Critical Justification 2 Gum Sustainability Josh Allsopp DE1083
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Contents
What is This Document? 4-5 The Problem Area 6-13 The Updated Brief 14-15 The Solution 16-31 Brand Identity 32-41 Developing Phase 1 42-53
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Developing Phase 2a 54-87
Developing Phase 2b 88-107 Developing Phase 3 108-123 Developing Phase 4 124-135 Product Videos 136-141 Final Deliverables 142-147 External Validation 148-153 Personal Reflection 153-157
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What is This Document? This document is part two of two; a critical justification of phase two of my major project. Throughout I will be documenting all activities that took place in this time frame providing key learnings, key feedback and personal reflection on tasks as well as project progression. Please see fold out icon meanings at the back of the document before continuing. 4
Exploration Project
Major Project
CJ1 Hand In
CJ2 Hand In
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The Problem Area
The context of the design problem and design brief
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What is the Problem? As a result of negative consumer behaviour chewing gum litter is polluting our urban environments with the UK spending an estimated £150 million per year trying to remove it. Another key problem is that gum is a synthetic material that doesn’t degrade. Even when disposed of correctly gum ends up in landfills further polluting our earth. 9
Further Problems
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Pellet packaging and bottles have no disposal method available. Stick and tab formats have a disposal wrapper although these are not used correctly.
Flexible gum packaging is a very destructive format which causes damage to the pack and therefore brand communication while being used.
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Re-design pellet packaging Re-design bottle packaging
CJ1 Re-cap
Start comm
Reducing litter through quick wins Focus on stick and tab format Open source campaign
Adding value to chewed gum
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Gum clean up day
Building on litter reduction
Aim: By 2025 60% of chewing gum waste will be recycled.
munication of chosen gum future
At the end of part one of this critical justification document this is what the future of my major project was looking like. A 10 year time line populated with an array of concepts for manufacturers to follow to become more sustainable. As I began to progress with this I realised I needed to re-think my brief.
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To change consumer behaviour through innovative packaging design eventually leading to a sustainable circular economy within the chewing gum sector.
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The Updated Brief The updated brief moved from a 10 year strategy to a packaging focused project with no definitive time scale.
I was worried that removing the timescale may affect commercialism when presenting the project to external collaborators.
I had to make the decision to focus my brief more as my initial proposal contained too many different aspects and it would have been very difficult to execute each one to a high standard. Moving away from a time scale also allowed for more freedom as I didn’t have to worry about manufacturing constraints and timings.
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The Solution
The final design outcome
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Gumpac is not a new chewing gum brand. Gumpac is an engaging packaging initiative designed to change consumer behaviour in order to create a sustainable circular economy within the chewing gum sector.
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The solution is to empower consumers through an innovative packaging initiative that changes behaviour through small incremental changes leading to a sustainable future based on recycling chewing gum.
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phase 1
phase 2
Re- designing the wrapper to communicate with consumers the disposal feature the wrapper has.
Designing wrapper based disposal solutions for the pellet format.
phase 3 Providing an independent range of disposal products to be used in conjunction with packaging.
phase 4 To create a closed loop sector where all chewing gum waste is recycled and made into product packaging. Made possible through used gum trade in schemes.
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phase 1 Re- designing the wrapper to communicate with consumers the disposal feature the wrapper has. 22
Engaging with consumers in a playful manner makes communication more memorable. Leading to more consumers participating in the desired action.
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Packaging features an internal box holding disposal wrappers. Accessible as and when needed and always in reach due to being part of the pack.
phase 2 Designing wrapper based disposal solutions for the pellet format.
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Disposal wrappers dispensed from lid using a spring loaded mechanism. Can easily be dispensed when needed.
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Disposal storage bottle features a twist to dispose shutter style mechanism. This makes the product engaging and therefore more likely to be used.
phase 3 Providing an independent range of disposal products to be used in conjunction with packaging. Eventually filtering into the recycling scheme. 26
Personal disposal device can hold up to 10 pieces of wrapped used gum and is designed to be the size of a lipstick tube.
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Chew
phase 4
New Packs manufactured from gum
Wrap
Circular Economy for the Gum Sector Recycle
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To create a closed loop sector where all chewing gum waste is recycled and made into product packaging. Made possible through used gum trade in schemes.
