The Light-bulb Conspiracy

The Lightbulb Conspiracy

The Lightbulb Conspiracy is a documentary about the history of planned obsolescence. All products can eventually become obsolete, but planned obsolescence is when a product is designed to need replacing earlier than is necessary. In this documentary it used the example of the light bulb, which was one of the first products to be designed with a planned obsolescence. When Edison first had a light bulb in consumer production, it would last about 1500 hours, not long after light bulbs were being made that could last 2500 hours. At this time a group of light bulb manufactures from around the globe met, and it was agreed to make light bulbs last only 1000 hours, so they would have to be replaced more often. The documentary looks at how our economy and lifestyle is built on consumerism, which is powered by planned obsolescence. Without planned obsolesance, we would not see the economic growth that we do today, which at first might seem like a bad thing, who wants the economy to stop growing, right? But this documentary questions that belief. It is said "The earth is big enough to satisfy everyone's needs, but too small to satisfy individual greed".

This is an important documentary for designers in particular to watch, because it goes right to the core of our field. As designers we have the power to design products with or without planned obsolescence. All good designers have the ability to design quality products which are going to last for a long time, but it is not the simple. The company that a designer might work for might have a policy of a set planned obsolescence, so they might not have a choice as to whether or not they make a long lasting product. Even if they had the freedom to design a long lasting product, they might in fact be designing themselves out of a job. As designers, we have to be able to weigh up these different variable and make an informed design decision. This is the ethical question that all designers face.

The three take home points from this documentary are:
- Our economy currently depends on consumerism, which is driven by planned obsolescence
- While the western countries continue buying more, more frequently, developing counties becoming the dumping ground for our unwanted waste
- We live in a world of finite resources, and there needs to be a change in the way our economies work, which means we need to become less consumeristic and have access to long lasting products

Product Disassembly

In class we were put into groups of about 6, and each group was given a faulty product (donated by Breville) to disassemble. Our group was given an iron. It took us about 27 minutes to disassemble the product into different materials as best as we physically could. Below are photos of the different groups of materials from the iron.

After this exercise is was made clear a few improvements that could be made in terms of  recycle-ability and ability for repair. For recycle-ability, is is important that the different materials used in the product are easy to detach from one another, so they can be recycled more easily. To better this, we as a group decided that we could change the majority of the plastic parts (which are currently mostly polycarbonate and polypropylene) to be all one plastic (polypropylene) as to reduce the amount of things that need to be taken apart in the recycling process.

Also there are a few parts of the iron which are polypropylene with a silicon overmould. This means that it is very hard to recycle this part. These overmoulds are normally there to help with grip, so as an alternative to this, we decided that there could be textures moulded into the plastic instead.

The part of an iron we thought was the most likely to fail was the power cable. Because this is a difficult part to replace currently, the iron is usually thrown out instead of repairing it. To help make it easier to replace this part, we designed the power cable with a pull tab, so that if it breaks and is returned to Breville, it is easy to replace just that part instead of the whole iron.

The 11th Hour

The 11th Hour

The 11th Hour is a documentary about the effects that humans and human society is having and will have on the health of earth. This film was made a number of years ago, when the general public first stared to become concerned about the impact they were having on the earth, so most of the facts and figures showed are nothing new to someone today. This film was different to other similar documentaries though because of its slightly different focus. It was said that if the earth was created on 1st January, then humans only came along at 11.45pm on 31st December, and in this long history the earth and its climate had not stayed the same, but has always been changing. It is not unusual that we are experiencing changes in the climate, but we are however speeding this process up. The climate has always changed, but that includes the species that occupy it. Of all the species that have ever existed on the planet, 99.9999% of those are now extinct. This documentary claims that we will put the climate through such extensive change that the conditions on earth will no longer be able to support human life, and like nearly all species before us, we too will become extinct. The earth will be able to recover from the damage that we cause, because it has always recovered in the past, but it will be too late for humans.

This documentary is important for designers to watch for a few reasons. As designers we have the ability to create products that will either help out the environment or harm it. It is important for designers to understand how important it is to look after the planet so that they make wise decisions when they are choosing materials for the products they design. Designers have the opportunity to greatly effect the course of history. If every designer decided to only make products that were helpful to the environment, then consumers wouldn't have a choice but to buy environmentally friendly products. Imagine how helpful this would be to the environment.

