Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Thursday, August 2, 2012
The 11th hour
The 11th hour
Us humans just sit and watch the news about all the natural disasters
that are happening in the world today. We tend to think they are just an
isolated major event that will get better after a while. The natural disasters
including flood, hurricanes and drought are in fact all linked by how humans
treat the environment. We need to have more global understanding and be aware
of the consequences of our action. Greatest survival strategy of human is to
navigate our behaviour to what is best for the future.
After 200 years of industrial revolution, we are so much focused in
survival and to maximise comfort and satisfaction of our wants. As a response
to rapid increase in population was finding new resources in the earth and using
it to create basic need for human. To keep up with the increased population, we
over produce whatever human wants and stock for later use as it is considered
as convenient. Satisfying human desire is almost impossible and by keep doing
this, we use up the earth's resource too fast. As a consequence of focusing on
satisfying the human greed, nature is giving us the warning signs. Living in a
human created environment and focusing on the economy makes us forget about the
early wisdom and respect to the natural environment. We need to remember that we
are not separated from the nature and in fact we are the nature. We need to
live in harmony with the environment not focusing on politics, economy and
success.
Recent years has the highest temperature since the past. We need to
realise the significant relation of the temperature increase and what we are
doing to the environment. We must quickly reduce the use of fossil fuel to control
the increasing temperature as we all know that we are actually committing
suicide by polluting the environment. The environmental impact has direct
relation to the human health. We are experiencing increasing cases of early
childhood cancer, premature babies, asthma, ADHD and diabetes. Food is getting
poisoned and waters are becoming dangerous to swim in. All of the increasing
gases build up and create global warming and not only as a reality but as a
concern for the future as we are continuing what we are doing at a accelerating
rate. Extinction crisis that are happening right now is not something that
should be naturally occurring. Awareness should be developed before it gets to
the stage where nothing can be done. We shouldn't turn our back to natures
warning signs. We can help all life survive by being aware and acting to
restore the earth's beauty.
Nature has become properties of the wealth as government are not
responding to these environmental impacts as they are responding to something more
powerful which is the fossil fuel industry. We need to realise that what nature
is doing for us can never be replaced with money. Even if we develop new
technologies for renewable energy, we need the natural energy to begin with. I
think its an irony how we are now putting our heads together how we can use
technology to use less of the natural resources. Of course the demand of the
market is inevitable due to human nature of endless greed and therefore we
should use what we are good at to solve this issue. Greatest challenge of our
time as designers will be to design with awareness. As designers we should
always be aware of what consequences our designs may lead to and as individuals
we should change our behaviour towards the environment before it becomes too
late to regret.
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Giving packaging a new life + How its made
Giving packaging a new
life
Even when I put rubbish in the recycling bin, I don't think I ever believed
that I am doing much good to the environment. I think its because I never got
to see the process of recycling. After watching this video, I got to realise
the importance of separating the rubbish to different catagories. Even if not
all people put what they should put in the recycling bin, it is not much of an
issue because majority of people are cautious and all the recyclable rubbish
goes through a separation stage. Everyone knows that recycling is good for the
environment but not many people know that some recycled materials are essential
to make new products, such as recycled papers are essential ingredient to make
new toilet papers. Once they realise that recycled materials are very important
resource and do get used to create new products, people will be more conscious
and aware.
Sorting methods includes the use of magnets (tin cans are separated
using magnets), floating on water, air blowing (plastic films), washing drums
and grinding and separating. These processes can cost upto 50% of total
recycling process.
Recycling plastics are a little bit more complicated. Plastics are
sorted using automatic techniques in to films, bottles, PET, expended
polystyrene or mixed plastics. Films get melted and re-stretched. Drainage
pipes, frames, or toy car wheels can be made from recycled mix plastics.
How its made
It is very interesting to see the process of making products are
always around us. I was first of all surprised by the speed it was being
produced. Process of deep drawing aluminium cans produces up to 1800 per minute.
Different production processes such as making corrugated cardboard, glass
bottles, metal containers and can were mostly machine operated and did not
require much human contact. All the process was done by machine from pressing,
steaming, stacking, perforating, scoring, colouring, gluing to folding. It is
interesting to see how much different tasks machines can manage and all it
needs is someone to monitor the process.
The process of making corrugated cardboard was surprisingly crafty.