Store
Trade In
Points for recycling used gum can be monitored via the gumrecycle app. Points can then be exchanged for chewing gum products.
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Gumpac was designed to be implemented by large manufacturers such as Wrigley who can dramatically impact the sector. 30
Gumpac could be advertised on pack to show consumers that the particular brand is working towards a greener future.
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Brand Identity
Name, Logo and Graphic Style
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The Brand Name Choosing a brand name for the project by writing down relative words and synonyms.
Neil Smith “I really don’t like ‘Enviro-Gum”. I think the name has to focus more on the packaging rather than the gum.”
Will the name portray the projects intent clearly enough or cause confusion?
I found it very difficult choosing a name as it wasn’t a new chewing gum brand but a packaging initiative. The name had to communicate the projects intent without sounding too much like a consumer product. After cycling through a few environmental based names I eventually chose gumpac, a combination of gum and packaging.
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After selecting my favourite design I developed it further before settling on the final.
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The Logo Designing a logo for gumpac. I wanted it to be modern but at the same time I didn’t want it to distract from the packaging.
How would this logo work on pack?
Logo design isn’t one of my strong points so I tend to try and keep things simple. For this logo I really wanted to play with negative space so I designed it around this concept. It wasn’t the most in depth branding exercise but due to the nature of the project I don’t think it needed to be.
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Brand Identity Choosing a colour scheme for the different sections of the project. I wanted to base it around chewing gum colours so I mainly stuck with blues and greens. I used WGSN colour trends and Adobe Colour CC to find complimentary colours.
David Parkinson “I would be wary of using white as it may look too clinical.�
What if the different sections were colour coded?
After being advised to stay away from white I tried many different colour combinations before caving in and using white. I instantly preferred the white versions more and decided to go against the advice. However, I was wary that it may look medical so used white as an accent colour rather than the main colour.
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The final branding on pack.
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Brand pattern for use on wrappers.
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Developing Phase 1 Design Development 1
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Double sided printed wrappers 44
Structural pack for stick
Structural pack for tab
Phase 1 Product Offering Phase 1 consisted of 3 products: - A double sided printed wrapper - A structural pack for stick gum - A structural pack for tab gum Phase 1 linked directly with the wrapper experiments featured in my exploration project.
What about holding a competition with consumers to design their own wrapper?
I didn’t develop this section greatly from my exploration as I really liked the target wrapper design from the initial experiment. I initially intended to produce a series of wrappers but believed just having the one communicated the concept clearly enough and due to the amount of planned deliverables I had I didn’t want to over complicate things.
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Images taken from the wrapper experiment carried out in my exploration project which inspired phase 1.
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Investigating a range of different packs for inspiration.
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Initial sketch work for wrappers before deciding to stick with the one target wrapper. I decided to keep the perforated looking edge as I believed this to be an own-able asset which could be exploited across the range.
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Testing different thicknesses of paper and printing methods for the wrappers.
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This phase involved adapting existing packs to house the product differently. Prototyping in paper and card to get locking mechanisms and proportions correct.
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Hand cutting all the perforations on the wrappers. In hindsight I would have got this done by machine but it would have been tricky lining it up due to the double sided print.
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Phase 1 Reflection What went well? I feel choosing to produce structured packs instead of flexible packaging really added value to the products. I really like the playfulness of the wrapper, it’s simple but to the point. What would I have changed? I would have definitely got the wrappers cut by machine as this would have made them all identical as well as saving time.
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Moving Forward A card stock and printing method for the packs was still to be chosen at this point. The reason for this is that phase 2 consists of packaging made from the same material so I planned to develop them simultaneously. I also had to design the graphics for each pack.
What materials and printing method should I use?
The packs in both phase 1 and 2 need to have a similar identity even though they are different colours.
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Developing Phase 2a Design Development
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25 handy box with built in disposal wrappers
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Perforated blister pack that can be used for disposal
Structural 10 pack with built in disposal wrappers
Phase 2a Product Offering Phase 2a consisted of 3 products: - A 25 piece box with internal box for disposal wrappers. - A blister pack featuring perforations that can be used to dispose of used gum. - A structural pack for10 pieces with an internal box for disposal wrappers. Phase 2 is about providing a disposal solution for pellet form to wrap up used gum.
