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JUST A MASK X FONTYS
JUST A MASK
51.5606° N, 5.0919° E “Distance teaches us to appreciate the days that we are able to spend together and distance teaches us the definition of patience. It is a reminder that every moment together is special and every second together should be cherished. Pro Tip: Talk to someone if you feel alone”
JUST A MASK
Foreword S TAY S T R O N G ! S TAY P O S I T I V E ! S TAY H E A LT H Y ! S TAY H O M E !
Dear reader, This concept book has been created to provide you with an overview of the idea behind “Just A Mask�, A company run by students of International Lifestyle Studies at the Fontys University of Applied Sciences. The study program we follow focuses on trend research and concept development. Therefore, the goal is to create new products and services that enhance the quality of life of the selected target group. As a result, our concept has been carefully designed for serving that purpose by providing colorful, comfortable protective solutions in this pandemic crisis. However, we wanted to create something that goes beyond simple aesthetics and functionality. In fact, we aim at reducing the pandemic anxiety by educating people wearing our products so that they can be relieved of the burden of social anxiety. All over the world, companies are following suit with the ambitious goal of protecting their communities, showing the value of collaboration. Therefore, we are delighted to see how strong the community-feeling is during this pandemic and we want to thank all the people who helped us in realizing this concept. First of all, we are extremely grateful to all the mothers who helped us in realizing this concept by dwelling with fabrics and needles, side to side with our tailors. We also wish to thank Hristo Kotsev for kindly making his professional printing service available to us. Special thanks also to all the family members and friends who helped Just A Mask to develop and reach the sales target by spreading the word about our brand. Last but not least, we wish to thank both Tessa van Asselt and Mijntje van der Locht for their kind support during the whole process. We believe that the concept, explained and analyzed here, will be of interest to all actively engaging in generating social values for their communities.
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INDEX 1 INTRODUCTION
K
AS
A M T J US
2 TERMINOLOGY 3 CONCEPT 4 TARGET GROUP 5 JUSTIFICATION 6 FEASABILITY 7 CONCLUSION 8
ADD ONE OF OUR WORDS OF AFFIRMATION HERE THIS IS STRICTLY A PLACEHOLDER SO YOU
REFERENCE LIST
KIND OF GET THE IDEA HOW IT WOULD LOOK
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I N T R O D U CT I O N
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For the first time in human history, you can save the world without moving from your couch... Let’s not screw this up!
The whole of humanity is currently in a state of a global pandemic that has an impact on every single person in many ways. Governments have decided to implement lockdowns and other necessary measures in order to reduce deaths and further contaminations. With all this, Covid-19 is having a big influence on how our daily lives look like now and in the future. Going out in the public has changed tremendously. The usage of public transportation in many countries is only possible with wearing face masks and keeping distance. Same goes for visiting shops, restaurants etc. We have to keep in mind how we can keep ourselves and the people around us safe. The way people will interact in real life will be very different than it was before the Covid-19 outbreak. When going out to do groceries, many stores have the mantra to touch as little as necessary and when you do, you have to clean up after (Maxwell, 2020). Entertainment venues have been closed down or shifted into online platforms and only reopening slowly. The consumer and brand relationship has increased due to the pandemic. Especially in the current situation businesses have the fear of losing their customers. Communication is an important element in maintaining relationships and businesses. For that reason, businesses are showing their compassion by giving back to their communities (van de Velde, 2020). The mindset of trying to do good and contribute to society has become more important than before.