It is just a easy process of pressing paper through the corrugator machine and
gluing liners on both sides to give strength. It is amazing how one random mistake
made by an individual in the 1870s developed in to an idea of making strong
cardboards for product packaging.
Flexible metal container first developed in 1841 is certainly being
used widely until now for packaging products like skin products and pharmaceutical
products. It is a very useful for its light weight and malleability. It is also
affordable and highly recyclable as aluminium can be recycled as many times as
it will never deteriorate. More than 87% of aluminium cans produced in Germany
is recycled. The printing on the aluminum is done by using polyester ink and
tube remains flexible even after product is inserted and sealed. A layer of
varnish is applied to protect the paint on cans and also in the insides to
prevent aluminium being eaten away from the acid contents.
Plastic bottles and jars can also be recycled. When making PET
bottles, 10% of recycled PET flaked are combined as reprocessing more than 10%
of recycled PET can lose some of physical properties.
Something I have learnt after watching the video was the benefits
for using tetrapak. I thought using tetrapack was not very green as the
recycling process seemed very complicated but it was actually not hard at all
compared to all the positive elements. Tetrapack keeps the product safe upto a
year without preservation, light weight, compact and recyclable. In the
recycling process, the plastic and the aluminium gets separated to be recycled
and the remains are used to make cement.
Glass bottles uses less energy than producing metals and plastics as
it can be recycled endlessly. The process of combining natural ingredients
together to create molten glass is incredible. What human can develop with the
resource available to us is amazing and endless.
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Friday, April 22, 2011
Monday, April 18, 2011
Project 2- Southern Cross packaging
Rationale
Target market
To satisfy our consumers who are becoming more knowledgeable, demanding and aware of the market, I have designed a vitamin dispenser that is provides more pleasure to the user then the packaging that are currently available in the market. This packaging design contains multivitamin for kids (Vita-MONG) which targets families with growing children.
Many kids are exposed to cultural pressure which cause them to eat many fast foods, carbonated sodas and junk foods that does not provide healthy nutrients that kids need. Given the reality of time crushed parents, healthy home cooked meals aren't always possible. This is why multivitamins are essential for growing kids.
Issue
The packaging issue of vitamin products is that they do not have the power to encourage young kids who avoid taking daily vitamins to take their daily supplements.
Solution
I have resolved this packaging issue by designing a packaging that provides pleasure for kids so that kids can take their vitamins voluntarily as they have fun while they take their vitamins. Instead of taking their vitamins by opening the bottle lid and taking out the vitamin, kids will be a lot more engaged to the idea of pulling the monkey’s ear so that the vitamin comes out of its mouth.
As over consumption of the vitamin can be dangerous for kids, Vita-mong dispenser has a safety lock hiding behind the ears for parents to unlock for kids if they are not mature enough to understand the correct dosage. A cross sign is incorporated in the product name to give the kids an idea of the contents and be aware that they are taking the vitamins for their own health. Parents education and supervision is required to avoid over consumption.
It is designed so that it dispenses one vitamin at a time to reduce unnecessary contact of vitamin with hand, which can occur when kids put their hands in the container every time they try to take one out. This way it keeps the remaining vitamins hygienic for later use. After kids finish the vitamins, the dispenser can be reused buy purchasing the refill pack.
Market research
Designers who has seen the problems of Kids vitamin packaging are attempting to solve the issue by designing a packaging that will engage the target market. Some examples include Gummy vites and Emergen-C products who designed the graphics on the packaging to engage the target market but the form is kept as the ordinary packaging. Solvit+ designed by Tom Kenworthy aimed at “new innovation encouraging children to take supplements by creating a product that promotes a fun and tasty way for kids to get the ever day vitamins” is another example of packaging that aims to solve the packaging issue that I am trying to solve. Solvit+ is manufactured with injection moulded Polypropylene.
Material
Vita-MONG dispenser is manufactured using polystyrene. This plastic is Recyclable, food safe, able to injection mould, blow mould, vacuum form, and join two edges by ultrasonic welding. This material is suitable for Vita-MONG dispenser as it is food safe and environmentally friendly. It also allows the different manufacturing process that is required to produce the packaging.