How expensive would these packs be to produce?
Phase 2 is split up into two sections: 2a is for card packs and 2b is for bottle packs. This section was one of my favourites to work on as I had to re-think the nets so that an internal box could be created to hold the disposal wrappers for dispensing. This section also featured material and printing exploration.
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Initial ideation sketch work for packaging with disposal wrappers built in. 58
Mocking up initial ideas in paper to test interaction and potential.
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After hand drawing the first couple of nets I thought it more logical to draw them in Solidworks so that I could modify them quickly. This really sped up the process and meant my nets were more accurate.
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I chose Solidworks over a 2D programme such as Adobe Illustrator as I had more control over the line work due to being more confident in the programme.
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I found myself coming up with ideas at random times and having to grab nearby paper to scribble it down. 62
The majority of the development work for this net was done in 3D rather than through sketches. It was important to test the different locking mechanisms through multiple iterations to get the best user experience.
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I followed the same process for this net as the last but it took fewer iterations as i had learnt what worked and what didn’t work from the previous design. 64
Card and Paper Mock Ups Moving from 2D to 3D was a vital part of the development phase. Having a physical model to test sped up the process greatly and allowed for more efficient communication when presenting my ideas to lecturers and peers.
What thickness material should I use?
I loved the challenge of going from a drawing to a physical object by deconstructing it and unfolding it in my head to create the net. There were multiple times where I had missed off tabs or mis-aligned things but the process was so fast that these mistakes could easily be altered.
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Testing a range of card thicknesses as well as HIPS, Polypropylene and vinyl wrapped card.
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Testing Materials Testing a range of different materials and thicknesses to determine what would be used to create the final designs.
How to print graphics onto chosen material?
I found that card was very unforgiving and if scored too hard would eventually tear. I tested polypropylene and also HIPS but due to the complexity and tightness of parts of the net these were not suitable. A classmate then mentioned they wrapped their nets in vinyl while on placement so i decided to try that. The vinyl worked a treat and added some extra strength to the card on the corners due to its plastic properties. 67
Analysing blister packs for one of the offerings. Focusing mainly on the negatives rather than the positives of each offering.
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Quickly creating disposable vacuum form moulds by sticking chewing gum to a piece of MDF. This allowed for arrangements to be tested quickly. 69
Blister pack prototypes.
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Vacuum Forming Blister Packs Modeling blister pack offering through vacuum forming a 3D printed mould.
How to recreate the foil cover?
Vacuum forming worked perfectly to emulate the feel of a blister pack. It took a few material tests to find the right thickness and temperature to get an even form but I was really happy with the end result.
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After searching the web an adhesive backed printable foil was sourced which was perfect as it allowed graphics to be printed onto it.
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Printing on Foil Printing graphics onto ink-jet printable foil.
Should I have tried an alternative to the foil?
Although it took a while to find the printable foil was perfect and made the pack look real. I got so many people asking how I did it. Cutting it on the vinyl cutter proved difficult as it struggled to read the registration marks to set up the cut. I hand cut a few of the prototypes and luckily managed to get the vinyl cutter to cut the final version.
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The packs were designed to be cut on a vinyl cutter which isn’t 100% accurate so a bleed had to be added to the graphics.
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Designing Graphics Applying the brand identity to the packs using Adobe Illustrator.
How will the graphics look in 3D?
This was one of the most exciting phases of the project, watching multiple components come together to create a final product. I didn’t add any bar codes or ingredients etc to the graphics due to the offerings not being a brand but an initiative. I believe adding these things would have created confusion in my communication.
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Viewing the graphics in 2D is completely different to viewing them in 3D so it was important to do test prints and edit the graphics if it didn’t flow correctly. 76
Hand cutting the test packs. 77
Cutting the nets out using a vinyl cutter.
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Printing and Cutting The graphics were printed onto matte printable vinyl before being applied to card and cut out using a vinyl cutter. Due to this process the nets would have to be hand scored so not to damage the printed side of the packs.
Will they score and assemble as planned ?
I’m so glad I decided to get the nets cut by machine, the accuracy was far greater than if I was to do it by hand. I could have got a good finish by hand but it would have taken longer and potentially multiple attempts which would have wasted valuable time at this point in the process.
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Fully cut nets for phase 1 and 2.
