Design and Experimentation

Here are 2 of the shapes I drew out that I liked the most, and I played with different colours for it. I chose green in the end as it is a soft, neutral colour that reflects the theme of 'green' design. I also looked at how the logo would look on textures brown paper as well as how it looks with imagery (leaves) In the end the plain designs worked well as the logo stands out well with no cluster/distractions. I also drew a diagram of how my final tin might look.

Final Design Proposal

 

Here are some rough sketches of my (possible) final design idea, inspired by my research findings published in this blog. I wanted to keep a balance between what the Client wanted (hierarchy of premium paint in design) and using sustainable materials. I believe the materials I have decided on achieve this. The main container being a square design made of metal, more precisely, aluminium, because:

• It is a lightweight (low density) metal, meaning more energy is saved in transport rather than if steel were used (http://physics.stackexchange.com/questions/11727/what-makes-some-aluminium-alloys-so-strong-while-remaining-light) (http://www.matalco.com/about_aluminum.htm) - "Aluminium is among the most environmentally friendly metals on the planet".

• It's easily recycled 'Most home recycling bins, provided by your local council, usually accept metal or deposit at local recycling bank' (http://www.recycling-guide.org.uk/materials/metal.html) and 'recycling aluminium drink cans saves up to 95% of the energy needed to make aluminium from raw materials' (http://www.yorwaste.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Can-recycling.pdf)

• It is strong enough to protect the contents, cannot be pierced easily.

• It is suitable to give a sense of a quality and premium product, whereas in my opinion a bladder, carton or plastic bucket would not. 

• More opportunities to re-use (storage for numerous things) rather than say a tetra pack.

• Easy to stir contents - In the client talk we learned that paint separates and needs to be stirred before use, it can be stirred and used straight from the bucket, doesn't require an extra container like a bladder or tetra back would.

• Less waste as you can scrape the bottom for last bits of paint, whereas a bladder or tetra pack might make it harder to get all of the paint out as you can't see inside clearly. Easily cleaned to be ready for recycling.

• Product called 'pots of paint' might look strange in something other than a container that resembles a pot.

• Square design means less space is wasted in storage/transport, and is easily stack-able.

The Label will be made from recycled card and printed on using vegetable inks, and the sleeve will be made of seed paper, allowing the user to grow plants in either their garden or within their empty paint bucket.

The back of the sleeve will feature information on how to re-use your bucket, inspired by the packaging on the Innocent Veg Pot. (Possible re-use ideas - storage, plant pot, lantern/lamp, re-fill) It will also feature information on recycling it if you do not wish to re-use, such as the nearest place to recycle it, times and dates that scrap metal men are in the area, or simply bring it back to the shop to recycle or get a re-fill. 

 - Some rough sleeve layout sketches and concepts.

Transport Visuals

Transporting two paint containers together
Some rough sketches of possible ideas for transporting two containers. The first is a cardboard box, as it is cheap and recyclable, but may not be strong enough to carry two containers of paint, so it could be reinforced with a wooden frame (wooden pallet bottom, framed sides and handle) The wood would act as the strength and the card would act as protection. Could possibly add shredded paper or other insulating material to further protect the contents.
Second idea is a sort of bag for life design, something that can be re-used over and over, made from canvas fabric or woven fibers. Again this design could have added insulators such as shredded paper, or even pulped paper shapes along the bottom and sides to protect from bumps.
The third idea is to have a wooden frame with pallet bottom, that two containers fit into. Eco rope or sting would be tied over the top, allowing it to be easily picked up and moved about. This design is easily stack-able as well, but the wood might not be strong enough to hold a large amount of crates over it.

The fourth idea is a simple card design. The two containers have been wrapped up in corrugated card, fastened without glue, and held with eco string or rope. 