People are losing their jobs or have to work from their homes. One of the most important jobs at the moment are those that could save people’s lives, where the main focus lies on Covid-19 or stores that provide people with daily necessities (Cohen, 2020). Generally, even before the pandemic, there was a shift happening in our society due to the convenience of food deliveries, sameday shipping and flexible offices which has led to an increase in people staying at home (Walpita & Friend, 2020). It is becoming more and more important to focus on self-care. As everyone is obligated to stay home more and there are restrictions most of the people have never had to deal with before, it is important to find ways in how to cope with the situation. Exercising at home, meditation and long walks outside have become more common. People are discovering ways of relieving stress or anxiety and improving their health via apps and live sessions. Due to all of the above-mentioned changes in our society, it is important to understand that consumer behavior is changing and due to that the products and services that are created these days need to keep those in mind. Just A Mask, as a company, took that research as the starting point of creating the concept and improved it on the path of its development and coming to life. In the further parts of this concept book, you will have the chance to get to know the company and the products that it has created.
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T E R M I N O L O G Y Be like melting snow. Wash yourself of yourself. -Rumi
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Lifestyle It relates to preferences and expressions of taste that people use to express their social standing. For example, material consumption, spending free time, and political and moral views (Sutmuller & van Belkom, 2017, pp. 27-28). Pandemic An outbreak of a disease that occurs over a wide geographic area and affects an exceptionally high proportion of the population (Merriam-Webster, n.d.). Quality of Life A subjective concept which makes clear how people can realise sustainable happiness through their lifestyle on different levels (society, organisation and individually). This sustainable happiness is based on various forms of well-being that give the opportunity to people and their environment to achieve individual satisfaction and personal happiness and to increase social value (Sutmuller & van Belkom, 2017, p. 37). Concept A name or label that regards or treats an abstraction as if it had concrete or material existence, such as a person, a place, or a thing. It guides the actual manifestation of products and services (Sutmuller & van Belkom, 2017, p. 8). Concept carrier The products, services and accompanying features that carry out the idea of the concept design (Sutmuller & van Belkom, 2017, pp. 44-45).
JUST A MASK
“A friendly reminder on how to stay safe!�
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Just A Mask is a student-run company that helps people to protect themselves and their loved ones by decreasing the spread of the Covid-19 virus. The company believes that together, we will reframe the idea of social distancing and celebrate responsible choices. Everyone can be the change!
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J U ST A M AS K
The company handcrafts reusable, form-fitting, cotton masks, motivated by the goal to reduce the pandemic anxiety by educating and preparing people for the worst while hoping for the best.
Through the additional friendly reminders, Just A Mask educates people on how they can contribute in the pandemic. The set of cards provides customers with easy reminders, tips and actions that one can take.
Concept carriers: Handmade, reusable, form-fitting, cotton masks Set of cards with friendly helpful reminders
JUST A MASK
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g r ou p “Everything will work out in the end, you don’t need to know how, you just have to trust that it will.� The target group of the company Just A Mask are the professional millennials aged between 25 and 35 years. Covid-19 pandemic is one of the important issues that has been taken into account as a research topic. Initially, the professional millennials were chosen based on the growing shift to remote work due to self imposed quarantine. This change caused many professionals to adapt to being at home all the time. The target group has been analyzed via desk and field research which resulted in finding insights about their most important values and needs. It explains the need of wanting to take responsible actions during this pandemic. Besides that, it also explains the impossibility for professional millennials to fulfil this need.
Pains
Based on the surveys about the current situation regarding the Covid-19 pandemic, it can be concluded that social distancing and self-imposed quarantine has led to a rise in the feeling of loneliness. This is due to the lack of face-to-face interaction professional millennials are experiencing during their quarantine. In addition, they have become more concerned about their health and being exposed to the virus in public spaces. As many people feel the need to go outside, they have become more reckless and not following the measurements of social distancing (Rosman, 2020). This has caused professional millennials to have a greater fear to contract the virus or to make their family members and people at risk sick.
Gains
The fear of contracting the virus or spreading it to loved ones has made professional millennials more conscious about face-to-face interaction. The awareness of the risks of Covid-19 has led to greater responsibility in taking measurements and being cautious when going to public spaces. In addition, professional millennials see the importance of positively contributing to society by slowing the spread of the virus. Furthermore, wearing a face mask is becoming a mandatory health measure, especially in crowded environments. Overall, professional millennials value functionality and comfort when seeking for protective solutions.