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Scoring and Building Packs Creating the final packaging models for both phase 1 and 2a by hand scoring the pre cut net and fixing together using double sided tape.
Was there a faster way?
After erecting the fifth pack offering the same thing was running through my mind; there must be a faster way. I’m not sure if this process took a while because I was taking my time to get them as perfect as possible or because adding all the wrappers and chewing gum was a process I hadn’t fully completed for all the mock ups. If I was to repeat the process I would have tried to figure out a way to score them on the vinyl cutter. 83
All tasks were written out before being assigned to a particular day. Tasks that didn’t get completed rolled over to the next day or were spread across multiple days until completed.
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Time Management Planning out tasks each day to make sure everything would get finished.
What would have I got finished if i hadn’t planned my time in this way?
Planning each day in advance was really helpful in keeping me on track during the final phase of the project. However, certain tasks took a lot longer than anticipated. It’s hard to plan for unexpected things such as not being able to use a certain machine due to a busy workshop but having each day planned allowed me to quickly shuffle my tasks around so i was always busy.
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Phase 2a Reflection What went well? I am really happy with the way the printed graphics came out on the vinyl, the matte effect has really brought the brand to life. I also really like the foil finish on the blister pack What would I have changed? It would have been nice to get the nets both cut and scored by the vinyl cutter to save time and for better accuracy.
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Moving Forward With all the card packs designed it was time to move to the 3D offerings featured in phase 2.
What is the best way to build the 3D models?
I need to make sure the 3D offerings fit in with the card packs.
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Developing Phase 2b Design Development
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25 handy box with built in disposal wrappers 90
25 handy box with built in disposal wrappers
Phase 2b Product Offering Phase 2b consisted of 2 products: - A bottle with a perforated disposal reel dispensed out of the side. - A bottle with a spring powered wrapper dispenser built into the lid.
Would there be any manufacturing issues with these bottles?
Phase 2 is about providing a disposal solution to wrap up used gum.
Phase 2 is split up into two sections: 2a is for card packs and 2b is for bottle packs. It was great to finally work on something 3D and not nets. I really liked the two bottle options I produced and believe them to be very simple solutions that integrate well with the current bottle style used by most chewing gum manufacturers.
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Initial sketch work for bottle with a disposal wrapper dispenser.
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Early sketch models to test interactions.
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Creating more refined models in foam and vacuum forming.
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Cutting formed model so two halves fit flush. 95
When vacuum forming goes wrong due to material being too hot. 96
Vacuum Forming Testing vacuum forming as a potential final modeling process for bottle offerings.
Although vacuum forming can produce good results it can also b difficult to get it perfect as there are so many variables involved such as temperature, time, material quality etc. As a result of this I thought it would be less labour intensive to 3D print instead.
How long will it take to finish the 3D print?
Choosing to 3D print the bottle offerings and their mechanisms may seem over the top due to their simplicity but I want both bottles to be exact and due to time constraints i believe this to be th quickest way while also freeing up my time to work on other aspects of the project.
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Creating the bottles in Solidworks.
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CAD Modeling Using Solidworks to CAD the bottles and their mechanisms up so the data can be used to 3D print.
How prominent will key features like the cut out be when printed?
The designs of the two bottles were relatively easy to model in CAD. It was important to get tolerances correct as some parts contained a lot of detail and friction fits.
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The finished result with support material when taken out of the 3D printer.
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3D Printing 3D printing models using the Universities FDM printer.
What is the best way to finish the model, sanding back or using filler?
I have used the universities 3D printer before but was slightly disappointed with the results this time round as the finish wasn’t as uniform and there were bits of stray support material. All this meant that finishing the model would take longer due to more sanding/ filling. However, this is still faster than hand modeling the entire thing.
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Sanding down parts for friction fit.
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Adding top coats of paint.
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Using finishing pads to buff the paint work for assembly.
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Finishing Models Filling, sanding and painting 3D printed parts ready for assembly.
I found that using filler on top of the 3D print as opposed to sanding it back gave a better finish faster.
How can I speed up the process for the next phase?
The finishing process took a lot longer than anticipated, however I believe this to be down to th finish I was trying to achieve. I re-did the finish multiple times to try and get the best I could out of it. However, every time I fixed a little problem like a dent or scratch something else would appear. It got to a point where i had to settle for where it was at or risk damaging it further by over doing it.