Here is the mock up version of my first idea taken by Andy in class, as well as the sheet of comments about it from my peers - 

Materials Research

Plastic -

"Bioplastics are plastics derived from renewable biomass sources, such as vegetable fats and oils, corn starch, pea starch or microbiota. Common plastics, such as fossil-fuel plastics, are derived from petroleum- these plastics rely more on fossil fuels and produce more greenhouse gas. Some, but not all, bioplastics are designed to biodegrade. Biodegradable bioplastics can break down in either anaerobic or aerobic environments, depending on how they are manufactured. There is a variety of materials that bioplastics can be composed of, including: starches, cellulose, or other biopolymers. Some common applications of bioplastics are packaging materials, dining utensils, food packaging, and insulation."  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bioplastic

'rPET (recycled polyethylene terephthalate) is the most common plastic that is being recycled back into primary applications (i.e. bottles recycled back into bottles and not ‘down-cycled’ into lesser products like park furniture). Recycled plastics reduce the amount of fossil fuel resources, have a lower carbon footprint than virgin plastics, divert material from landfill and can themselves be recycled. ' (http://www.londonbiopackaging.com/about-our-products/our-materials/)

If I choose to use plastic in my design I will make sure to look into using 'rPET' and 'bioplastics' as they are the greener option than common plastics. Also, I would consider the ideas and methods used in the Coca-Cola 'PlantBottle Packaging' which uses plant based PET plastic as well as recycled PET Plastic.

http://www.coca-cola.co.uk/environment/plantbottle/eco-friendly-plastic.html

Metal -


Aluminium - 'Is among the most environmentally friendly metals on the planet. On a percentage basis it is the most recycled of any industrial metal. Aluminum is an extraordinarily versatile material.  The range of forms it can take (castings, extrusions and tubes, sheet & plate, foil, powder, forgings, etc.) and variety of surface finishes available (coatings, anodizing, polishing, etc.) means it lends itself to a wide range of products, many of which we use every day of our lives. As well as its versatile form, the metal’s light weight (a third of steel) and numerous material qualities – represented by a wide range of alloys – mean that products have been designed for use in all areas of modern life.' (http://www.matalco.com/about_aluminum.htm)

'Recycling aluminum cans saves precious natural resources, energy, time and money. Aluminum cans are unique: Within 60 days, a can is recycled, turned into a new can and back on store shelves. Aluminum is a sustainable metal and can be recycled over and over again. In 2007, 54 billion cans were recycled, saving the energy equivalent of 15 million barrels of crude oil.' (http://earth911.com/recycling/benefits-of-aluminum-can-recycling/)

'Aluminium doesn't occur naturally in the earth’s crust, it has to be extracted from its ore – bauxite – which is mined and then smelted in a very energy-intensive process. Recycling aluminium reduces the need to mine bauxite, which, as we have seen, can have negative consequences for the surrounding areas and the people living there. Compared to mining and smelting, recycling aluminium drink cans is far less energy intensive. Recycling aluminium requires only 5% of the energy and produces only 5% of the CO2 emissions as compared with primary production.
A recycled aluminium can saves enough energy to run a television for three hours. Aluminium can be recycled indefinitely, as reprocessing does not damage its structure. Aluminium is also the most cost-effective material to recycle. It is one of the easiest materials to recycle. New drinks cans appear on the shelf just six weeks after recycling!'(http://myzerowaste.com/articles/food/why-recycle-tins-and-cans/)

Cartons/ Tetra Pak - 
http://www.tetrapak.com/uk

Possibility, though not as strong as plastic or metal would be, possibly resulting in more spillage issues. Also harder to recycle, as many different materials are layered into its design (paperboard, aluminium, polyethylene) However, there are more eco-friendly designs being designed such as 'Eco Carton' -
http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/unique-eco-carton-an-authentic-alternative-to-plastic-bottles-heal-our-planet

There is a problem with using Tetra Pak for paint though however, as in one of our sessions one of my peers stated that they had contacted the company about using the cartons for natural paint, and they claimed it probably isn't suitable.

The paper water bottle 
- something I have never come across before, but seems like an interesting idea -

"The bottle is made from 100% renewable food safe resources, fully recyclable and can potentially be used for a number of liquid categories."

