乐播传媒

What began as experimental lamps using discarded risograph ink cartridges has now earned Alexander Long (’26) international recognition from the global packaging design community. But that spirit of curiosity, experimentation, and making recently led Long to receive a first place honor in DIELINE鈥檚 鈥淓lectronics, Office, E-Commerce, Entertainment, & Self-Promotional鈥� concept category for his project, .

Inspired by his lifelong interest in making, Long designed an ambient lamp constructed from materials of his more recent interest, risograph printing. The project evolved into coursework after Lindsay Brine, associate professor of practice in the 乐播传媒, encouraged him to develop the concept further through a branding assignment.

鈥淪he told me to run with it,鈥� said Long. 鈥淭hat is one of the greatest things about the 乐播传媒. We鈥檙e encouraged to explore our own opportunities and what we’re interested in.鈥�

Incorporating subtilties into the branding was one of the most fun aspects of the package design process.

Amiten, the Japanese word for 鈥渉alftone鈥�, drove the packaging鈥檚 appearance.

鈥淚 believe every design should be intentional. I chose to do cardboard instead of other options because it had a tactile feel, the same as the paper you usually print on with risograph. The big decision was to keep the brand subdued, which is quite the opposite of risograph prints which are very vibrant.鈥�

The resulting project balances restraint and vibrancy, using materiality and packaging to reinforce the brand story behind the product itself.

This year鈥檚 DIELINE Awards jury included leading voices from across the global design industry representing internationally recognized brands, agencies, and studios. Entries were evaluated on creativity, marketability, innovation, execution, and on-pack branding, placing Long鈥檚 work among projects recognized for advancing contemporary packaging design practices and pushing the field in new directions.

鈥淚n an era where beautiful design is now considered table stakes for many CPG brands, it takes a truly exceptional studio or designer to place at DIELINE awards,鈥� said DIELINE founder Andrew Gibbs in the . 鈥淲ithout a doubt, this was one of the strongest competitions to date, particularly as we introduced tiered pricing so that smaller indie studios could take part. Taken as a whole, our incredible 2026 winners are a testament to our industry, as they continue to prove just how valuable brand design and packaging are.鈥�

Founded in 2007, the DIELINE Awards recognize innovation and excellence in packaging design from around the world. Long鈥檚 recognition highlights how emerging designers from UT are helping push the industry forward through thoughtful, sustainable, and conceptually driven work.