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Phase 2b Reflection What went well? Everything worked! I was really happy that the two bottles both functioned and that all my parts fitted together as planned. What would I have changed? I would have paid to get the parts 3D printed off campus with a higher resolution machine to reduce time spent sanding etc.
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Moving Forward Phase 3 was a few days behind on the making side than phase 2b, this meant I could apply some of the learnings to help speed up the process.
Should I outsource the 3D printing?
Phase 3 is different to the previous phases as they are stand alone products as opposed to chewing gum packs. I will have to approach this phase from a slightly different angle.
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Developing Phase 3 Design Development
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Personal Disposal Storage Device
Disposal Storage Bottle
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Phase 3 Product Offering Phase 3 consists of 2 products: - A stationary disposal bottle. - A personal disposal device. Phase 3 is about providing somewhere to store used gum wrapped in a disposal wrapper and fits seemingly into phase 4.
Would there be any manufacturing issues with these offerings?
It was interesting to change my mind set from packaging design to product design. This phase is all about the users interaction with the product and enhancing that experience to make something as mundane as storing used gum interesting,
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Sketch ideation for iris style disposal bottle. 112
Models and prototyping.
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Sketch ideation for personal disposal device.
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Taking apart lipsticks to examine the mechanism inside.
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Modeling bottle in Solidworks to create 3D printing data. 116
3D printing some of the parts on the University printer.
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Prototyping the mechanism.
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Quotes for printing externally on a Form1 printer which can produce high quality prints due to being an SLA printer. 119
To achieve the colours I wanted I had to purchase art paint which came at a lower pressure making painting more difficult than using car paint . The finish wasn’t as good but the colour choice was exceptionally better. 120
I was happy to trade off a perfect finish for the matte colours that I used as they matched the matte finish of the packs really well. 121
Phase 3 Reflection What went well? I decided to get some of the more detailed parts printed externally which paid off in the long run as they took very little prepping for paint. I was really happy with the interaction with both pieces and I’m glad I spent more time on them getting them to work. What would I have changed? I wish I had more time to work on the product detailing as it was quite rushed due to time constraints. 122
Moving Forward Finishing the models took a lot longer than expected which left very little time to work on final deliverables for phase 4. On reflection I should have spent less time on the models so I could fully finish all the planned deliverables.
What deliverables will I get finished for phase 4?
Time was starting to run out meaning I had very little time to develop phase 4.
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Developing Phase 4 Design Development
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Screenshot from the gumrecycle application.
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Phase 4 Offering Phase 4 consists of a recycling scheme plan which features an app and a basic outline of the scheme.
How could this be implemented in reality?
Phase 4 is quite an interesting phase as it links everything up and really adds value to the project. I had done a lot of thinking around this phase but unfortunately didn’t manage to get everything finished.
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Planning the consumer experience.
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Illustrating the basic outline of the scheme and how it creates a closed loop gum sector.
Chew New Packs manufactured from gum
Wrap
Circular Economy for the Gum Sector Recycle
Store
Trade In
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Mobile phone application used in the gum recycling process to collect points.
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Gum recycling station would be situated in shops and supermarkets as this is where chewing gum is purchased originally.
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Deliverables for this section Choosing a colour scheme for the different sections of the project. I wanted to base it around chewing gum colours so stuck with blues and greens. I used WGSN colour trends and Adobe Colour CC to find complimentary colours.
What if the different sections were colour coded?
After being advised to stay away from white I tried many different colour combinations before caving in and using white. I instantly preferred the white versions more and decided to go against the advice. However, I was wary that it may look medical so used white as an accent colour rather than the main colour.
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Phase 4 Reflection What went well? The design thinking behind this phase had some really strong points and it could have been a really well rounded service but I ran out of time. What would I have changed? I would have gave the service just as much priority as the models or worked on the models less so that I could get this phase to the standard I want it to be.
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Moving Forward The whole project is based around a behaviour change journey so it is important to communicate that behaviour change and how it differs from how things are currently. I decided to do this through two short videos. The final presentation where everything comes together is vital in communicating my project so must be done in a clear and concise way.
What is the best way to convey the behaviour change?
I’m upset that I didn’t get everything fully finished for this phase but I plan on improving it for New Designers exhibition.
