Queenstown Airport is excited to announce the winners of its recent competition to design a better luggage trolley, aimed at enhancing the experience for travellers.
Secondary school students from the Central Otago and Queenstown Lakes districts were invited to take part, vying for a $1,000 prize. They were asked to design a trolley that is ergonomic, stable, nestable, and easy to use to carry the wide variety of items passengers bring through Queenstown Airport. Bonus points were offered for safety brakes, a seat for a child weighing up to 20 kilograms, a locking system to prevent the trolley being taken beyond the airport boundary, and advertising space.
The competition attracted clever entries from across the region, incorporating a broad range of materials, technologies, and design features.
“We are incredibly impressed by the creativity and ingenuity displayed by all participants,” Queenstown Airport Chief Operating Officer Todd Grace said. “Their designs not only address the unique challenges faced by our passengers but also reflect the talent in our community.”
A panel of three judges evaluated each entry against the criteria outlined in the design brief and chose Tom Smale, of Dunstan High School, as the winner.
“He impressed the judges by tackling the challenge in a completely original way,” Mr Grace said.
By contrast, the runner-up, Liam Douglas, of Cromwell College, visited Queenstown Airport to observe the current trolleys in use, then thought about how that design could be improved.
A graphic design package was also offered for the best design produced by a class of Year 10 students from Wakatipu High School who were guided through the project as part of a design and visual communication course.
The judges had difficulty separating the top two entries, but in the end, first place went to Jaeca Isabelle Castillo, with Milla Leemborg the runner-up.
“Jaeca had really thought about the customer and ensuring they could make full use of the proposed design enhancements. She made what could have been complicated additions into intuitive elements aimed at making the passenger’s journey easier and safer,” Mr Grace said.
“Although no single design was the complete package, we now have some great new ideas and concepts for a better trolley, which we will develop with an engineering firm.”