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JUST A MASK
AWARENESS The Dutch government has taken a new measure with regard to wearing face masks in public transport. Alice will need to take the train when the measure takes effect. She doesn’t have a face mask yet and therefore is worried about taking public transport. Alice starts to search for face masks on Instagram and comes across with Just A Mask via her recommended page.
Awareness
Advocacy
Cards with reminders
Consideration
just a mask
Action
CONSIDERATION Alice becomes curious and clicks on the Instagram page. She reads the biography of the company and reads that Just A Mask provides something extra. In addition, she comes across with images of the face masks and different posts on how to wear the face mask. It makes Alice interested in the product and considers to buy a face mask from Just A Mask. ACTION Alice sends a private message to Just A Mask and explains her interest in the product. She wants to know more about the available colours, sizes and the price of the face mask. After receiving the necessary information from Just A Mask, Alice decides to place an order. She sends Just A Mask her personal details for the shipment. SERVICE Shortly after the order of Alice, she receives a payment request in the form of a Tikkie. Via a text message she pays for her product. Just A Mask has provided information about the shipping time and Alice is glad to be informed. After Just A Mask has received the payment, the company sends Alice a confirmation and starts preparing her order. Just A Mask has notified Alice of the shipment and she is happy to be informed about it. Now she waits for the arrival of her package.
Thank you note
Service
Delivery
DELIVERY She receives the mask right on time. The envelope contains a wrapped package and the face mask. Alice notices a small thank you note with the wrapped package. THANK YOU NOTE Alice reads the thank you note and feels happy to receive a personal message from Just A Mask. She notices that the note contains instructions on how to take care of the face mask. Furthermore, she reads that there is a hashtag that can be shared on Instagram. CARDS WITH REMINDERS Alice opens the wrapped package and finds out that there are ten cards with reminders. She reads every card and feels already a bit safer and at ease by the thought of taking the train. Alice becomes more conscious about the current situation and knows how to take precautions for herself but also for others. ADVOCACY Alice tries her own face mask and wants to support the company by sharing her face mask on Instagram. She posts a picture on her Instagram with #JustAMask and tells her friends how much she likes it, which is an opportunity for her friends to also order a face mask. Alice feels safer when taking the train and is happy to contribute to society by wearing her face mask provided by Just A Mask.
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For creating a meaningful and future-oriented concept, we carefully evaluated the impact of Just A Mask on the wellbeing of the target group. In this context, we used the model of Quality of Life (Felce & Perry, 1995) for framing the information regarding what factors influence wellbeing, overall. This model recognizes the existence of 5 main dimensions and their relative sub-dimensions (fig.A).
The COVID-19 virus is challenging the economy and posing several challenges to the quality of life, overall. All over the world, companies are following suit with the ambitious goal of protecting their communities. Alongside the most evident physical threats, COVID-19 is exerting negative effects also on the emotional-wellbeing (Chwaszcz et al., 2020). In fact, the increase of stress and anxiety are being pushed forward by the uncertainty our society is facing. In response to the above-mentioned facts, the cheerfulness and functionality of our protective garment has been carefully thought through. In fact, we selected earthy color tones for hand-crafting our masks, which have a calming effect.
In the times of this pandemic crisis, governments are shutting down anything that involves being face-to-face in large numbers — the so-called “social distancing” is reframing our idea of social interaction. In this context, Just A Mask wants to unite people and empower Young Professionals in taking responsible measures for keeping themselves and their loved ones safe from the spreading of COVID-19. Therefore, we aim at improving also the social wellbeing of the target group, by leveraging their already existing sense of community.
With regards to the Development and Activity dimension of QoL, Just A Mask provide a way for people to feel safer and less anxious in social situations. Lifestyle research we conducted, clearly shows that Young Professionals want to give a positive contribution in tackling this pandemic crisis. Even if they are experiencing anxiety to a certain extent when having to deal with less responsible individuals.
