Art professor winner in London graphic design competition

January 28, 2016

Reflected in a computer monitor, UW-Whitewater Associate Professor Daniel Kim of the Department of Art and Design, gives an overview on how to use Adobe Photoshop to students in his Computer Graphics for the Artist class on Wednesday, January 27, 2016. Photo by Craig Schreiner.

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Daniel Kim might subscribe to the theory that sometimes, it's the little things that lead to greater rewards.

After all, the inspiration for one particular art design was his son, then 3, who had trouble gripping milk cartons from the refrigerator and would always ask how much milk remained.

"I thought, there should be a way to have a different design that could be practical for the consumer and at the same time be attractive," said Kim, associate professor of art and design at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. "If there was a way to use a thicker, stiffer plastic that would create friction, it would be easier for a child to hold on to. Holes on the side of the containers would be transparent to check the amount of milk left."

His design, "Sunset Farm Milk Packaging," was announced as a shortlist winner of the 2015 London International Creative Competition.

Selected by a panel of international art critics, curators and art gallery directors, the contest is billed as "the world's most prestigious creative competition." Kim's creation will be published in the LICC Annual Awards book and was announced to the creative arts and media outlets worldwide.

This is Kim's third major recognition on as many continents. He recently won graphic design contests in the United States and South Korea.

Kim has been teaching graphic design at UW-Whitewater for 15 years, and passes on his passion to his students.

"I tell them there's always going to be packaging," he said. "Printing isn't going to go away. It's getting bigger and bigger."