This is an idea I could consider for refillable design (ie buying the main tub of paint, then buying paper water bottles of paint to refill main paint tub)

 http://bestinpackaging.com/2009/01/06/the-paper-water-bottle/

Mushroom Packaging 

- Another interesting idea, a material grown from mushrooms and performs like foam, is renewable, natural, home compostable and cost-competitive. 

http://www.ecovativedesign.com/products-and-applications/packaging/

Cardboard 

'Corrugated cardboard is used as one of the most fundamental items in packaging, the humble cardboard box. Used extensively throughout the world, cardboard boxes or cartons are the backbone of most transit packaging. Corrugated cardboard may at first seem like a very bad resource for use in eco-friendly packaging materials, (destruction of forests, destroying eco-systems) but this is not strictly true, as many of the paper based materials in use are cut from sustainable woodlands. Aside from this, there are other benefits to using corrugated cardboard packaging.
All cardboard boxes can be reused & recycled. This means that less resources are used in the future, as recycled corrugated cardboard can be used in making further cardboard boxes, and re-use of boxes ensures maximum life-span of the original materials. Although many corrugated cardboard boxes are not usually 100% recycled, (70-90% on average), it is possible to purchase boxes which are entirely made from recycled corrugated cardboard. 
It is not just the corrugated boxes which can be made of recycled materials but also inserts for these boxes., such as those used to hold wine bottles in place or specialist die-cut inserts.' (http://www.postpack.co.uk/acatalog/Packaging_and_the_Environment.html)

Molded Pulp

Also named moulded pulp or molded fibre, is a packaging material, typically made from recycled paperboard and/ornewsprint. It is used for protective packaging or for food service trays and beverage carriers. Other typical uses are end caps, trays, plates, bowls and clamshell containers. For many applications, molded pulp is less expensive than expanded polystyrene (EPS), vacuumed formed PET and PVC, corrugation, and foams. Molded pulp is often considered a sustainable packaging material, as defined by the Sustainable Packaging Coalition, since it is produced from recycled materials, and can be recycled again after its useful life-cycle. Molded pulp products can be made waterproof with a spray or dip coating of wax. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molded_pulp) http://www.molded-pulp.com/

Seed Paper

'Seed paper is a type of handmade paper that includes any number of different plant seeds. The seeds themselves can still germinate after the paper making process and they can sprout when the paper is planted in soil.' (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seed_paper)

This is something I can incorporate into my design with regards to re-use, the paint pot can be used as a plant pot and the label can be planted.

Recycled Paper
'Recycled paper products contribute to the diversion of material from landfill and results in less land being given over to commercial forestry which can have a negative impact on biodiversity.
Sustainable forest paper ensures that the forests from which the paper comes and managed so as not destroy the forest, to promote biodiversity and protect any indigenous peoples.' (http://www.londonbiopackaging.com/about-our-products/our-materials/)

Sugar Bagasse
"The waste material produced once sugar cane has been harvested for the sugar syrup is called bagasse. This fibrous material is a renewable resource. There is not currently adequate information on the associated carbon emissions, but as this is a waste product, it will by definition be saving carbon as it replaces what would otherwise be a requirement for some virgin material manufacture.

Sugar bagasse is turned into packaging products from its raw form using a process of heating, pulping and then pressurised moulding. These are heat resistant and microwaveable making them ideal as hot food containers and best of all, naturally compostable."  (http://www.londonbiopackaging.com/about-our-products/our-materials/)

Vegetable Ink

Conventional printing inks are petroleum-based and used with alcohol-based solvents which, as they evaporate, emit Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) into the atmosphere. VOCs cause environmental pollution and are a health hazard to pressroom workers as well as creating ozone pollution. Petroleum-based inks emit between 25% and 40% VOCs as they dry, whereas vegetable-based ink emissions rates can be as low as 4%.

Petroleum-based inks contain products refined from crude oil and the energy required for extraction, refining and treatment for this is high which adds to the environmental damage. Crude oil is also a fossil fuel , resources of which are dwindling very fast. Vegetable oil based inks, on the other hand, are derived from renewable resources.

Vegetable based inks also have the added benefit of being easier to remove from recycled paper and print during the de-inking process of recycling. (http://www.hhreedsprinters.co.uk/vegetable-based/)

Design Research

Main Brief Research - Looking at competitors / other paint container designs.

Pantone - interesting shape, makes it stand out from other tins and a flat surface can showcase the design and info better. Basic white colour with black font and large block of colour looks modern.

Farrow & Ball Paint - I like both designs, one is minimal and modern and the other two use nice traditional colours that give a 'premium' feel.

Little Greene - I like the cream font on dark background, it again gives a premium sense, and the neutral colours dont clash with the different coloured paints inside. The green and gold design looks high end with script style font.

