Theoretical Prototype

For my initial theoretical prototype concept/s, I have taken inspiration from my research into sustainable, recyclable and eco-friendly packaging to design a suitable shoe box. My shoe box design would be used in the transportation of (preferably, but not limited to) canvas shoes. Using a similar approach to a use after its primary use as 'Toms - One for One', where for every shoe purchased, the consumer would then use the same box they received their shoes in, to send an old pair of shoes back to the company. The consumers new shoes would come wrapped in recycled paper which has, printed upon it, a nautical-style map of where their old shoes/materials from their old shoes that are sent back to the company end up.

 1) A 100% recyclable cardboard box held together tight with string (shoes accessible on small side of box as shown in diagram 2). This is sustainable as no material used would go to waste.

 2) A set layout of the recyclable box in which the old and new shoes would be transported in.

3) (Use of a smaller box-shape in photograph so the design is visible) the 'nautical style' wrapping for the shoes inside the box, for protection of the shoes, and to inform the consumer where their old shoes will be sent.

4) The three final designs for my theoretical prototype (not drawn to scale).

Box Designs Research

Although initially designed as chocolate packaging with a rugged military ration feel and old typewritten forms, This particular aesthetic, simple 'box and string' design would certainly work as a potential shoe box.

Originally designed as a 'cutting board package' for bread, this particular box layout set would work in perfect conjunction with the above chocolate box design.

As a variation on the simple box, this design for Incase offers a simple and clean design with a more innovative way to open and close the package, with a flip lid that resembles a satchel bag.

 Why use cardboard when you can use durable, softer materials? As customers today are in seem to need of reassurance of where their product can be sourced, this design for Phil Bowditch Fishmonger shows exactly where their product has come from by displaying it on the nautical maps in which their product is wrapped in, then it is placed in a recyclable bag. A win-win design.

This design for Vim Popcorn may be a little different to previous designs, however this design would work for shoes resembling 'Toms' and softer, canvas shoes - giving a more exciting take on a simple shoe box.

Toms Case Study

Toms are not only a shoe company, but a growing organisation (One for One). Their movement is simple, for every pair of Toms purchased, they give another pair of new Toms to children in need. Toms has thus far given 2,000,000 pairs of shows to children all around the world.

Awareness days have also been set up, such as "One Day Without Shoes" to help understand the impact a pair of shoes can have on a child's life, as without them, many children are exposed to injury and disease each day, whether at play, doing chores or going to school.

Set up by Blake Mycoskie in 2006 (the year in which 10,000 pairs of shoes were personally delivered by himself, family and friends to children in need) as a company, Toms aims to help minimise the amount of children who have to go without shoes, by encouraging others to purchase a pair of their shoes.

Traditional Packaging Prototype

Task: Using as few new resources as possible, produce a working prototype pack design that safely transports 3 tangerines - displayed attractively, with the tangerines visible.


For this task, we were given only string and cardboard in which to create a suitable form of packaging to transport the three tangerines.

To create strength in our packaging, we used layers of folded cardboard, held firm by tight string to keep the box together and to use as a 'carry handle'. We were given cardboard already pre-cut into a specific shape, so we used the shape as a part of our final prototype design. We used cardboard inside the outer shell of the design to keep the fruit from rolling around and being damaged.

If I could design this with my group again, I would design it with similarities to the traditional Japanese rice straw design for eggs and fruit, as our design may not have been suitable had the design been tipped on to its side or upside-down. However, for the most part, our prototype would have kept the fruit safe, and is an easily transportable design for smaller distances.

An Introduction to Traditional Japanese Packaging

The Utilitarian Logic/Lineage

 1) Magnolia Leaf Wrap

Used for wrapping rice cakes (alike bamboo and oak leaves, which are used to wrap rice dumplings)

2) Rural Rope Wrapping 

 Used for the preservation and protection of fish

 3) Rice Straw

Used for easy transport and protection of food such as eggs and fruit

Utilitarian Lineage packaging is made from entirely natural materials and is appropriate for storing, protection, preservation and is a sustainable solution to minimal (free of excess), beautiful, simplistic packaging.





The Handicraft

Handicraft packaging is a more conscious set of designs which were created by craftsmen to design more "art-based" packaging. These designs were considered more sophisticated.

Sustainable Furniture Design

The Green Festival showcasing sustainable furniture design

1. Design to satisfy real needs as opposed to transient, fashionable or market-driven needs.
- Not only are these eco-friendly products attractive and contemporary, but they have been designed in such a way that they have a reduced Carbon Footprint and therefore a lesser affect on the environment, using local manufacturers and assemblers and cutting down on many resources coming into transport of the materials, and in the products themselves.

2. Design to minimise the ecological footprint of the product/material/service product, i.e. reduce resource consumption, including energy and water.
- These furniture designs reduce resource consumption as they reducing deforestation, and using recyclable materials such as household plastic milk jugs (Melt Jugs) and stainless steel. Stainless steel itself is an ideal material to use (particularly in kitchenware) as it is 100% recyclable, sustainable, non-rusting, healthy and hygienic. Especially replanted (by the company) Teak wood is also ideal to use as it of "heirloom quality" and lasts 10-20 years and also has no affect on the rainforest ecosystem.