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Product Videos
Filming and editing behaviour change videos
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The storyboards were extremely rough but I understood them which was all that mattered at this stage.
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The video shows a before and after comparison of gumpac and how the behaviour associated with gum and litter in general eventually changes due to the initiative.
Screenshot taking from the film showing an extreme gum litter bug about to spit his chewing gum on the floor.
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Editing Videos in Premier Pro Editing behaviour change videos using Premier Pro video editing software.
I had never used Prem Pro before and I really enjoyed learning the software. My videos showed two extreme behaviour difference but I feel this was necessary to get the point across effectively. The only problem I had is one of my video clips corrupted which caused one of the videos not to export and by the time i fixed it it was too late for the hand in. I hadn’t planned for something like this and had left the video editing and exporting very late which is something I wont be doing again!
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Final Deliverables
Planning final presentation
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Sketching out different board layouts.
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My final presentation board took many iterations to get right. It was important to take the viewer through each step by first introducing the product, then describing the problems it solves before going into more specific information about the project. I tried to keep my layout as simple and to the point as possible without missing out any key information. It was hard to communicate the interaction for each offering so I included a table print with call-outs coming from each model describing the individual problems that pack tackled and how it solved them. Overall i was happy with the way my stand looked and believed it conveyed everything it needed to while inviting the viewer to engage with the physical models.
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Planning how the models were going to be presented.
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The final table layout.
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External Validation
Validation from industry experts
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Please note that my feedback is based on my own personal opinion, not that of Mars Inc. or any of its affiliates, including The Wrigley Company Limited. I was impressed with the way that Josh had approached this project by taking into account the issue of gum as litter on a holistic level. It is a complex problem involving many conflicting elements and Josh has broken these down in order to be able to address these areas separately; in terms of the product itself, society issues with litter and the ability for the consumer proposition to provide additional benefits that are more likely to encourage more responsible consumer behaviour.
Rory Johnston Packaging Design Lead at Wrigley
The packaging solutions Josh has developed in order to address the insight he has developed all seem feasible – they encompass existing technologies brought together in a novel proposition that in itself provides the means to capture and then store the used gum. The additional piece of work in the refinement of a recycling stream is great in that it provides the potential for compelling reasons to recycle through consumer reward and also taps into an existing stream where gum is already recycled into new products. My input in terms of considerations for further work would be to consider the viability of an initiative such as this; the packaging solutions would be more expensive and require asset investment to scale up and industrialise and therefore the means to fund this would need to be considered – factors such as government funding, profit margin, savings through reduced litter clean-ups etc. are just a few examples. Overall Josh has presented a well-researched and compelling proposal to address a very real problem with some innovative packaging solutions set within a realistic framework.
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Josh first contacted me in November 2014 and we arranged to meet to discuss the scope of his project. He requested an overview of how the council deals with the problem of gum litter, what they’ve initiated in the past and also the potential plans for the future. Josh had a clear vision for the stages of his project and was receptive to the practical experiences and reality of cleansing issues and costs faced by the council.
Jan Shimmin Environmental Awareness and Education Team Manager at Newcastle City Council
The work Josh has produced is really interesting and has led to the recognition that behaviour change in disposal is influenced by the manufacturers through design. I think it could inspire the manufacturers of the various chewing gum types to adopt these ideas. It provides fantastic branding opportunities for them and does improve on some existing packaging, as Josh highlighted. The products are simple to use and I am pleased appear to be accessible to all. Josh has been very thorough and committed to the detail and process in developing this project. There is a huge amount of work that has gone into arriving at the solution and it is very logical. It is great that the assumption was not made that there was one solution but then through the process he focused on the development of a branded suite of gum and packaging incorporating disposal methods. In particular I like the incentive scheme and use of an app. It already works well in a number of sectors and has been used previously in recycling (money back on glass bottles). The phased approach to implementation is also important as it allows a realistic approach requiring the encouragement of consumer actions that could then lead to the situation where the used gum becomes a commodity to be recycled. I am keen that whatever packaging is created could also be recycled and I was reassured that this is possible. It has been a pleasure to have supported someone so dedicated, professional, organised, thorough and able. Josh has developed, designed and produced a great project with potential products with a real life practical application. I consider that he will be an asset to any future employer.