Manufacturing process
Design solution is designed so that It is achievable using materials and manufacturing processes currently available in Australia. The main body of the container is manufactured by blow moulding red polystyrene through the back part of the monkey. Mechanism inside is injection moulded separately as two pieces, one piece being the main mechanism and the second being the mechanism attached to the moving ear. The mechanism is then inserted through the negative area left for blow moulding. The other colours are then painted manually similar to manufacturing kids toys. Finally the texts located at the back for supplement facts are pad printed.
Text
I have used two main fonts for this vitamin dispenser. Example of this isCorbel used for writing ‘vita’ and Kristen ITC used for writing MONG. Corbel is used for texts that are related to the contents and texts that parents would be interested in reading, including the supplement facts. Whereas Corbel adds mature and sensible feel to the text, Kristen ITC is a fun and casual font that is used to engage Kids and to hint the viewer that the dispenser is containing contents for kids.
The dispenser is shaped as a monkey as the banana flavoured vitamin contains many of the nutrients that can be found in a banana.
Supplement facts
Vitamin A 3000 IU- Healthy skin, eye, bone, immune system
Vitamin C 500 mg- Healthy muscle and skin
Vitamin E 30 IU- Antioxidant that play a role in immune system
Vitamin B1 (thiamine) 1.5 mg – aid metabolism, energy production, healthy circulatory and nervous system.
Vitamin B2 (riboflavin) 1.7mg – critical in breaking down carbohydrates, proteins and fats for energy and repair.
Zinc 0.75mg- crucial to the immune system.
Iron 0.9 mg- builds muscles and for healthy red blood cells
Phosphorus 23 mg- Essential element used in the body as a structural component and participates in energy production and storage. Strong bones and teeth
Calcium 63 mg – Strong bones and teeth
Copper 0.2mg - needed for energy production
Manganese 0.2mg- for healthy skin, and bone.
Choline- 38 mg support healthy brain function
Tom, K 2011 solvit+ soluble vitamins and dispenser aimed at children, Tuvie design of the future, viewed 2nd April 2011
<http://www.tuvie.com/solvit-soluble-vitamins-and-dispenser-aimed-at-children/>
2011 L’il Critters Gummy Vitamins, Amazon PLR Turnkey store, viewed 2nd April 2011 <http://www.theplrstore.com/blogs/vitamin-store/tag/critters/>
Multivitamin, Alcer Corp. Viewed 2nd April 2011 <http://www.emergenc.com/index.php/products/multivitamin/kidz-strawnana>
2011, Vitamins for Kids: Do Healthy Kids Need Supplements?, Web MD, viewed 4th April 2011 <http://www.webmd.com/parenting/vitamins-for-kids-do-healthy-kids-need-vitamins>
Mercola, 2011, "Do Your Kids Even Need Multivitamins and MineralSupplementation?", Mercola.com,viewed on 8th April 2011
<http://products.mercola.com/multivitamin-childrens-chewables/>
Mary Frances, P 2011, Vitamins, Kids health, viewed 4th April 2011 <http://kidshealth.org/kid/stay_healthy/food/vitamin.html>
Elizabeth, G 2010, Vitamin Facts, safe kids, viewed 4th April 2011 <http://www.safekids.co.uk/VitaminFacts.html>
Mood board
Concept sketches
Construction
Colour alternatives
Final design
Refill pack
Project 1- Sheet materials
Rationale
Target market reflected in design
Fantles jewelry holder is designed for social women in the age between 20-35 who are interested in decorating their house with simple but elegant objects. This product is for women who have many accessories that they would like to display. The shape of the jewelry hanger is a tree made from two leaves that are put together. Since the purpose of this jewelry hanger is more focusing on displaying than serving its function, no excessive patterns or engravings are done as the jewelry itself will become the leaves and the flowers. The organic shape and feminine patterns reflect my target market.
Function
Placing this product adds decoration to the room by displaying the special jewelries they like in a fashionable way as well as serving its simple function of purely keeping the jewelries together. Hanging the jewelries in the circle pattern is very easy to use with no sharp or pointy edges.
The special material properties of acrylic add positive functional and aesthetical aspects to the design. The stiffness and the hardness of acrylic allows it to be kept simple, by having only two pieces that can be slot in together to create one piece of design that can stand on its own. Transparent and shiny properties of acrylic are also considered, by laser cutting circles on the surface creates a patterns as well as having a function to hang earrings and necklaces. Elegant line engraving also lightens up the design.
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