base + medium and big ring, and PP for the tokens.
Highly Commended:
•Daniel Brown – Brunel University - Mad Dash Escalation, a tabletop board game – featuring turn-based, three-dimensional stacking, where every part of the board can be manipulated. The whole game would be made through injection moulding ABS.
•Aidan Jones – Nottingham Trent University – Lollipop Lane, an indoor or outdoor board game simulating a town with roads and shops, which children have to navigate safely. Using ABS for the board parts and HDPE for the mini figures
.•Yushu (Diane) Li – Coventry University – Munchie Monster, a game featuring balance scales, designed for children aged 4-6 to educate them about sugar awareness and a balanced diet. Large scale production of the product would use a combination of ABS for the body and tray, and PP for the individual food pieces.
A Word About Plastic and Sustainability
DIP works in harmony with the British Plastics Federation which, via its member groups and expert committees, is championing several sustainability initiatives at different stages of the supply chain - including design - to achieve a circular plastics economy.
Sustainability is one of the key considerations applied by the DIP judges when critiquing the many designs submitted. Students entering the competition are asked to show evidence that a clear understanding of the principles of sustainability has been applied to their design. This is reinforced in every one of the briefs we produce each year.
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What is DIP?
Established in 1985, Design Innovation In Plastics is now the longest running student plastics design award in Europe. Students submit their entries digitally and finalists are invited to present their concepts to a panel of judges with presentation slides and models. All finalists win a cash prize, a short placement with a UK design company, and connections to esteemed members of the community. We encourage tutors and lecturers to incorporate our brief into their university’s coursework to facilitate student submissions. Design Innovation in Plastics is sponsored by the Worshipful Company of Horners, The Institute of Materials, Minerals & Mining (IOM3), and market leaders in the fields of design and innovation including Covestro.
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