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Having read through Josh’s final presentation document for his ‘Gumpac’ project I am very impressed with the quality of his design work and the clarity of his presentation. The disposal of chewing gum does seem to be a real problem, particularly in some city centres areas, but finding a design led solution to change users’ habits and behaviour was never going to be an easy task.
Graeme Paterson Owner of Brightworks Product Design
Despite this challenge I felt that Josh took a very logical and carefully planned step by step approach with his work; through research and evidence gathering, to nurture his ideas, never jumping straight to a conclusion but instead checking and testing his ideas to confirm and develop his thinking. This approach has let him to come up with an interesting and credible range of options that propose a very appropriate range of design options; from incremental changes to gum packaging, through solutions for used gum storage to a closed loop system for recycling used gum to make gum packaging. I was particularly impressed with Josh’s ability to take a complex subject and, through his clear and simple presentation techniques and ideas, make it effortless for the viewer to instantly understand the benefits of his design proposal. I feel that chewing gum manufacturers would definitely be very interested in the ideas and strategy that Josh is proposing, so perhaps adding a little more information on the commercial aspects would be useful to them; perhaps some notes with cost projections at each stage with a rough time plan for implementation. This information would help them to weigh up the proposed benefits in the context of their own business.
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Another area that might be worthy of some further investigation would be a little more detailed technical development of one of the pack design options proposed, to demonstrate a deeper technical understanding and ability. For example one of the personal disposal devices shown in ‘phase 3’ could be focused on and developed to a slightly deeper level. With (say) a component breakdown, exploded view, material selection and cost analysis (unit cost & any capital investment required). Having said that, for a project that focuses on changing user habits, Josh has quite rightly concentrated on gaining a deeper understanding of the users and the softer design aspects. In summary I think Josh’s methodical and systematic approach to tackling the ‘gum problem’ and his initiative based design solutions demonstrate a clear and thorough ability to; research a problem, act on the findings, generate innovative and appropriate design ideas and to present these solutions in a clear and simple manner. I feel certain that chewing gum manufacturers would be very interested to learn of this project and that there would be strong arguments and benefits for them to implement at least some of Josh’s ideas.
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Personal Reflection My thoughts on the project
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It’s amazing to think that after working on this project for so long it has finally come to an end, that’s not to say I won’t work on it further but in terms of University time it is officially ‘finished’. This project has been the most in depth piece of work I have ever created with so many aspects to it from the exploration phase right through to this document. The project has changed so much over the duration, originally starting as a disruptive design project and gradually shifting towards what it is today through many hours of research and design thinking. I am very pleased with the end result and believe I have created something which has a large number of viable elements as well as acting as a thought starter for some of the latter offerings. I would never have thought that my final major project would be packaging based but I have loved every minute of it. My favourite part of the project has to be phase 2. I believe phase 2 to be the most market ready and I really like the simplicity of the packs with the built in disposal paper dispenser. It’s such a simple solution but if implemented could have a huge impact on chewing gum litter. I have learnt a great deal especially from working with collaborators as I tried to make sure I had a diverse range of people inputing into the project. This was difficult at times as you are trying to please multiple stakeholders but I learnt that you don’t have to do everything people want you to do and sometimes it’s good to challenge their take on things. This project would not be where it is today without their insight and expertise and for that I am truly grateful.
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Looking back one major thing I would change was not exploring the recycling service side of the offering thoroughly enough. I had visions of creating a service map with user touchpoints and trade in machines but I simply ran out of time. This was down to the fact that I had 9 individual offerings to design and make. In hind sight I may have taken on too much but I really wanted to push myself with this being my final University project. It would have been nice to have developed some of the bottles further as I felt like I had only scratched the surface of the design opportunities within the disposal devices. The next step is to take gumpac to Wrigley and present all my findings to date. I have had contact with individuals from Wrigley throughout the process and have received great feedback at every stage. Now the project is fleshed out more I believe it to be a good opportunity to get it in front of people who could actaully implement something of this scale and to hear their thoughts on it. I started this project following an internship at Wrigley and Mars where I developed a passion for FMCG design. Having completed an FMCG project I can honestly say I have found an area of design that truly speaks to me, I love all the complexities that come with designing an everyday object such as chewing gum and hopefully through this project I have demonstarted the ability to tackle these complex issues.
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