Marston & Langinger - Again nice traditional colours and minimalistic style looks modern and high end. 

Auro - Use of metal and plastic tubs. The design and logo makes it look like low-mid range quality paint, and there seems to be a cluster of info imagery, not sleek like the other designs. 

Interesting information from the Q&A Blog - A question I was going to ask has already been posted by a peer, regarding changing the colour scheme of the paint containers corresponding with the colour of the paint they hold. Peter Lawley answered -

"My only comment on a different colour for each colour in the range is that we would end up with 50 (soon to be 72) different packaging solutions. Some colours sell a lot, some hardly ever and we could end with a surplus of unpopular colours. would look noice for the end consumer though."

So it seems that this option might not be the best route to go down.

Another interesting find. In my initial sketches and designs I contemplated the idea of a square paint tin/bucket, as it would reduce storage spaces and transport, resulting in reduced environmental impact. It would also stand out on the shelves from competitors with traditional round containers. I came across these designs for Dulux paint, I think they look elegant and sleek and have further inspired the possibility of a square container for my end design.

http://lovelypackage.com/dulux/

CAT Trip

Center for Alternate Technology, 14th November 2013
On Site Research Task.

An Innovative use of materials in architecture - The 'rammed earth' lecture theater. It was suprising how warm it actually was when we stepped inside.

An Innovative use of water for transportation - unfortunately we were unable to use it but have witnessed its process in a video.

Interior of the shop - where you can buy books on sustainability, green food and drink and other interesting items and gifts. 

Jo Gwillim Lecture - I found it very useful to learn that it's important not just to look at what materials are recyclable or natural, but to look deeper into how much energy has been used to process that material, how much it takes to recycle, how much it has to travel about to achieve this and so on. An interesting example - Steel processed in Korea takes half the amount of energy as Steel produced in the UK, due to technology and so on. 

An interesting thing on sight - The Treadmill of Happiness. Something to reiterate that energy is needed to make and buy things, and that the concept of generating that energy yourself (on a treadmill for example) can bring you happiness. Work More, Buy More. 

An interesting display on site - Pieces of wind turbines scattered around. It was interesting to see the size of them in comparison to a person.

A curious thing I came across on sight - an art installation that mimics a tree trunk sticking out of a wall, but serves as a platform to grow fungus and a perch for birds and wildlife. 

Client Visit

Peter Lawley Client Visit for Edward Bulmer Pots of Paint Ltd. 

I noted down some rough notes and important information from the talk that Peter gave, that I will take into consideration with my design ideas. 

The talk as well as the brief Q&A Blog have helped me narrow down design ideas, such as I know not to go with transparent buckets and that the powder paint option isn't viable. 



Paint travels in big plastic tubs 
metal can rust
Different sizes available (2.5 ltr for the brief)
Leaflets can be in design (ie please re-use bucket) (similar to what the Innocent Veg Pot did) most end up in skip anyway
Needs more protection during travel, in sets of 2 (as brief states)
Worcester resource exchange - paint pots
Cornstarch is used to absorb spills (spillage has been a problem)
Need to be able to be picked up easily (include handles) otherwise couriers struggle and drag/kick things about with feet
Cardboard box with plastic bag inside - difficult 
Premium market expects metal containers
Paint in powder form idea - no. Decorators expect easy paint
Cardboard box + cardboard inserts   (like wine boxes? 6 pack)
shredded paper - protection?
packaging generic saves a lot of money
Tagline and logo have to stay
Label covers a large surface, generic size label wanted, info on back
Or 2 large labels - front + back
Eco/Green side of it should be emphasized
Hierarchy of design - premium paint first with environmental message supporting it.
clear container? No. paint separates and looks bad until it is mixed
Standard traditional container or something completely different? If it can be done, do it. 

Research Task

London Bio Packaging

 14 million ready meals consumed at Olympics

B.     8,500 tonnes expected waste to landfill

C.     120 million pieces of packaging supplied,  all responsibly made, all responsibly disposed of.

D.     5 stages in the closed loop system,  supply, dispose, collect, process and re-use.

E.     Bio Plastics are made from plants. They behave in a similar way to conventional plastics and are suitable for most packaging applications.

