From Idea to Market: RUFA Students Design Products, Packaging, and Communication with RCR Cristalleria Italiana
A project begins with an idea, but it truly takes shape when it meets the market. This is the principle behind the collaboration between RUFA and RCR Cristalleria Italiana, a leading international company in the production of glassware and tableware for dining, mixology, and tasting.
Throughout an educational project developed over the course of the academic year, students had the opportunity to work with a real client, experiencing every stage of the design process: from product conception to the development of its visual identity, packaging, and communication strategy.
From Product Design to Communication
The project began during the first semester with the “RCR Crystal for Young Design Talents” Ideas Lab, involving Product Design students under the guidance of professors Meltem Eti Proto and Enrico Secci.
From the proposals developed—including glasses, lamps, and tableware objects—RCR Cristalleria Italiana selected a number of concepts that became the starting point for the second phase of the project.
Third-year Graphic Design students then took over, developing the selected concepts through the Packaging Design and Communication modules, with a particular focus on advertising and copywriting, under the guidance of professors Malica Worms, Claudio Spuri, and Lorenzo Iervolino.
The goal was to create a comprehensive product enhancement system, integrating design, commercial, and communication aspects into a coherent strategy.
Packaging and Communication in Service of the Product
For each selected concept, students designed dedicated packaging aimed at enhancing the product’s features, improving its commercial presentation, and optimizing its production.
The project required students to work within real design constraints involving materials and industrial processes—from creating packaging specifically tailored to each product to using the corrugated cardboard adopted by RCR, as well as complying with printing limitations, including single-sided printing without special finishing.
At the same time, students developed communication campaigns and advertising concepts, creating advertising and copywriting strategies aligned with the brand positioning and with the products developed during the first phase of the project.
Presenting the Projects to the Company
The project concluded with the final presentation of the students’ work directly to the representatives of RCR Cristalleria Italiana, turning the educational experience into a valuable opportunity for dialogue with the professional world.
The presentation was attended by Manola Del Testa, Creative Director at RCR Cristalleria Italiana, Alessandra Nicolini, the company’s Marketing Manager, and Giusi Cerfeda, Strategic Business Advisor and external Marketing Consultant for RCR. Also in attendance was Valentina Toscano, Industry and Alumni Relations Manager at Plena Group.
The exchange with the company’s management team gave students the opportunity to present their work, receive professional feedback, and engage with the dynamics of an international client.
About RCR Cristalleria Italiana
Founded in 1967 and headquartered in Colle di Val d’Elsa (Siena, Italy), RCR Cristalleria Italiana is one of Italy’s leading manufacturers of products made from Luxion®, the company’s patented superior sound glass, which is fully recyclable.
With an annual production of approximately 38 million items, exported to more than 110 countries, RCR combines technological innovation, Italian design, and environmental sustainability. Its entire production process takes place at its Tuscan manufacturing facility, located in a CO₂ Neutral certified area, reflecting the company’s commitment to increasingly responsible production practices.
The collaboration with RUFA highlights the value of project-based learning as a bridge between education and industry, offering students the opportunity to engage with real design challenges and the dynamics of the contemporary design sector.
