Hedgehog cups go nationwide

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Student-designed reusable cups to be sold nationally

Visitors to Bath Spa University’s Newton Park and Locksbrook campuses may notice a particular hedgehog-themed reusable cup being carried around by staff and students – and soon the cups will venture out into the wider world.  

BA Graphic Design student Ella Smith created the winning design for the University’s hedgehog-themed cup competition, which appears on eco-friendly reusable Huskups. 

Huskup liked Ella’s design so much that they have decided to make it part of their permanent range, meaning the cups will be available on their website and sold nationwide. 

Ella’s playful design incorporates the cute faces of hedgehogs and uses coffee beans to replicate their quills. Talking about how she came up with her design, Ella said: 

“My idea was to combine the coffee theme with the fun essence of the hedgehogs, playing on imagery to give them each their own little character. I used a combination of Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator and my imagination!” 

Ella said she entered the cup design contest to have fun, challenge herself and create something that reflects her values. She’s thrilled about Huskup adding her design to their range; not only will her work be showcased to a wider audience, but it also makes her feel like she’s making a difference in the world: 

“I felt a great sense of accomplishment and pride when I won the competition – it is rewarding to know that my design is going to be used for a good cause and hopefully encourage others to design with a similar goal in mind. I’m very excited about the opportunity for my work to be used on a larger scale and I am proud to be a part of preserving the hedgehogs and promoting the importance of sustainability.”  

Ella also credits her course at Bath Spa for helping her develop her prize-winning skills. Talking about what she’s learned, she said: 

“On my Graphic Design course I learned the software that I used to create the hog design. I’ve learned to think in an unconventional way and be open and optimistic about new opportunities. It has also taught me to simply get involved and something good will always come out of it!” 

Ella’s cups will soon be available nationwide, but in the meantime, you can purchase one from Bath Spa’s catering outlets at Newton Park and Locksbrook Campus. Each sale includes a 20p donation to the British Hedgehog Preservation Society to help conserve Hedgehogs in Britain.