F.     PSM – plant starch material is a flexible bio based packaging material, which has not been refined into a bio-plastic. It is made from renewable crops like corn or potatoes.

G.     Sugar Bagasse is the waste material produced once sugar cane has been harvested for the sugar syrup is called bagasse. This fibrous material is a renewable source.

H.    Recycles plastic rPET (recycled polyethylene terephthalate) is the most common plastic that is being recycled back into primary applications (i.e. bottles recycled back into bottles and not down cycled into lesser products like park furniture.

Wrap

A.     Wraps work helps people recycle more and waste less, both at home and work, and offers economic as well as environmental benefits.

B.     Design for re-use considerations – consumers willingness to return used packaging, needs to be made simple to fit into everyday life. Design must be robust enough for re-use. Ensure that facilities for cleaning, repair or reconditioning are available if this is necessary before the packaging can be re-used.

C.     Design for recycling considerations – try to avoid materials, combinations of materials or designs of packaging that might create problems in collecting, sorting and recycling. Construct your packaging so that the end-user can easily separate any components that should not go into recycling. Design packaging so that minimum product residues remain when the used package is collected for recycling.

D.    Metal – high recycled content, this has no effect on functional performance. Glass – has high recycled content, this has no effect on functional performance. Paper and board – packaging for non-food contact contains high levels of recycled content, however this may be heavier that packaging made from virgin fibers  Plastics - has seldom contained recycled content mainly for safety reasons, especially for food contact applications. However, technology has moved on and it is now possible to use some recycled plastics for food packaging. This is a fast-moving area and it is worth checking with reprocessors, WRAP and the British Plastics Federation to find out what’s available.

Rough Sketches

I started sketching possible ideas for my paint container, taking into consideration things like materials and shapes. I sketched a few standard round tin designs and looked at glue-less ideas like sleeves and tags, and even considered transparent designs. I looked at square tins as they stand out from the normal designs and utilize space well, and even triangular tins. I also sketched some 'bag in box' ideas, thinking back to how supermarkets sell wine in bags, however this may not be as strong and reliable as a tin. I also drew an idea to do with powder paint, but alas the paint we are designing for is liquid. I also looked back to the Task where we designed paint containers before, and will perhaps take those into consideration for further development also.

Main Brief

Required Client Deliverables - Overview
You are asked to research, design and develop 3D working prototype eco-packaging
concepts for natural paint company: Edward Bulmer: Pots of Paint Ltd. The client is
presently looking to expand their range of natural paints and wants your input as
sustainable designers in terms of prototype eco packaging concepts and research findings.
These client wants are to address their current challenges in packaging materials used,
fascia designs and methods to protect and transport the new range in multiples of 2’s. You
are asked to use innovative sustainable packaging designs, materials and considerations in
your final solutions.

~

I read through the whole brief a few times and noted down key words and phrases to get me thinking about some initial ideas and designs, and the important parts of the brief that I must always consider - 

• consideration of material’s eco-profile (eg the plastic vs metal containers debate)
• Innovative - (i.e paint in tetrapacks or refillables maybe?).
• Advantages and limitations of the different ideas and findings (eg costs).
• Look into PoP’s competitors and others in the sector
• individual 2.5 litre natural paint container
• compliment the company’s working ethics and existing ID
• great ‘shelf stand out’ for visibility and profile in shops
• evidence of value for money; evident eco-credentials; profile of company, ethos outer packaging
• container concept that is strong, (ideally) re-usable and easy to recycle
• packaging needs to reflect the natural and historic tones of colour range, “The Revival of Natural Colour” should be a theme reflected in the colours chosen. 
• best solutions for the transportation of multiples of these containers. 
• take a fascia label –or- be printed on.
• range of sizes to consider.
• incorporate and compliment the company’s existing branding
• reflect that these paints are high end natural products.

"So why use natural paint?