The three main take home points from this documentary are:
- We need to think of the environment not as a resource, but as crucial to our survival
- If humans don't do something about their behaviour we will make ourselves extinct
- The environment will be able to regenerate itself from the damage we cause, but we will all die in the process

Video Reflections

Giving Packaging a New Life

Aluminum
Glass 
Plastic 
Sorting Innovations 
Paper 
Tetrapak 
Tinplate 

How It's Made: Packaging

Cardboard Boxes 
Packaging Tubes 
Tetrapak 

Aluminum Cans 

Glass Bottles

Plastic Bottles and Jars 

All the videos in these two series are very insightful, informative and helpful. The 'How Its Made: Packaging' series goes through the manufacturing processes of various types of packaging (ie. cardboard boxes, packaging tubes, tetrapaks, aluminum cans, glass bottles and plastic bottles and jars). From watching videos similar to this previously, there were many things about these processes which I already knew, but it was good to be reminded of this, and learn some new things. The 'Giving Packaging a New Life' series looks at how different types of packaging (ie. aluminum, glass, plastic, sorting innovations, paper, tetrapak and tinplate) are recycled. Whilst I already knew how some of these types of packaging were recycled, there were many, such as tetrapaks, that I did not know could even be recycled, let alone how it was done. In these videos the things that impressed me the most was how recyclable waste is sorted into different materials in order to be recycled. Machines take advantage of the different properties that each of the materials have in order to separate them. For example, because tin is magnetic, where other recyclable materials are not, overhead magnetic conveyor-belts separate out the tin. The structure of tetrapaks make it a complex thing to be recycled, because it is made of thin sheets of different materials bonded together. This has to therefore go through several processes, each extracting a different material, thus being able to be recycled.

It is important for industrial designers to watch videos like these ones, especially if they are involved in packaging design, because they need to have a clear understanding of the process that their design will have to go through in order to be made, and then how it can be recycled at its end of use. It is important for designers to understand how different types of packaging are made, because their design has to be physically able to be made. If a designer has an understanding of the process, then they will know what is and isn't possible in their design. They also need to have an understanding of how different materials are recycled. This is important because design decisions they make, affect the recycle-ability of their design. If they are an environmentally aware designer, they will want to make sure that it is easy as possible to recycle their design, so that it is not contributing to landfill, and can in fact be used to make something new, reducing the amount of virgin material needed.   

Some main take away points from these videos:

- Packaging made from different materials have different properties, so when you decide what properties are needed in your design, most likely there will be a material with these desired properties.

- Most packaging can be manufactured at lightning fast speeds, so it is perfect for mass production.

- Most types of packaging can be recycled, you just need the right machines to separate and process.

Australian International Design Awards

BYO Coffee Cup by Hookturn Industries

Pros:

- This is a more environmentally friendly option for people who regularly buy takeaway coffee, instead of always using disposiable cups and throwing them out, you can just keep re-using this cup

- Made to fit under group head of coffee machines to international standards and sizes, so that baristas can actually use it instead of a takeaway cup
- there are no corners or joins on the inside of the cup, so there is no place for bacteria to grow or dirt to collect

- Made from silica, the worlds most avaliable resource

- Dishwasher and microwave friendly

- At $10.95, it is an affordable option

- Designed to look like a normal disposiable takeaway cup

Cons:

- There are already other cups like this on the market, for example Keep Cup, that are already quite popular

- With the aesthetics, it could look a bit like it is trying to hard to look like a coffee cup, without completely looking like one because of the different material it is made of

- The places that sell the coffee migh not like it because generally they will use their coffee cups to put advertising on

Southern Cross Packaging Design Awards

The Brief:

The challenge is to design and deliver a new packaging solution for a P&G product under one of their major global brands. You must redesign the packaging whilst you successfully deliver a holistic solution from point of sale through point of use and finally, disposal.

The product/brand must be selected from one P&G’s existing brands.

P&G brand names can and MUST be used for this brief.

Target Market:

The target market chosen for this brief was 25 to 30 year old females who would classify themselves as environmentally aware, but at the same time are concerned about their appearance, and the appearance of the products they buy. Their products also tend to have a fairly sophisticated aesthetic. As our society becomes more environmentally aware as a whole, this group of people who make being environmental trendy is ever expanding. It has been suggested that there is a trend that has seen environmentally friendly products go from eco-ugly (ugly, overpriced, low performance versions of the ‘real thing’) to eco-chic (environmentally friendly products actually having aesthetic qualities at the same level as less sustainable options) to eco-iconic (products that embrace their sustainable qualities and show off these features by looking environmental in an aesthetically pleasing way) (Trendwatching.com, 2008).

