L A B B O O K
P A C K
A W A Y !
M A T E R I A L S
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T E C H N I Q U E S
FAINA IASEN HU |Â BHSAD, BA (Hons) Product Design Lvl. 5
CAST IT! LABBOOK by Faina Iasen, 2018.
C A S T
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T H E
B R I E F
The task was to design and produce a packaging solution for a product developed in one of the previous projects of the module. Things to consider:
Manufacturing efficiency Graphic design Scale of distribution Logistics User experience Durability
T H E
D E F I N I T I O N O F ' P A C K A G I N G ' The wrapping material around a consumer item that serves to contain, identify, describe, protect, display, promote and otherwise make the product marketable and keep it clean
B R I E F
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E
Ee
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h M t I f o
t N c I e
Lp r
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T I M E L I N E
IDEATION
DESIGNING
PRODUCTION
POSSIBLE IMPROVEMENTS
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F I R S T T H O U G H T S A N D I D E A S O N T H E P R O J E C T Fortunately, I already thought of the package design for the 'Unflat' project outcome while working on it, so I have something to kick off the process of ideation. I chose the Unflat's charging dock due to its high manufacturability and capacity for mass production and demand. So I want to develop a packaging solution that would successfully protects, advertise, entertain and explain the product to the potential user.
F I R S T
Usability My product of choice has several combinations of possible filling and colours of the main component, but I want the packaging to be universal, so I have to find a way to demonstrate the contents of the kit without opening the packaging.
User experience I care deeply about the user experience and the whole Unflat project for me was about this aspect of design, so I surely want to incorporate it in its packaging as well. First of all, I want the packaging to be an asset in the experience the user gets from buying and opening it - I want the unboxing of it to be satisfying and showcasing. Secondly, I want the packaging to be used in more ways than just the wrapping so I will try to add more function and experience to it through adding the instruction manual on the inside of it. When the product is taken out, it will not become trash right away but instead will guide the user through the intricacies of using the kit, explaining basics of cross stitch and give some useful tips.
Manufacturability The vision in my head is that of a single material packaging that's efficiently manufactured, easily disposed of and can be recycled without any additional hassle to both the user and the manufacturer. So it will most likely be paper or recyclable plastic.
I D E A S
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S I S Y L A N Ahe design of t
The result of the 'Unflat' project that I'm designing the packaging for is a kit that contains a charging dock and all needed elements for embroidering the back of the said dock. On the right you can see the diagram of the contents. Since I thought about marketing aspect of it in the scope project, I know how I want to present it and I also have a quite Idea of how I want the packaging to look and function.
I D E A T I O N
the dock
embroidery pattern
key-chains threads on holders needle and locks
C A S T
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N O I T A I D Et h e d e s i g n of
I had an idea for the packaging design of this product long before this project, so it was no problem for me to sketch it quickly and then I started the ideation of the small details. The main features of my design are:
The kit fits right on top of the dock station and doesn't extend past it so the package can just mimic the simple outline of the product. The tear-off front part allows for quick and easy removal. The small handle on top acts as both the hole to put the product on the rack and the tear-off grip part. It can be made of a single piece of paper which makes it both highly manufacturable and sustainable as the single material package is easily disposed of and recycled.
I D E A T I O N
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N G I S E Dof construction The whole construction was done by tracing the outline of the dock and adding a bridge line between the top of widest part and the top of the most narrow part which created a simple shape that can be easily put up together. Than the main problem was joining parts together in the most efficient way and fitting them in a standard size sheet of paper for easy production.
D E S I G N
At first, I tried to join the tearoff part to the main body by a tiny edge. But that caused two major problems: the whole structure was fragile and the tear-off front kept coming off together with another part of the package.
So next I tried to completely detach the tear-off from the main body and glue it up in 5 places. That proved to be even worse as the paper joined with glue kept coming off in layers and ruining my plan. So, even though it was less wasteful, I had to drop this option.
C A S T
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Ln A FconIsN tructio With the final construction, the folding is very simple and takes just about 10 folds. It also has only 6 glue-up places which is a massive improvement from the first structure I wanted to use. Now the perforation is in the middle so there is no glue-up and the tear-off is successfully performed every time. It is even more efficient for production due to the singularity of the whole piece.
D E S I G N
- fold - cut
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G N I D L F Omechanism
D E S I G N
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G N I R O S Tand logistics
D E S I G N
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G N I X O U N Bechanism m
I wanted to make the process of unboxing a simple but enjoyable experience. So I designed a tear-off part that is perforated for an easy rip when the top is unfolded and pulled away from the main body. This way the whole kit gets oped and exposed just by removing one part and it's all done in one simple but satisfying motion. After that, the kit can be removed from the package without any hassle. To guide the user on where to start unwrapping the product I made these little 'Pull here' stickers that are attached to the top of the packaging near the grip handle. This way people won't be confused on how to open the package and won't lose that satisfying unboxing moment that was designed together with the packaging.
D E S I G N
C A S T
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C I H P A G R design When I was working on the graphic design part aspect of the packaging I had three main objectives: To so To To
make it marketable, desirable, that it catches one's eye. make it simple and clear. make it informative.
E X E C U T I O N
front
back
C A S T
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N O I T C INSTRU manual
The instruction manual is situated on the inner side of the tear-off part which makes it very easy to accsess and use. It is made of simple straight forward images depicting the process and types of stitches so even a child can follow it. It also eliminates the threat of a language berrier. For the user's comfort I it also has a QR code for a digital version of the manual with detailed instructions.
E X E C U T I O N
The instruction manual is situated on the inner side of the tear-off part.
C A S T
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COLOUR variations
E X E C U T I O N
C A S T
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E R U T s t n e FU m e v o r p m i d n a
This project for me was way more enjoyable than I expected when it was announced. I apparently really like packaging and even somewhat good at it, which is surprising as I've never done or tried anything like this before. In my vision, if this product would have gone to the market, it would target teens and young adults or older people who look for something new and entertaining but not entirely useless. And for those who like to decorate and customise their environment. It was also my first graphic design and packaging design, and I'm honestly very impressed with myself.
This project has a lot of room for improvement, and many details would have to be worked on before it could be sold. But it was fun, and for me, it's the best part.
E X E C U T I O N
Most of the improvements I came up with through this project I've already introduced in design (e.g. holder, perforation, manual, unboxing instructions, etc.). But there are still a few left:
I think a rigid structural base for the back of the main part would add a lot of value to this design as it would protect the product better from any damage during transportation or when exhibited in the shops. As much as a couple cardboard stripes would do the job just fine. The perforation I'v done by hand so its neither prfectly identical nor works without problems. In real lif this of course would b done by a machine. The glueing up process is not very comfortable due to the narrow opening in the packaging and some glue-ups are hard to reach - especially the last one. Overall, this design seems pretty good to me and I'm quite proud to call it my first packaging.
PACK AWAY! LABBOOK by Faina Iasen, 2018.