Student Design Competition

Project: Design Custom Vinyl Wraps for NJIT Dual Trash + Recycling Bins.

Location: Weston Hall, Hillier College of Architecture and Design – NJIT.

Eligibility: Open to all current HCAD students.

Your design should eliminate contamination (making it obvious what goes where), reflect the high design standards of HCAD, and turn everyday infrastructure into a memorable piece of spatial graphic design. This project is funded by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.

Design Challenge & Specifications

• Goal: Create an enticing visual wrap that promotes sustainability, clearly communicates recyclable materials, and helps prevent garbage and plastic film contamination. Use the NJIT How to Recycle Right Guide to understand the core recycling messaging that your design needs to convey. 
• Dimensions: 28 x 42 inches (to fit the front face of the dual trash + recycling bins).
• Resolution: 300 DPI.
• Color Mode: CMYK.
• Eligibility: Open to all current students at the Hillier College of Architecture and Design (HCAD) across all majors.

Evaluation & Judging Criteria

• Submissions will be evaluated by a panel of judges based on three pillars:
  • Aesthetics & Visual Appeal: Elevating Weston Hall's aesthetic so bins are never removed for being unsightly again.
  • Sustainability Messaging: Artworks that educate the campus community and prompt plastic waste reduction.
  • Behavioral Impact: Designs that galvanize action to put recyclables where they belong and garbage it belongs in NJIT's dual trash + recycling bins.  

Prizes & Recognition

• Show future employers how your design skills can solve real-world sustainability issues while leaving a lasting campus legacy! We are thrilled to announce the following cash prizes for top designs:
  • 1st Place: $250. Additionally, your design will be officially printed and installed on recycling bins in Weston Hall!
  • 2nd Place: $150.
  • 3rd Place: $100. (Note: Top designs will also be featured on the official college social media channels.)

Fall 2026 Schedule

• Design Phase (October): Develop your visual wrap design and participate in optional Q&A sessions regarding sustainable design constraints.
• Submission Deadline (Mid-November): Final deadline for all design submissions.
• Judging (Late November): Panel review process.
• Awards & Installation (Early December): Winners announced, prizes awarded, and winning wraps prepared for installation.

Submissions must address three main objectives:

1. Clear Categorization & Usability: Users of the dual trash + recycling bins must be able to instantly distinguish between Recycling (paper, plastics, cans) and Landfill (general trash). Your graphics should encourage better recycling habits without relying on wall-of-text instructions.
2. Contextual Fit: Designs must complement Weston Hall’s architectural aesthetic.
3. Identity & Engagement: Show off what HCAD stands for. Whether bold, minimalist, vector-driven, illustrative, or typography-focused, the wrap should feel right at home in Weston Hall. 

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

• Medium: Adhesive cast vinyl wrap design (Full-bleed, high-resolution vector or raster graphics - the Center for Building Knowledge will complete the printing.)
• Format: Wrap applies to both the front and rear faces of standard 3-stream/2-stream receptacles 
• Dimensions & Guidelines: 
  • Dimensions: 28 x 42 inches
  • Resolution: 300 DPI
  • Color Mode: CMYK

DELIVERABLES & SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

1.  Design Statement
   • Short Design Statement (150 words max): Explain your concept and how it drives proper recycling behavior.
2. Print-Ready Vectors (28" x 42", Landscape) : High-res vector artwork (PDF formatted at 100% scale at 300 DPI) ready for print production. 

JUDGING CRITERIA 

• Submissions will be evaluated by a jury of HCAD faculty, staff, and campus sustainability representatives based on:
  • Visual Impact & Innovation: Does the design elevate the visual culture of Weston Hall?
  • Functional Clarity: Does the wrap effectively guide correct sorting behavior and prevent bin contamination?
  • Feasibility & Production Realism: Can the artwork be seamlessly printed, wrapped, and maintained on standard bin contours?
  • Integration across Disciplines: How well does the concept bridge graphic, spatial, product, or architectural thinking.
  • Final Submission Deadline: November 10th
  • Winner Announcement: December 4th