Brand Choice and Existing Design Solution:

The Procter & Gamble brand chosen for this brief is the female hygiene brand Whisper, whose product range consists of a variety of sanitary napkins. The female hygiene industry is currently dominated by bright colours and patterns all competing for attention on the supermarket shelves. As a user, all these bright colours and patterns can be very overwhelming when trying to select a brand and variety of pad off the shelf. Whisper’s current packaging solution is no exception to this industry norm with the use of both bright colours and patterns. Another norm in the female hygiene industry is the extensive use of plastic film for the individual pad packaging as well as for the outer packaging. Again, Whisper also conforms to this industry norm. The combination of current graphics and material selection for the female hygiene industry on a whole is very much focused on the 15-18 year old market, again with Whisper being no exception.

Design Process:

After looking into the female hygiene industry on a whole, it becomes evident that there is not a packaging solution currently which appeals to the previously described ‘eco chic’ target market. Both the extensive use of plastic film and the graphics used in this industry, including Whisper, clash with the target markets attitudes towards the environment, specifically recycling, and aesthetically does not suit their more sophisticated tastes. This design solution explores the possibilities and opportunities Whisper has to be the leading brand in binging environmentally friendly attitudes to the female hygiene market and targeting an ever expanding group of users by embracing an eco-iconic packaging design.

The first concept for this brief was to keep the current idea of a bag like packaging solution, but made out of recycled paper. This concept had a few flaws. The material itself has limitations, like the fact that it gets very crinkled and messy looking very easily. His did not suite the desired aesthetic, as it is a hygiene product a cleaner look is desirable.

The second and final concept:

- Same principles of using a recycled material, but this time uses recycled cardboard to make a sturdier packaging solution

- The target market identified also like to spend a bit of extra money to have nice details, which is why this concept has an inner and outer box, to elevate to design to more than just a cardboard box.

- The Whisper logo. This wasn’t changed as it is important for current users of the product in terms of brand recognition, as well as the fact that the current design fits the chosen target market

- The daisy graphic. Going along the theme of nature, it seemed fitting to have a picture of nature as the graphic on the box. This particular graphic gave the whole design depth as it is a macro shot, along with the fading out into the background. This combined with the brown recycled cardboard gives the design an earthy, environmental feel.

- Absorbency guide on back of outer box. This is a crucial part of female hygiene packaging design. Because there are so many different options in this area, it is important to know exactly what you are buying. The current design has a table that quite effectively displays this information, so this current solution was just simplified slightly and moved to the back of the box. This replaces a current annotated diagram of the pad, which detracts firm the more sophisticated aesthetic of the new packaging and does not convey overly useful information.

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First idea for individual packaging with stitching

The green inner box. This green is a shade of a green taken from the daisy graphic. This was chosen to add to the earthy, environmental feel, whilst giving the whole design pop and elevating it to another level. The shape of the cut out at the front of the inner box was to give easy access to the pads if they are in either a draw (lift out from the top) or a shelf (lifting out from the front). This is held together with a water based adhesive.

- The individual packaging on the pads uses recycled paper, as in this situation the material needs to be thinner. The graphics on this packaging are just a series of irregular stripes, using shades and tones of the same green as the inner box. This is so that it continues wit the theme of an earthy, environmental aesthetic. These are held together with a water based adhesive. Initially this design included being held together with white cotton stitching, this however has decided against when considering production and the added cost and complexity this feature would have.

- The security seal is also an important part of the design, as to ensure the box is tamper-proof. To fit in with the materials used in this design, perforated recycled paper is used to seal the box. This is easily broken once purchased.

- Because the new packaging uses the same basic dimensions as the current packaging, shipping would be no extra cost. The same amount of boxes would fit in a packing box as the current design. Store display would not be hampered at all, if anything actually improved by the more ridged and sturdy packaging.

- There would be some minor cost increases with this new packaging. Because there is an inner and an outer ox, there is a fair amount more material usage than the current solution. This however can be justified by the obvious advantages that this extra material offers. Firstly, because it is recycled cardboard, there is very minimal cost to the environment made by these changes. The actual financial costs however are justified by the increased perceived value the customer would associate with this packaging. Because of the target markets tendencies to spend more money if they believe they are getting superior value and helping the environment, these costs can largely be absorbed by the customer. These changes also create a stark contrast between the competitor’s products and Whisper’s. This creates a greater shelf presence for Whisper and thus more sales

Current packaging amoung competitors.

New packaging anoung competitors.

Sheet Materials - Polypropylene Sheeting