Ellena Mills’ D&AD Diary Pt 2: “It’s damn hard to get shortlisted. It’s even harder to win a Pencil”
Ellena Mills, Head of Design at Howatson+Company, is representing Australia on the D&AD Packaging Design Jury in London. In Part 2 of her exclusive diary for Campaign Brief, Ellena shares insights from day two of judging where the debates heat up and the stakes get real.
Day two began with our shortlist in hand and the real stakes on the table. We were now in the business of promotion, moving worthy entries up the ladder from Wood to Graphite to the coveted Yellow Pencil. The rules were clear, once elevated and signed off, there’s no demotion. Like a good design decision, you have to stand by it.
“No quotas,” they reminded us. “It’s all about the work.”
Some trends emerged clearly. Colour is back with conviction. Purposeful, expressive, demanding your attention on shelf. Not the timid, safe palettes of recent years, but colour with something to say.
The luxury category has evolved dramatically. The traditional heavy mahogany box with gold foil still exists, but it’s now just one facet in a much richer language of premium experiences.
Most striking was seeing what packaging design can do when done well. It creates products that might otherwise never exist or be desired. It captures a precise moment in time like a cultural snapshot. It triggers nostalgia or, with new materials and technologies, it opens doors to possibilities we hadn’t yet explored.
What did I learn? It’s damn hard to get shortlisted. It’s even harder to win a Pencil. I thought I understood this from the outside, but sitting in that room, hearing the passionate debates, watching great work fall just short, it gives you a whole new respect for the winners. The work that made it through is truly exceptional, proving that design remains as relevant and powerful as ever.
What an experience. One I will never forget.