3. Design to harness solar income (sun, wind, water or sea power) rather than use non
renewable nature capital such as fossil fuels.

4. Design to enable the separation of components of the product/material or service product at the end of life in order to encourage recycling or reuse of materials and/or components.
- As this furniture is made up of environmentally friendly materials, once the product has reached the end of its life, the components can be broken down into individual parts (Teak wood, recyclable plastics and stainless steel) and reused again for other products - therefore encouraging recycling in its consumers.

5. Design to exclude the use of substances toxic or hazardous to human and other forms of life at all stages of the product/material/service product's lifecycle.
- The only materials involved the creating of these products are eco-friendly - all durable, recycled and sustainable, using only particular variations of wood (for example, especially replanted young Teak wood which has not been taken from the rainforest ecosystem) and specific metals and plastics (stainless steel and recyclable plastic)

6. Design to engender maximum benefits to the intended audience and to educate the client and the user and thereby create a more equable future.
- These items of furniture (household and garden chairs, kitchen suits, drawers, cupboards etc) not only come with so many benefits, but they also come with so much information as to how they do benefit consumers. How every material involved in manufacture not only doesn't negatively affect environments such as the rainforests, but if anything, helps rebuild and put a stopper in Carbon use by reducing their own Carbon Footprint and encouraging their consumers to do the same.
One particular stand at the Green Festival showcasing furniture was a Fair-Trade brand, where all the producers, woodworkers and artisans are well-paid and well looked after - again - encouraging consumers to purchase these products and do their part for a low Carbon-using community and world, and also encouraging the public 'ideal' of a smaller Carbon Footprint but not on the quality of the end product.

7. Design to use locally available materials and resources wherever possible (thinking
globally but acting locally).
- These companies showcasing at the Green Festival not only have the idea, but have put the work in. After research in location, it has become apparent that the key is that more local your manufacturers and assemblers are to your company, the better. As you are using less Carbon emissions in transport of your materials (in many companies cases, materials are being shipped from country to country). The tighter the company's business is, the smaller the Carbon Footprint.

8. Design to exclude innovation lethargy by re-examining original assumptions behind existing concepts and products/materials/service products
- The existing concept of greener products is that although it benefits the environment, consumers lose out on quality of the end product. This does not have to be the case, as the companies showcasing at the Green Festival have put in an admirable amount of work in location research, sustainability, recyclable products and design to ensure that not only are the end products of good quality and durable, but are also attractive to a consumer.

9. Design to dematerialise products into services wherever feasible.

10. Design to maximise a product/material/service product's benefits to communities.
- Recycling is always a benefit to communities, and having these furniture products available to consumers can only encourage further recycling in households of simple materials such as paper, cardboard, plastic and metals to create other products akin to these ones in particular.

11. Design to encourage modularity in design to permit sequential purchases, as needs require and funds permit, to facilitate repair/reuse and to improve functionality.

12. Design to foster debate and challenge the status quo surrounding existing
products/materials/ service products.

13. Publish eco-pluralistic designs in the public domain for everyone's benefit, especially those designs that commerce will not manufacture.
- The ideas behind these sustainable and durable products is a transferable concept that can be applied to any area of design in respect to value engineered system/materials, maintenance of products, quality, sustainability, recyclable, and healthy and hygienic material choices.

14. Design to create more sustainable products/materials/service products for a more
sustainable future.
- As previously mentioned, having a eco-friendly end product made in such a way that it has the smallest possible Carbon Footprint in terms of transport, manufacture and production, yet still remains high-quality, is encouragement enough for consumers to follow suit and do what they can to keep the cycle going - to recycle household materials in order to create contemporary, durable furniture; and hopefully do their part to keep their own personal Carbon Footprint down to a minimum.

Research into Sustainable Furniture

The Green Festival

1. What makes good sustainability? - Local manufacturing and assembly of furniture products.

2. Healthy materials and materials that are 'value engineered'/a system that is value engineered' so that the end user is getting a product that will last a long time.

3. Stainless steel cabinets and drawers for kitchens, as stainless steel is a 100% recyclable material and is also sustainable, healthy and hygienic.

4. Use of engineered veneer fronts available in different, beautiful exotic woods without deforesting trees in their natural environment.

5. Healthy, durable, recycled content - all sustainable.

6. Not taking from trees that have been growing for years.

7. Fair-trade Organisations - all producers, woodworkers and artisans are well-paid and taken care of.

8. Use of Teak wood (heirloom type of wood quality)

9. Stainless steel hardware, so no rusting.

10. A little more expensive, but better quality.

11. Melt Jugs is the feedstock for the chairs (last forever!)

12. Sustainable furniture is durable and has a smaller Carbon Footprint.

13. Nearly 35 million Americans buy green products.

14. Chairs made of high-density polyethylene which is highly sustainable and maintenance free - made from recycled house plastic such as milk bottles 

15. Ideal = A smaller Carbon Footprint but not risk on quality of the end product.