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bmc Marketing activities Investors Maintain social media Customers Produce face masks Hospitals Public transport companies (e.g. NS, Arriva)
Make the little reminder cards Design of the cards
Suppliers (face mask)
Prevention of getting fined on public transport
Social media
Professional millennials between 25 to 35 years (target group)
Customer review
People who will be using public transport
Business solution team
The need to be able to protect yourself and others
People who want to protect themselves/others from getting sick
Feel comfortable when in public spaces
(local) face mask companies
People who will be attending (crowded) public spaces
Providing people with face masks will give them a feeling of safety
Clothing brands (e.g. ARMEDANGELS) Publisher (cards)
The accessibility to buy good quality face masks
Personnel Social media Distributors (materials face mask and cards)
Social media platforms (e.g. Instagram, Facebook) Word of mouth marketing Bloggers (to advertise our product)
Marketing costs (e.g. Google ads)
Business to customers (B2C)
Supplies for the product
Service based revenue
Personnel costs
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budget “No one has ever become poor by giving.” -Anne Frank The mask and card set of Just A Mask costs €10,00 per piece including shipping. On average 2 masks per hour can be produced with the materials and machinery that Just A Mask currently possess. The minimum wage of in the Netherlands for a 19 year old is €6,36 bruto. The employer pays an average of 33% taxes above that amount, So the employee costs would be €8,46. per hour(Loonkosten voor de werkgever in 2020 berekenen, z.d.). This leads to a profit of €1,77 per mask, which is a 17,7% profit margin.
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C O N C L U S I O N
The world has slowed so you can rediscover yourself.
The main research question that our company “Just A Mask” focused on was how to reduce anxiety and discomfort for professional millennials during the Covid-19 pandemic. Covid-19 came at a rapid speed not allowing people to easily adapt to the situation. Research showed that anxiety and insecurity play a big role when it comes to pandemic. For this reason, the purpose of the research process was to create a product that helps minimize the mental health issues that the target group experiences.
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The masks tackle a necessity, while the cards go into a deeper level. It can be used as a tool on how to stay safe and how to be responsible. The results of the quantitative research showed that professional millennials tend to close themselves off or don’t know how to cope with the circumstances. Dutch citizens gain a lot of information from the news or government, but it can be too overwhelming. The cards bring, in short sentences, the important subjects to remember and be cautious about. The research results indicated that, within countries where it’s uncommon to wear face masks, people consider it as uncomfortable and are only used for mandatory reasons. To reduce discomfort as much as possible, it was decided to use ropes that can be tied behind the head. The rope that’s used for the mask is comfortable in the long term compared to the ones around the ears since people experience discomfort after a while. This helps to make the masks more appealing to the target group. Solving Covid-19 isn’t going to happen all at once, but there is an opportunity for the professional millennials to endure the situation better. With our research, we created a better understanding of the values and necessities of the target group. Creating a product that could enhance their daily activity and, instead of avoiding, coping with the situation. This way they can continue working safely and efficiently.