Three reasons - beauty, well-being and the planet"

Green Packaging Research

I started to notice the packaging design on items that I use every week, and particularly liked the use of a sleeve over a pot. The Tesco houmous sleeve has another purpose, as it serves as an idea and recipe guide on how to use the houmous on the underside of the design. The Innocent Veg Pot has a section entitled '101 things do to with your pot' and gives example #100 'Money Box'. It states that not many councils recycle their pots but encourages you to try and find out if they do. The innocent juice bottle is made from 25% recycled material and has symbols stating the bottle is widely recycled as is the cap. They give websites like http://www.innocentdrinks.co.uk/recycle and http://www.recyclenow.com/ to encourage their consumers to recycle and be green. I particularly like the simple design of the Innocent products, and the bright colours are aesthetically pleasing and reflect the use of fruit and vegetables in the recipes. The white background reflects the name and nature of the products 'innocent' as they are healthy, free from additives and try to be green with their packaging. 

Task 3

Create Roughs for an Eco Paints Container

 Idea 1 - cartons/tetra packs

Here are some rough sketches of an idea to use tetra packs to hold paint. The packs are triangular shaped so packs or four can be held together by a recyclable cardboard sleeve. The design is minimal, using as less resources as possible - only gives important information and examples of colour in vegetable ink. 
Tetra packs - light weight, easy portability, space saving - fewer trucks required to ship larger volumes of products.
The problem with this type of packaging is that it is hard to recycle, due to the many layers of different materials used to make the pack -

Tetra Pak Containers Information





Idea 2 - Tins
Strong, durable, and could be reusable/refillable/recycled.

Plain tin with label tied on with rope or string - avoids use of glue. 

Plain tin with sleeve over the top. Sleeve has minimal design, with title, necessary information and colour example. On the flipped side of the sleeve is an aesthetic pattern, that can be put back onto the tin so it can be used as something else - plant pot or storage for example. 

People who buy a lot of paint may not want a large collection of these decorative tins building up, so I also came up with an idea of paint sets - Plain tins packaged in a cardboard box. Box would contain info and colour examples in vegetable ink, and would not require glue.

More tin designs, and possible ideas for bottle designs. Plastic can be lightweight and transparent, so the paint is easily viewed. It can also be recycled, and be made like the PlantBottle of Coca-Cola. 

Coca-Cola PlantBottle Information

Task 2

Vegetable ink printing - Soy Ink

• Design to minimize the ecological footprint - Reduces the consumption of petroleum based ink. 
• Design to exclude the use of toxic/hazardous substances - majority of the ink is made up of natural sources - vegetables/soy bean.
• Design to exclude innovation lethargy - soy ink does the same job as 'normal' ink.
• Design to create more sustainable products - The base of the ink comes from a renewable source.
• Design to satisfy real needs, as opposed to transient, fashionable or market driven needs - It works as an average ink, that creates text people can read and images for people to look at, nothing fancy or over the top. 
• Design to engender maximum benefits to the intended audience and to educate the client and user and thereby create a more equable future - The printing company featured in the video are concerned as they put out a lot of toxic chemicals that could have an impact, so they chose to use soy ink. 'Customer and industry drive to make a more environmentally friendly product'.

Task 1

'The Age of Stupid' film

In session 1, we watched a film about global warming - 'The Age of Stupid' (Franny Armstrong, 2009). I wrote down a few notes of subjects that caught my interest but the one that stood out to me was the idea of wind farms and how local people were so against the idea. I noticed this as before now I have passed signs on roads in the countryside that had such things as 'say no to wind farms' written on them. This issue is evidently prominent across the UK but sadly it seems the main reason people don't like the idea is that it is aesthetically unpleasing or that it ruins the view from their window (blot on the landscape).
I think that renewable energy is very important and that the world should be embracing any opportunity to use it. The common problem of local people fighting against having wind turbines could be avoided if they were built in places where people couldn't see them so often, such as in the sea perhaps (offshore wind farms). But I do agree that, building too many wind turbines could ruin the countryside. I think that in the future more wind farms will be built within the UK, despite whether people protest against them or not, as main resources (oil) will become more expensive as it gets used up quicker by the ever expanding population.
An article about the pros and cons of onshore wind energy that I found interesting-  http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2012/sep/25/climate-change-windpower
Information about Wind energy -
http://www.coemiwindturbines.co.uk/coemi-wind-turbines-general-information/faq--frequently-asked-questions




Pros -It is a proven technology, comparatively cheap, quick to install, renewable energy.
Cons - Not 100% green, noise pollution, eye-sore, they don't produce electricity 24/7.