BRIGHT spark students hope their designs will be a hit with firework manufacturers.

For the first time, Crosland Hill-based Black Cat and Standard Fireworks have teamed up with Huddersfield University to put student designs on firework packaging.

They could be sold to customers such as Tesco, Sainsburys, and Homebase.

Brent Hardy-Smith, head of design at the University of Huddersfield, said: “It’s a fantastic opportunity for the students to understand how packaging works in a real life setting and hopefully see one of their designs go into production.

“It’s also a great opportunity for students to get some real work into their portfolios.”

Helen Ashton, marketing manager at Black Cat and Standard Fireworks commented: “The students will bring fresh ideas to our brands and it’s great to work with them for a three-year project.”

The launch was last month and the students have three weeks to create design concepts, including firework names and fonts.

The students are all first years studying graphic design, illustration and advertising.

The deadline for completion of designs is Monday, when the university will then collate the designs which will be reviewed by Black Cat and Standard Fireworks along with the university head of design on Thursday July 7.

The fireworks manufacturer will then select four or five students to work on a more detailed brief during August.

In June 2012, Black Cat and Standard Fireworks will then update the same students on what designs were used and brief the project again. The project then runs again for year three, so the same students will see a real life progression of how design and packaging works.