Alterations to Original Design

With my original design (early POC) it was functional and did its purpose but it had a major flaw.
From feedback I realized that my package was using too much cardboard and was edging away from being green. Knowing this I went back to my original design and looked at how I could improve it and reduce the amount of cardboard while keeping it functional.


This is a drafted net of my new design

The first thing I did was to remove the sides and tabs, the purpose of these were to stop the contents falling out and holding the lid together.
To replace this holes are dotted down each side that can then have twine stringed through them to form a mesh. It will be done so it is easy to take off when needed but can support the bottles if they lean against them.

Next was the issue of how the lid was going to hold together. To fix this I shrunk the size of the handle on both sides and extended out tabs on one side. These tabs then go into slots on the opposite side and hold the box together.

I have also made a few small alterations to the sizing of the package, when I create my prototype I found that the bottles had difficulty fitting. With some alterations the bottles should now fit snugly in and be held tightly to avoid them clashing together.

For the second uses of the packaging it can do a few things.

• It can be re-used to transport more bottles or other object.
• The inside of the box will have a drafts board printed onto it and there will be tokens that can be popped out and used for it.
• Behind each bottle will be a food and beer combination recipe which is specific to whichever product it is behind.

This new design now uses a good portion less cardboard, uses tabs effectively and is still just as strong as the original.

This is how I wish the final box in terms of design to look at this moment in time, this may change as the project progresses -

Centre for Alternate Technology Visit

Going to the CAT was quite beneficial, it gave me a better insight into what some people are doing to become more green and how they are trying to make people more aware.
 
Its really good to see a place like this being as self sufficient as it can without government funding, their doing this through dedication for what they believe must be done with making people aware of whats happening to the planet around them. 

I collected a bunch of pictures from around CAT, some showing some of their own work and information areas, they began making me think of what I learnt in information graphic design back in year 2.   

Blog Task Questions

Q Materials lightness, suitability for purpose, minimalising of materials use and 'clever or smart' usages of materials were all considerations discussed at CAT with Jo. With your present designs for the WVB package mixed with the research that you've done to date and some of Jo's discussions suggest 3 ways in which you might minimise your materials use with your package.

• My current package design does use a bit much cardboard, even though I have given most of it a purpose. Firstly to minimise it I will go back to my design, look at how the package holds itself together and the products in place and remove/simplify sections that don't have as much purpose, such as the sides to the box, if the package can hold the bottles firmly in place then they would not be needed.
• Secondly I may alter/add more second uses for the package that uses less space but still keeps the package being used after it has transported the products. If I alter the design of the package this may force me to change my second use, designing shall continue.
• Finally with my current design I had planned to use some colour on it, but I am now considering leaving it the colour of the cardboard, this reduces the amount of ink to just logo's and small sections of text making it a lot more green.

Q CAT is in part about educating people about how to live more sustainably. After seeing a wide range of displays on practical methods to lower dependence on a high carbon lifestyle [and bearing in mind where you chose to stand in the 'line' between tech solutions and/or a simpler life] - what two things might you yourself do to lessen your own carbon footprint in the future?

• Replacing some windows that are not keeping in any heat and are letting the warmth of the whole house go down, which then requires more power to be wasted by keeping it heated.
• Having the heating on less, it currently gets used a bit much and as the insulation is quite good it doesn't need to be left on too long.

Q Describe 1 example of information display that you saw while at CAT: What it was, how it was presented graphically and in what context [i.e. covered area, out in the open, specialist display etc]. Could the display you saw be improved and how do you think this could be  achieved?

• One information display that I saw was the board outside the solar dome that discussed the Zero Carbon Britain 2030 target. It is presented on a long board that follows a linear step by step guide of how you can help towards their goal for zero carbon britain.
  I think this could be improved by if possible reducing the amount of text that is on the board, the large arrows split it up well but seeing that amount of writing in small text really puts me off reading it.

A bit more packaging research

Having a mooch around the internet, I collected some clever examples of packaging that makes good use of its materials.

Clever little idea for transporting Chinese take out food, 100% recyclable and good use of materials.

http://blog.esko.com/index.php/2011/10/12/eco-friendly-chinese-take-out-packaging-menu/




Not really that green but still a great little bit of creative packaging that helps you to make your tea a little easier and a bit more comical.

http://www.yankodesign.com/2010/06/23/ten-creative-packaging-concepts/



Good use of tabs and slots on this design and as well no glue.

Really clever design this, the packaging become part of the product, this is a is a great way to give the packaging extra life and last just as long as the product itself.

Another good example of use for the packaging instead of being thrown away, the box is used as the cutting board and can be then used afterwards as storage.

Lastly just an example of a drinks holder which I think uses glue but I think could be done using slots and tabs, still a good bit of packaging.

http://jayce-o.blogspot.com/2011/04/50-eco-friendly-recyclable-packaging.html


Before continuing I thought it best to research into some of the properties of potential materials that I could use for my packaging.


Cardboard

After looking at some existing examples and some online research I gained a bit of extra knowledge about how it could be used and about its properties.

Like most of the examples above, cardboard is a widely used material that can be adapted for nearly any packaging solution due to its customize-ability. With its multiple thicknesses and ability to be folded, bent, shaped and cut it can be used in a variety of creative ways and be merged with other materials.
Its durability also makes it a good material to use, its light but doesn't tear easily, the corrugation makes it difficult to puncture and it is capable of holding a significant amount of weight.
Cardboard is also a very green material as it is recyclable, sustainable and will not impact upon the environment.



http://www.ehow.com/about_6514103_properties-cardboard.html










Wood


Wood was my next choice for a packaging due to how it can be crafted in practically any way.
After looking through some examples online I think wood would be a really creative way to go with this brief and I think it would suit the look of the brewery.

As its wood its extremely tough and can easily protect its contents but at the same time as its a rigid material it become difficult to flat-pack. Cardboard would be a much better choice for this as it is flexible. Wood would also be more costly to use which is going against some of the briefs outlines. It would be a great material to work with but i think cardboard will be more suitable for this brief.






http://www.ekanconcepts.com/