JUST A MASK
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2xcell. (2019). Trendbook 2019 (9th ed., Vol. 9). Retrieved from https://fbb398d0-7798-49f0-8f5c8c6b49955488.filesusr.com/ugd/9e797d_8581211e395d44459a6e812da0977306.pdf Chwaszcz, J., Palacz-Chrisidis, A., Wiechetek, M., Bartczuk, R. P., Niewiadomska, I., Wośko, P., & Sławska, P. (2020, May 3). Quality of life and its factors in the COVID19 pandemic situation. Results of Stage 1 studies during the pandemic growth period. Retrieved 16 June 2020, from https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/ryv8g Cohen, P. (2020, May 28). Unemployment Ranks Up by 6.6 Million as Coronavirus Hits Jobs. Https://Www.Nytimes.Com/#publisher. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/09/business/economy/unemployment-claim-numbers-coronavirus.html Costa, C. (2020, March 31). How singles are meeting up on dating apps like Tinder, Bumble, Hinge during coronavirus pandemic. Retrieved 16 April 2020, from https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/24/how-singles-aremeeting-up-on-dating-apps-during-the-coronavirus.html Dazed Digital. (n.d.). Digital Spa | Dazed Beauty. Retrieved 14 April 2020, from https://www.dazeddigital.com/ beauty/digital-spa Felce, D., & Perry, J. (1995). Quality of life: Its definition and measurement. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 16(1), 51–74. Retrieved 16 June 2020, from https://doi.org/10.1016/0891-4222(94)00028-8 Koeze, E. (2020, April 8). The Virus Changed the Way We Internet. Https://Www.Nytimes.Com/#publisher. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/04/07/technology/coronavirus-internet-use.html Laconi, P. (2020, March 23). Verplicht thuiszitten? We lopen en fietsen juist massaal om fit te blijven: ‘Zo wapen ik me tegen het virus’. Retrieved 16 April 2020, from https://www.destentor.nl/deventer/verplicht-thuiszitten-we-lopen-en-fietsen-juist-massaal-om-fit-te-blijven-zo-wapen-ik-me-tegen-het-virus~a5fce875/?referrer=https://www.google.com/ Laing, O. (n.d.). Does city life make us more or less lonely? Retrieved 20 December 2019, from https://www. theguardian.com/cities/2016/feb/29/city-life-more-less-lonely-loneliness-cities-share-stories Loonkosten voor de werkgever in 2020 berekenen. (z.d.). berekenhet. Geraadpleegd 20 juni 2020, van https:// www.berekenhet.nl/ondernemen/loonkosten-werkgever.html Maxwell, P. (2020, April 20). How COVID-19 could impact retail design: low-touch, high-sense technologies. Retrieved 16 June 2020, from https://www.frameweb.com/news/technology-retail-design-covid-19 Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). pandemic. Retrieved from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pandemic Rosman, C. (2020, March 19). Waarom er altijd mensen zijn die zich niet aan de corona-regels houden? ‘Ze voelen zich onoverwinnelijk’. Retrieved 20 June 2020, from https://www.ad.nl/binnenland/waarom-er-altijd-mensen-zijn-die-zich-niet-aan-de-corona-regels-houden-ze-voelen-zich-onoverwinnelijk~a5cb3ca1/ Rossi, L. (2019, February 10). Why does living in a big city make me feel so lonely? - Quora. Retrieved 13 January 2020, from https://www.quora.com/Why-does-living-in-a-big-city-make-me-feel-so-lonely Sutmuller, J., & van Belkom, R. (2017). Serious Concepting. Tilburg, The Netherlands: Fontys Academy for Creative Industries. TrendOne. (n.d.). Trendexplorer: Healthstyle. Retrieved 16 April 2020, from https://www.trendexplorer.com/ de/trends/healthstyle/ TrendOne. (n.d.-a). Trendexplorer: Connected World. Retrieved 16 April 2020, from https://www.trendexplorer.com/de/trends/connected-world/ van de Velde, E. (2020, March 27). Coronavirus: how businesses keep engaging their communities. Retrieved 16 June 2020, from https://qualifio.com/blog/en/coronavirus-how-businesses-keep-engaging-their-communities/ Walpita, S., & Friend, H. (2020, March 21). Generation Homebody. Retrieved 16 June 2020, from https://www.thefuturelaboratory.com/blog/generation-homebody
JUST A MASK
JUST A MASK X FONTYS
JUST A MASK
51.5606° N, 5.0919° E “Distance teaches us to appreciate the days that we are able to spend together and distance teaches us the definition of patience. It is a reminder that every moment together is special and every second together should be cherished. Pro Tip: Talk to someone if you feel alone”